Picked up signs are left for people to pick up during the “Against Starbucks’ Union Busting” protest and march in Seattle, Washington on April 23.
JASON REDMOND / AFP via Getty Images
hide captions
switch captions
JASON REDMOND / AFP via Getty Images
Picked up signs are left for people to pick up during the “Against Starbucks’ Union Busting” protest and march in Seattle, Washington on April 23.
JASON REDMOND / AFP via Getty Images
Federal labor officials filed a complaint Friday accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against employee advocates. Union.
The Buffalo regional director for the National Labor Relations Board outlined a series of labor law violations in a filing demanding employee reinstatement and return.
The coffee chain called these allegations “false” and vowed to fight them in an upcoming hearing.
Spokesperson Reggie Borges wrote in an email, “Starbucks disagrees that the claims are valid and that making a claim is not a finding of the NLRB. “This is the start of a litigation process that allows both parties to be heard and present evidence.”
Starbucks Workers United said the complaint “confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks in Western New York over the better part of a year.”
Danny Rojas, a fired case supervisor, said in a statement: “Starbucks is ultimately responsible for the vandalism they committed. “Starbucks needs to understand that it’s morally corrupt to retaliate against union leaders, and I very much hope that the NLRB forces Starbucks to make this moment right.”
There has been a wave of push for unionization at Starbucks stores nationwide, with the first union vote taking place in December at three stores in Buffalo.
Last month, federal labor officials asked a judge to force Starbucks to reinstate three union activists at its Phoenix location, accusing the coffee giant of unfair labor practices.
