Starbucks in legal battle with employees

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is asking a US court to make Starbucks rehire three workers. According to the NLRB, Starbucks wrongfully fired these employees because they were members of a union organizing committee. In recent years, 30 Starbucks stores have joined unions and over 220 more stores are planning to vote on it.

Pro-union Starbucks workers say that they want better pay, benefits, scheduling, and safety. The NLRB has received more than 100 complaints from Starbucks employees who say they lost their jobs after showing support for joining a union. Kolton Gosnell, a college student who worked at Starbucks as a shift manager, says that he was wrongfully fired for wearing a union pin and speaking at pro-union demonstrations.

Starbucks says that Gosnell and the other employees were fired for breaking rules. Gosnell, for example, went behind the counter and made himself a drink even though he was signed out. Gosnell agreed that he broke Starbucks policy, but he explained that many employees do the same and never get in trouble. He claims that Starbucks fired him because of his pro-union position.