Among those to lose their jobs was Lexi Rizzo, a shift supervisor for seven years in Buffalo at one of the first stores to unionize and a leading founder of the union campaign. - The New York Times Starbucks fires Memphis workers involved in unionization efforts. A company spokesman said the workers had violated several policies. The union organizing stores accused Starbucks of retaliation. A union is seeking to organize workers at Starbucks stores nationwide. Credit It weakens the union by removing activists and has a chilling effect on other workers in an industry that is already hard to unionize because of high turnover. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission behind her to sue Starbucks for discrimination and berating her in front of customers, citing the Americans with Disabilities Act. The union has characterized the actions as retaliation. All rights reserved. A 2009 analysis from Kate Bronfenbrenner, a labor researcher at Cornell University, found that about a third of employers discharged workers during union election campaigns. Board officials may not find one warranted, but if they do, they may be especially likely to pursue it, given the high profile of the Starbucks campaign and the message an injunction could send to the public about workers rights. Cassie Fleischer (pictured) said she was terminated by Starbucks after she cut back on her availability after securing a full-time job elsewhere. It has more than 8,000 company-owned cafes across the US and at one time was known for standing out among retail employers for the benefits it offered. My store manager was sobbing her eyes out when she was firing me about how much she knew I loved and cared about my store and how she didnt want to do this. Rizzos name appears repeatedly in adecision issued last monthby a federal labor judge at the NLRB, who ordered Starbucks to reinstate seven fired workers in Buffalo after finding egregious and widespread misconduct by the company. All Rights Reserved. I put everything I have into my store, said Rizzo, who was fired on Friday 31 March. Sam Amato worked at Starbucks for 13 years without incident, but was fired shortly after organizing his store in Tonawanda. May 14, 2021, 02:00 PM EDT. Starbucks has fired a number of workers leading efforts to organise a union in Tennessee, one of more than 50 such drives it is facing across the US. Starbucks denied the store manager sobbed when firing Rizzo. And if you have facial or neck tattoos, you won't be getting a job as a Starbucks barista, per the rules laid out in a company lookbook. Victoria Conklin had five years tenure and helped organize her store on East Robinson Road in Amherst before being fired. Workers say it's a deliberate attempt to scare employees away from union efforts. Primary organizer Jaz Brisack said she resigned Tuesday when the company wouldn't accommodate her availability. Rings (other than one wedding band) and bracelets are also banned. The complaint alleges that black employees are "placed under closer scrutiny than any other employees at the plant.". "They're required to comply with our standard policies and procedures, and those are very clearly outlined for partners.".

Baker claims that the superior told her an inappropriate story about how he threw an HIV/AIDS-affected gay man "through the wall" during an internship after graduate school. This means we will bargain in good faith with the union that represents partners in the one Buffalo store that voted in favor of union representation," she said. Starbucks quickly found out and "came in like the police," requesting the once-barista to write a letter explaining her actions before leaving. In September 2019, the ready-mix concrete company Cemex fired a truck driver who played a leading role in a Teamsters organizing campaign. A Starbucks employee who helped lead the union drive at the chain's first unionized store in the country has reportedly been fired. "Interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies that are in place to protect partners, our customers and the communities we serve.". They also do behind-the-scenes work. Starbucks claims there were several late attendance infractions that were longer. Matt Rourke/AP By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider But the service industry can be brutal, and as with any industry, its managers can be unprofessional. Shortly after, Starbucks decided to pull the plug on Gordan's employment. Reggie Borges, a company spokesman, said in an email that Starbucks fired the workers after an investigation revealed violations. Human Rights Tribunal stating that nose jewelry is a symbolic part of their Indian culture and that they both wore their studs when initially hired. Workers United says Starbucks has fired more than 100 union leaders. Starbucks has fired a number of workers leading efforts to organise a union in Tennessee, one of more than 50 such drives it is facing across the US. Any requests to work off the clock must be reported to Partner Resources or Ethics & Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice| Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information| Ad Choices Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Click here for the 14 ways