NLRB Alleges Starbucks Harassed and Threatened Unionizing Workers in Santa Cruz | Eater SF

"At the Ocean Street store in Santa Cruz, an NLRB complaint alleges eight infractions accusing Starbucks of harassing, threatening, coercing, and restraining employees in violation of the NLRA. Workers there, according to Joe Thomas (a shift lead and union organizer), were reprimanded under a dress code for wearing a union hat and multiple union buttons — a practice the NLRB says violates federal law protecting the right to organize. The complaint also alleges management cut hours for pro-union employees and used one-on-one or anti-union “captive audience” meetings. As the store heads into bargaining, staff expect an administrative hearing on June 28 and may stage a rally before month’s end; organizers say these incidents reflect a broader pattern of alleged union-busting, noting that twenty employees have been fired across the country." - Paolo Bicchieri