Starbucks Wants Powers Of Labor Agency Curbed

After Starbucks fired seven workers who were trying to unionize their Tennessee store, a US government agency obtained a court order forcing the company to rehire them.

The hearing comes as Starbucks and Workers United, the union organizing its workers, planned to meet Tuesday for their first bargaining session in nearly a year. I Photo: Joe Piette Flickr

Now, Starbucks wants the Supreme Court (SC) to curb the government’s power in such cases, Dee-Ann Durbin reported for the Associated Press (AP).

On Tuesday, justices are scheduled to hear Starbucks’ case against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency that protects the right of employees to organize.

If the court sides with Starbucks, it could make it tougher for the NLRB to step in when it alleges corporate interference in unionization efforts.

The case before the SC began in February 2022, when Starbucks fired seven employees who were leading a unionization effort in Memphis, Tennessee. Starbucks argued the employees had violated policy by reopening the store after closing time and inviting non-employees — including a television news crew — to come inside.

The hearing comes as Starbucks and Workers United, the union organizing its workers, planned to meet Tuesday for their first bargaining session in nearly a year.