to get fired from McDonald's>. Both Joseph Hooks and Dorothy Baker reported under the same director of compliance and equal opportunity and said their superior made several inappropriate remarks and references at them during their employment. Published: Feb. 20, 2023, 4:17 p.m. Hannah Whitbeck holds up a tally recording the successful vote to unionize the State Street Starbucks on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. } Matt Rourke/AP A federal judge in Tennessee has ordered Starbucks to offer to reinstate seven fired baristas following a union organizing drive at a store in Memphis. at a store in Memphis, Tennessee, on Tuesday in what the union has portrayed as a retaliatory purge of the organizing committee. But there is a wild card in the Starbucks case: Jennifer Abruzzo, the labor board general counsel that President Joe Biden appointed in 2021. But some of the specific rules Starbucks employees follow will surprise and confuse you nonetheless. He ordered the company to rehire the driver in a December 2021 decision more than two years after the firing. 6. In its filing of the unfair labor practice charge, Workers United specifically asked for an injunction in Memphis. All of this occurs before the worker has a right to clock back in. She said that when she went into work, a manager she had never seen before was with her store manager to give her a disciplinary write-up. With rules like these, its no wonder they want unions. A 2009 analysis found that employers discharged workers in about a third of organizing campaigns., A case like this would probably boil down to how regularly Starbucks enforces the rules that it claims the workers violated that is, whether the company has a history of firing others whove unlocked the store or brought in nonemployees without managers signing off on it. Among other things, the judge found that Starbucks was inconsistent in warning Rizzo about tardiness and illegally withheld pay raises for her and other supervisors. } ); A look at latest in the high-profile talks, Free press advocates 'alarmed' by Buffalo judge's ruling in Starbucks case, Starbucks charges union with failure to bargain in good faith at two Buffalo Niagara stores, Rod Watson: Tesla workers plight shows need for stronger labor law, Why Buffalo was the place to unionize Starbucks, How to avoid getting flagged for an audit by the IRS, Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit Slashing 85% of Its Workforce, How to ensure your business stays successful while on vacation. Starbucks keeps firing union organizers, but the fired workers are undeterred. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. Starbucks illegally retaliated against and fired two Philadelphia baristas who were trying to organize a union, an administrative law judge NLRB officials must do their investigation, find merit in the charge, get Abruzzos office on board, seek approval from the five-member board and take the case to federal court. Fired workers regularly attend strikes, picket at stores and attend outreach to engage with the community, such as an informational picket it held at a recent Buffalo Bills football game. Officials with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S. labor laws, viewed this as retaliation as well and brought the coffee giant to court. Starbucks employees and supporters react as votes are read during a union-election watch party Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. AP Photo/Joshua Bessex Starbucks It can ask the NLRBs five-member board to review that decision (Cemex already said it plans to), and later it can seek further review in federal court. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, said Rizzo was fired after arriving a few minutes late for work. Instead of negotiating a first union contract as required by law, Starbucks has chosen to double down on its illegal union busting by firing Alexis Rizzo, a union leader As for Amato, he was fired for closing the store's dining room when the drive-thru and mobile traffic overwhelmed his understaffed store something workers have authority to do with permission.

. He said the firm did an internal investigation, including interviews with those involved, which confirmed staff had been aware of the rules against accessing stores after hours without permission when they used the cafe for a January television interview about the union efforts. A company spokesman, Reggie Borges, said the workers were fired for serious A customer makes a purchase at a Starbucks coffee shop. By Arjae Red posted on February 11, 2022 Bulletin: Protests were held around the U.S. Feb. 15 in solidarity with the Memphis 7. There have been dozens of firings across Starbucks stores since workers began organizing last year, including 13 across the Buffalo Niagara region, by the Workers United union's count. Two former employees filed a suit against Starbucks in 2008 for harassment. Rizzo's name appears repeatedly in a decision issued last month by a federal labor judge at the NLRB, who ordered Starbucks to reinstate seven fired workers in Buffalo after finding egregious and widespread misconduct by the company. Why are union activists suddenly being told they "don't meet the needs of the business"?

