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| Photo Credit: AP. |
Starbucks said Wednesday it will reinstate seven employees who were fired in February after leading an effort to unionize their Memphis store.
The seven
will get their jobs back after the Seattle-based coffee giant lost an appeal of
a lower court’s order to reinstate them.
Starbucks
said the employees violated company policy by reopening the store after closing
time and inviting non-employees — including a television crew — to come inside.
But the
National Labor Relations Board disagreed with Starbucks’ action, saying it was
interfering with workers’ right to organize, and it asked a federal court in
Memphis to intervene. Last month, a federal judge ordered Starbucks to
reinstate the workers within five days while the court considers the labor
board’s lawsuit.
Starbucks
appealed, but late Tuesday, a three-judge panel for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals sided with the lower court, ruling that Starbucks “did not show a
likelihood of success” in challenging the lower court’s ruling.
The case has
been among the most closely watched in the ongoing unionization effort at
Starbucks. Since late last year, more than 230 U.S. Starbucks stores —
including the Memphis location — have voted to unionize. Starbucks opposes
unionization.
Workers
United, the union organizing Starbucks stores, celebrated the appeals court
decision Wednesday. The group claims Starbucks has fired more than 100 union
leaders from its stores this year.
“We hope the
win helps provide the precedent for other cases like ours and helps show
workers that we have the power to stand up for a better work life for ourselves
and every other worker out there,” said Kylie Throckmorton, one of the fired
workers, in a statement distributed by the union.
Starbucks
said it respects workers’ right to organize but strongly disagrees with the
court decision.
“We are
concerned that this ruling sends mixed messages to our partners about appropriate
behavior in the workplace and sets a worrisome precedent for employers
everywhere who need to be able to make personnel decisions based on their
established policies and protocols,” the company said.
Starbucks
also said the decision will penalize current workers, who will likely see their
hours reduced to make way for the returning staff.