Starbucks workers in Buffalo secure major legal victory in union campaign
Buffalo, New York - In a historic decision, Starbucks has been found guilty of hundreds of violations of federal labor law in Buffalo alone.
Administrative law judge Michael A. Rosas of the National Labor Relations Board released a 218-page decision on Wednesday laying out the company's "egregious and widespread" violations and "general disregard for the employees' fundamental rights."
The ruling came after an almost yearlong investigation of 32 unfair labor practices charges from 21 stores in the Buffalo area.
In his decision, Rosas ordered Starbucks to reopen a Cheektowaga store it closed for union activity, begin bargaining with the Camp Road store, and reinstate seven workers it unlawfully fired for union activity.
Dozens of workers will receive back pay and damages for the retaliation they suffered, whether that be in the form of cut hours, withheld promotions, or transfer denials.
The company will also be required to post a 13-page notice listing its labor violations and workers’ rights in all US stores and online communications platforms. On top of that, interim CEO Howard Schultz has been personally called on to read out the company’s violations in Buffalo-area stores and then share a recording to all Starbucks workers across the US.
Starbucks has said it is considering further legal action and has until March 28 to file for an appeal.
Starbucks workers in Buffalo celebrate historic win
Members of Starbucks Workers United celebrated Rosas' decision, saying it will give a big boost to their campaign for better wages and working conditions.
"The news of this win is single handedly the most exciting thing that's happened in this campaign thus far," Michael Sanabria, a fired and reinstated barista at the Transit Commons store in Buffalo, said in a Starbucks Workers United press release. "After waiting through months of Starbucks’ stalling tactics, this will reinvigorate and re-energize the momentum of this movement."
"This decision results from months of tireless organizing by workers in cafes across the country demanding better working conditions in the face of historical, monumental, and now deemed illegal union-busting," added Michelle Eisen, a lead organizer at the Elmwood location in Buffalo, the first US Starbucks store to unionize successfully.
Gary Bonadonna Jr., manager of the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United, said, "This is truly a historic ruling. We will continue to fight and hold billionaires like Howard Schultz accountable for their actions. We will not rest until every Starbucks worker wins the right to organize."
The news of the victory came the same day Senator Bernie Sanders announced his plan to subpoena Schultz to testify during a committee hearing on the company's alleged union busting.
Cover photo: Screenshot/Facebook/SBWorkersUnited