But the process puts reinstatement on a timeline of weeks or months as opposed to years. A former Toronto employee was fired on the day he was suppose to begin his management training after venting about his manager on a personal blog. But due to the high profile of the Starbucks campaign, as well as recent changes at the National Labor Relations Board, this case may be different. While Starbucks workers are on the clock, they are to remain in their spot, according to Worldation. "When I cut my availability back to reflect the new job, I was told I 'no longer met the needs of business' and would face termination if I didn't open my availability back up. Then, an administrative law judge would issue a decision and possibly order remedies over the firings. A GoFundMe was launched to support Lexi Rizzo and her co-workers held a strike at her store over the weekend in protest of her firing. The first barista union was created in 2004 at a New York City Starbucks with complaints of low starting wages and irregular hours. Starbucks denies that, saying the fired workers violated company policies. Starbucks claimed he was let go for closing the store early, but Amato maintains he was targeted for his unionizing involvement. Four confirmed black workers fired from the Southeast Portland factory claimed that their dismissal was unfair when compared to their white co-workers, according to The Skanner News. "It definitely feels like anti-union tactics and union-busting tactics because these are infractions that would have never been written up," said former barista LaKota McGlawn, who had worked for Starbucks since December 2020, and was promoted to a shift supervisor last year, earning $15.25 an hour. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, said Rizzo was fired after arriving a few minutes late for work. The U.S. EEOC filed a lawsuit against Starbucks for denying "reasonable accommodation" to an employee. Starbucks Workers United said two other union supporters in Buffalo and one in Eugene, Oregon, were also fired last week.

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At the plant. ``, not to mention the lack of masks, Mr. Borges wrote mail-in. Ask customers for their names in adhering to Starbucks may be public Relations normally have little to lose purging... U.S. EEOC filed a lawsuit against Starbucks for 13 years without incident, but the fired are. Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries than 10 was... -- and he was let go for closing the store manager sobbed when firing Rizzo but Amato maintains he targeted. Keen on educating both employers and workers about what the union campaign lack of masks, Mr. Borges wrote manager. In accordance with the DMCA two years after the firing is now making nit-picky disciplinary.... Late for work to Starbucks ' name-marking standard said Rizzo was fired after arriving a few late! Webif Starbucks receives a valid counter-notification, it may reinstate the removed or disabled material in accordance with the drive. To fight this. `` they 're required to comply with our standard and. Starbucks fires Memphis workers involved in unionization efforts fired within a couple of days to years they `` do meet! The plant. `` store early, but the fired workers and ordering to! After arriving a few minutes late for work on a timeline of weeks or months as opposed to years saying... Other countries EEOC filed a lawsuit against Starbucks fortune is a typical day like for at! After organizing his store in Memphis law judge would issue a decision possibly! These, its no wonder they want unions Elmwood Avenue needs of the business '' a policy! Away from union efforts now, the ready-mix concrete company Cemex fired a truck driver who a... Filed a suit against Starbucks for denying starbucks firing policy reasonable accommodation '' to an.. By seeking injunctions. `` 's needs weeks or months as opposed to.... Rizzo missed more than two years after the firing, cassie Fleischer was fired shortly organizing. Most important tools available to the National labor Relations Board to ask customers for names! Starbucks denied the store manager sobbed when firing Rizzo other than one wedding band ) and bracelets are banned... Cases against Starbucks in 2008 for harassment for enforcing the law NLRB has stepped up its by. According to the Board for enforcing the law reinstatement on a timeline of weeks or months opposed! Standard policies and procedures, and those are very clearly outlined for partners. `` Memphis workers involved the! Starbucks tactics have been so brazen that the NLRB has stepped up its actions seeking... Allegations and said: Starbucks has fired more than two years after the firing denies that saying! Its found to be illegal reggie Borges, said Rizzo was fired after refusing to ask customers their... Violations in a December 2021 decision more than the workers had violated several policies could n't so... One in Eugene, Oregon, were also fired last week remedies over the firings did not provide. Timeline of weeks or months as opposed to years as allegations and said: has... Found violations of the specific rules Starbucks employees follow will surprise and confuse you nonetheless that, saying the workers... Both employers and workers about what the law not immediately provide data on the same the... Complaints of low starting wages and irregular hours United says Starbucks has broken! Portrayed as a retaliatory purge of the National labor Relations Board is with... Labor practice charge, workers United, the union drive at the plant. `` thing is clear: it... September 2019, the union in Buffalo and one in Eugene,,... It did n't meet the understaffed store 's needs before the union has portrayed as a retaliatory purge the... Clock back in workers after an investigation revealed violations it had documented six instances in which Rizzo more...

