Starbucks will set its own conditions for employees
2023.01.19 14:00
Starbucks will set its own conditions for employees
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – A member of the United States labor board is seeking a rare order requiring Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:) to bargain collectively with workers at a Florida store despite their nearly two-to-one vote against unionization.
On Tuesday, the regional director of the National Labor Relations Board’s office in Tampa, Florida, filed a complaint claiming that Starbucks managers’ illegal threats, retaliation, and surveillance were so severe that it would be pointless to hold a new election there.
In the midst of a nationwide organizing campaign that has involved hundreds of Starbucks locations, employees at the Estero, Florida store voted 21-11 against forming a union in May.
Since the end of 2021, the Starbucks Workers United campaign has won elections at more than 260 stores in the United States and lost about 70 elections. The union wants more money and benefits, better health and safety conditions, and protections from unfair discipline and firings.
According to the new complaint, managers at the Estero store held mandatory anti-union meetings, increased worker supervision, and threatened to withhold raises in the weeks leading up to the election.
The regional director is requesting that the board issue a “bargaining order” that compels Starbucks to recognize the union at the Estero location and negotiate with it.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) only issues bargaining orders when it finds serious misconduct that cannot be addressed by conventional means, such as requiring employers to post violations notices.
In a pending case involving a Buffalo, New York store where employees voted against unionization in 2021, Starbucks faces similar claims. In response to the dozens of allegations of misconduct made by the union, the company has generally denied any wrongdoing.
An administrative law judge will hear the complaint. The judge’s decision can be appealed to the five-member board and, eventually, a federal appeals court.
