Starbucks illegally fired six New York state workers to fight unions, a US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge has ruled.
The judge says the company committed “egregious and widespread” violations of federal labor laws at its businesses in the cities of Buffalo and Rochester.
The coffee chain was ordered to reinstate the former workers and compensate others affected.
In response, Starbucks said its actions were lawful and in line with policies.
“We believe that the decision and the remedies ordered are inadequate given the records on this matter and are considering all options to obtain further legal review,” Starbucks told the BBC.
In a more than 200-page decision, Michael A. Rosas, a federal administrative justice judge, also ordered Starbucks to reinstate another worker it said had been illegally forced out of the job.
Mr Rosas said Starbucks has shown “a general disregard for workers’ fundamental rights” in response to union campaigns.
The judge added that the company had interrogated and threatened workers and restricted discussion of pay.
It also repeatedly sent senior employees into stores “to give the impression that employees’ union activities are being monitored, monitored or monitored more closely,” he said.
The NLRB is an independent federal agency empowered to protect workers’ rights to unionize in their workplaces.
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Michael Sanabria, a Starbucks barista in Buffalo, said the ruling was “such a huge win for us and for the labor movement at large.”
“The decision is the result of months of tireless organizing by workers … demanding better working conditions in the face of a historic, monumental and now illegal union busting,” said Michelle Eisen, barista at another Starbucks location in Buffalo.
Last year, workers at about 270 Starbucks stores across the US voted to join unions, despite opposition from the company. Starbucks has approximately 9,000 company-owned stores in the United States.
Union activists have accused the company of slouching at the negotiating table and violating labor laws as it tries to shut down the movement.
Starbucks — which has long prided itself on its reputation as a progressive, labor-friendly employer — has said it respects workers’ rights to protest.
In recent months, the company has increased salaries and made other changes in response to dissatisfaction.
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