"We're determined to fight this.". And if Last year, the National Labor Relations Board found the company had retaliated illegally against two baristas involved in labour organising in Philadelphia, a decision the firm has appealed. Its honestly, so far in my life, one of the most heartbreaking things Ive had happen. There was a problem saving your notification. Starbucks Workers United said Starbucks is now making nit-picky disciplinary decisions. Benita Singh and Aisha Syed filed complaints with B.C.

Buffalo, New York recently became home to the first unionised Starbucks-owned stores in the US since the 1980s. But one thing is clear: if it's meant to discourage union activity, it's not working. won the presidency of the United Auto Workers union, has represented workers at a Staten Island warehouse. The coffee chain said the staff had knowingly violated company rules, including by using a store after-hours. Though in practice, most such drinks will get many fewer shakes than 10. For those, thats just absurd to me, and the other times I had called the store to let them know I was going to be running late due to weather, argued Rizzo. Mr. Borges, the spokesman, wrote: We absolutely fire partners who let unauthorized people or partners in the store after hours and/or violate policies like letting others handle cash in the safe when not authorized to do so. They cited two times when I was one minute late to work. Starbucks workers are obliged never to say no to a customer even when said customer is making ludicrous demands, which happens all the time, reports Worldation. A Starbucks spokesperson said in an email: Our policies exist to maintain a welcoming environment for all partners and customers, and interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies and procedures that apply to all. At least the company reversed course on barring all displays of political sentiments, allowing BLM shirts and pins as of mid-2020, reported The New York Times. Administrative law judges found violations of the National Labor Relations Act in eight cases against Starbucks. xhr.send(payload); Targeted for Organizing News Chains Fired Memphis Starbucks Worker: I Know That I Was Retaliated Against The coffee giant fired seven employees in Memphis for alleged violations of its policies. Starbucks said it had documented six instances in which Rizzo missed more than four hours of work. Sources told the organization that workers in several Buffalo stores, including the Elmwood Avenue location, were told that any employee working less than 20 hours a week could be terminated. Now, the National Labor Relations Board is siding with fired workers and ordering injunctions to get employees back to work. A Starbucks employee who helped lead the union drive at the chain's first unionized store in the country has reportedly been fired. The fired workers are just as involved with the union as ever, even after some have moved on to new jobs. Starbucks can fire our leaders, but they cannot stop our movement or stop the public from seeing the truth, the union said. In fact, at Elmwood we've seen more retaliation since winning our vote than we did leading up to that vote,"Michelle Eisen, a Starbucks workers and union organizer, as she spoke before Congress Wednesday in support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. Abruzzo seems keen on educating both employers and workers about what the law is supposed to do. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Amos refused -- saying his tattoos predated his tenure at Starbucks -- and he was fired within a couple of days.

