Starbucks Ousted Union Organizers Get Rehired

Starbucks ordered to rehire workers in Illinois and New York after NLRB finds illegal firings

Starbucks Corp. has been directed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to reinstate two workers from Illinois and New York after they were unlawfully terminated for their involvement in union activities. Administrative Law Judge Sarah Karpinen determined that the global coffee chain violated the National Labor Relations Act by engaging in multiple infractions while employees attempted to organize a cafe in Wilmette, Illinois, in 2022. This is the latest ruling against Starbucks by NLRB judges, who have found 48 out of 49 cases involving labor law violations. These violations include unjustifiably firing and threatening over 60 union organizers, excluding unionized stores from national wage increases, and obstructing the board’s investigative process.