The National Labor Relations Board is trying to get three Starbucks workers who are union activists back to work.
A regional director for the board in Arizona filed a petition for a temporary injunction on Friday, saying Starbucks retaliated against three members of a union organizing committee. According to the filing, two of the workers were fired and the third was put on leave.
The board official asked the court to let the Starbucks workers go back to work with their normal hours.
A high-ranking Starbucks official should be required to read the court order aloud in the presence of a board official, and a video recording of the reading should be made available to Starbucks workers around the country.
The board can go to federal court if it believes that workers will be in danger if threats are not stopped.
In this case, Overstreet argues that Starbucks actions have led to an atmosphere of retaliation, and that workers could lose their protections if something isn't done.
It would mark a significant win for Workers United if the injunction is granted. The union accused Starbucks of retaliating against union activists in order to cool the organizing campaign.
“In seeking an injunction, the labor board argues that Starbucks’ actions have led to an atmosphere of retaliation.”
Starbucks has maintained that it was justified in disciplining the Arizona workers, as well as a group of Memphis, Tennessee, workers who were fired, saying they all violated company policies. Labor board officials say the company targeted them because of their activism.
Board officials filed a complaint against Starbucks at the National Labor Relations Board on Friday before Overstreet sought the injunction. The workers who were terminated in Tennessee were referred to as the Memphis 7.
In February, Starbucks fired those workers after a local television station interviewed them about the organizing effort. Starbucks said the workers violated company policy by allowing nonemployees into the store while it was closed.
Kathleen McKinney, a regional director for the board in New Orleans, said Starbucks fired the seven employees because they assisted the Union and engaged in concerted activities that are protected under labor law. She said managers removed pro-union materials from the community bulletin board at the store.
McKinney said Starbucks should have to reimburse the fired workers for all of the damages they suffered as a result of their conduct.
The charge relating to the Memphis workers would be heard by the National Labor Relations Board. It is possible that the board will go to federal court to get an injunction like the one for the workers in Arizona.
Starbucks has thousands of corporate-owned stores in the U.S., all of which were nonunion until Workers United began organizing last year. Many stores have petitioned the labor board to hold elections after they voted to unionize.
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