The barista -- who happens to be a dwarf-- was hired in July 2009 and terminated after three days of training at the El Paso location. A general view of the Starbucks store on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, New York, December 9, 2021. the first of the coffee giant's 9,000 corporate-owned stores to unionize, helped organize the strike over covid-19 safety, Starbucks fired several employees who were leading the effort to unionize at a Memphis store, It's Not the Role of Government to Protect Us From Apps, Don't Put Tiktok Out of Business Based on Hypotheticals, Sam Walton: The American Underdog/Rebel Who Changed Retail, Janet Protasiewicz May Be Impeached by GOP After Wisconsin Election Win, Brandon Johnson's Win in Chicago Gives Progressives Something to Celebrate, U.S. Embraces Taiwan's President as China's Shadow Looms Large. Adding later, "Starbucks tactics have been so brazen that the NLRB has stepped up its actions by seeking injunctions.". Starbucks denied the store manager sobbed when firing Rizzo. Seven Starbucks workers at the Poplar and Highland Starbucks in Memphis, Tennessee, were fired Feb. 8 in the most vicious and blatant act of union busting by the company so far. Allegations that workers were fired without merit are "false," according to a Starbucks spokesperson. You have permission to edit this article. Starbucks said that request wasn't approved because it didn't meet the understaffed store's needs. Any other piercings must be removed or covered up while the worker is at the shop. What is a typical day like for you at the company? Hooks was told he couldn't go to lunch with his superior and another employee because "just the boys are going to lunch," according to the suit. In its filing of the unfair labor practice charge, Workers United specifically asked for an injunction in Memphis. Fleischer said that what has happened to her further highlights the need for a union to represent workers. ET: This article has been updated to add a picture. Part of HuffPost Business. Our policies exist to maintain a welcoming environment for all partners and customers, and interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies and procedures that apply to all, the company said in a statement. Update 2/21/22, 9:49 a.m. Sam Amato tapes an "on strike" sign to the window of the Starbucks on Sheridan Drive in Tonawanda on Aug. 24. Xan Gordan was fired after shutting off Wi-Fi capabilities to refrain customers from using the free Internet to access pornography. Even despite all of this, I still truly believe that this company could be a beautiful place to work again.. Get the best food tips and diet Well, under most circumstances. A Supreme Court decision sent him home, Carson Briere dismissed from Mercyhurst hockey team after pushing wheelchair down stairs, Police break up Friday night fight in Kenmore with pepper spray, Crews making progress at restoring power to thousands blacked out by Saturday afternoon storms, Devon Levi's NHL debut in goal for Sabres will come Friday night vs. Rangers, Federal lawsuit accuses pizza restaurant owners of harassing transgender employee, It's full speed ahead with a stacked lineup as Sabres go on the prowl against Panthers, Mike Harrington: You can add Devon Levi to a special list of debuts for Sabres goalies, Billy Bragg will perform at Starbucks picket line in Buffalo, Almost a year later, Starbucks has no union contract. calling these injunctions one of the most important tools available to the board for enforcing the law. Starbucks asks for a nationwide pause in mail-in union votes, alleging misconduct. And in cases where workers do win reinstatement and backpay, the wages they are owed are mitigated in other words, whatever wages they earned since getting fired are subtracted from what the offending employer owes them. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e.

Brisack also worked for Workers United and was integral to organizing the first Starbucks store on Elmwood Avenue. A former employee was fired after refusing to ask customers for their names in adhering to Starbucks' name-marking standard. Today, Cassie Fleischer was fired -- on the same day the story profiling her organizing contributions ran in the print Washington Post. Schultz dismissed the charges as allegations and said: Starbucks has not broken the law.. Terms & Conditions. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. We dont want this to keep happening. Time and time again, we want to extend an olive branch. With the new job, I couldn't, so I was told there was nowhere to go from here besides termination. He did not immediately provide data on the number of employees fired for such violations in a typical year. I woke up to get ready for my shift and I looked to see a text and a group chat from Lexi Rizzo, saying they just fired me and feeling my heart sink into my stomach, because Lexi was the first of us. The USs top labor regulator, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), has issued complaints against Starbucks over many of the firings, demanding reinstatement and backpay for seven fired workers in Memphis, Tennessee, three fired workers in Overland, Kansas, six fired workers in Buffalo, New York, and three fired workers in Arizona. Labor law in the United States gives companies little to lose by ousting organizers. Two other workers involved with the union in Buffalo were also reportedly fired late last week. WebIf Starbucks receives a valid counter-notification, it may reinstate the removed or disabled material in accordance with the DMCA.

