"Fired Philly baristas won their labor case against Starbucks. Here’s how.", 12 Aug 2021

Starbucks illegally retaliated against and fired two Philadelphia baristas who were trying to organize a union, an administrative law judge has ruled.

The judge, Andrew S. Gollin, earlier this summer ordered Starbucks to reinstate the workers with backpay and post fliers at its stores at Broad and Washington in South Philly and by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania that stated the company would not violate workers’ right to organize.

It’s a victory for the baristas, who said they turned down $100,000 to drop their case, as well as for low-wage, hourly workers employed by big-box chains organizing to improve their working conditions.

But the ruling in the National Labor Relations Board case, which has lasted nearly two years, is one tempered by a coming appeal from Starbucks. The Seattle-based coffee corporation does not have to rehire the workers or pay them during the appeals process, which could take months or longer...

Starbucks does not agree with the NLRB decision and will appeal, spokesperson Reggie Borges said.

“At Starbucks, we have always respected our partners’ rights to engage in protected activity,” Borges said in a statement. “However, we expect our partners to uphold our policies and values.”

Still, the ruling is important, the baristas say, because it establishes a continued record of Starbucks’ retaliation against labor activists. The corporation has sought to brand itself as a progressive employer...

And, the baristas said, it gives workers a guide for what to look out for when they organize, as well as a vision for what’s possible for workers, like them, who are on the lowest rung of the corporate hierarchy and who didn’t have the backing of a traditional union or labor organization...