A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge ruled that Starbucks violated labor laws before and after workers at several stores in Washington State unionized in 2022. The company broke the law by enforcing unfair rules, spying on workers, and throwing away union materials.
The ruling addresses complaints from workers in Olympia, Seattle, and Everett, Washington. The judge found that Starbucks wrongly banned workers from speaking to journalists, threw away union leaflets in break rooms, and unfairly enforced a dress code against union supporters. The dress code also unlawfully prevented workers from wearing union pins.
The judge ordered Starbucks to reverse these policies and pay two workers for wages they lost after being sent home early. The case comes amid ongoing tensions between Starbucks and the union, which has been striking and accusing the company of not making reasonable proposals during contract negotiations.
Workers at selected Starbucks stores around the country have been staging job actions in the busy holiday season, charging that Starbucks has not made a serious effort to settle the dispute.
In the ruling, which exceeded 100 pages, NLRB Administrative Law Judge John Giannopoulos found merit in nearly every unfair labor practice charge.
Giannopoulos ordered Starbucks to rescind the unlawful policies and compensate two baristas for missed wages after they were sent home early.