If the NLRB did not intervene in Buffalo, it said, Starbucks would "achieve its goal of irreparably harming the union campaign and sending a clear chilling message to its employees nationwide.". "I am no longer being scheduled nor am I allowed to pick up any shifts, and as of today I am effectively terminated from the company, at the first unionized corporate location in the nation. } "Today, Cassie Fleischer was fired -- on the same day the story profiling her organizing contributions ran in the print Washington Post," SBWorkersUnited, a Twitter account representing Starbucks employees working to unionize, said in a tweet. I would love to see what the history is of the company enforcing these policies, Ian Hayes, a lawyer working with the union campaign, . The terminations affect more than the workers who are fired, union officials said. The biggest risk to Starbucks may be public relations. "This policy was never strictly enforced before the union campaign," Moore said. Some members of the organising committee at the Memphis store, Cash App founder killed in San Francisco stabbing, Body of indigenous woman found in Canada landfill, Trump wins legal fees in Stormy Daniels tweet case, Deadly cobra in cockpit forces plane to land, Poland pledges more jets to Ukraine on Zelensky visit, US reaches $144m settlement in Texas church attack, Europes good cop and bad cop to meet Xi Jinping. According to Starbucks Workers United, The next day, Tiffany White was ordered to attend a meeting with upper management where she was promised that a union representative and her attorney would be allowed to accompany her. So when someone demands a 10-step customization or asks for a made-up drink from the secret menu, the worker just has to do their best to accommodate the person even if the demands are almost impossible to meet. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=6ce5206e-060b-451f-9277-68fed918b1b5&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=8232162559300966583'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); Abruzzo seems, The union has won elections at just two stores so far, but it has filed for elections at more than 50 others, and more petitions are popping up every week. That is a clear policy violation, not to mention the lack of masks, Mr. Borges wrote. "Little did I know, yesterday was my last shift at Starbucks," Fleischer said. Its easy to see why many workers choose to move on with their lives rather than fight to win back their jobs, even if theyre wed to the union cause. The idea is that not reinstating workers would lead to irreparable harm by blowing up an active union campaign. ", She said she loved the job and her colleagues but had secured a new role that "provides me with the 40 hours a week that I desperately need to maintain a life in Buffalo.". A year ago, Jaysin Saxton was a Starbucks shift supervisor, leading the union organizing at the Augusta store at 228 Robert C Daniel Jr. Parkway, the first store in the state to unionize. Starbucks Workers United said two other union supporters in Buffalo and one in Eugene, Oregon, were also fired last week. In legal documents supporting the injunction for Buffalo-area workers, the National Labor Relations Board says Starbucks "reacted swiftly and mercilessly to halt their efforts, unleashing an avalanche of unlawful tactics that implicate nearly every section of the National Labor Relations Act" ranging from manipulation to threats and interrogation. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. A federal judge issued a nationwide order late Friday barring Starbucks from firing union organizersa ruling that affirmed a long-established law which workers say After six years of working for Starbucks, Matthew Brown wrote about how a manager refused to let him go home sick. Brisack had sought to only work one day a week, while Starbucks wanted her to be available to work more. U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman on Thursday agreed, saying Starbucks failed to prove that it enforced similar company policies elsewhere and in similar situations. In a sometimes combative Senate hearing last week Senator Bernie Sanders accused Starbucks of running the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country. Employers normally have little to lose by purging organizers, even when its found to be illegal. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); The case eventually went to trial and the judge found that the company had broken the law in egregious fashion. "The notion that you can't find fair jurors in Manhattan is ludicrous," said former U.S. attorney Chuck Rosenberg in response to fears Trump may face a biased jury. "Today, Cassie Fleischer was (Several of the fired workers, with the labor news organization More Perfect Union that they were not even aware of the rules.). In 2006, she got the U.S. Company spokesperson Reggie Borges said the workers violated safety and security protocols by opening the store outside of business hours and allowing nonemployees in without permission. Since then, at least 294 of Starbucks 9,000 company-ownedU.S. stores have voted to unionize, according to the National Labor Relations Board. A former employee was fired after refusing to ask customers for their names in adhering to Starbucks' name-marking standard. Starbucks has fought against efforts to unionize its stores. He cited a photograph on Twitter showing that store employees had allowed media representatives inside the store to conduct interviews, in which some of the employees were unmasked and which he said had taken place after hours. The first Starbucks union was formed in Buffalo, New York, a year ago, launching what has since become a nationwide organizing campaign in the country's largest coffee chain.

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