Starbucks
Permanently Closed
Signature roasts, light bites, and WiFi availability
Signature roasts, light bites, and WiFi availability
"The Maple Street Starbucks was the first local store to unionize; in that case Starbucks fired the worker who helped lead the effort a few weeks after employees filed for union recognition, an incident cited as one example of the managerial and corporate opposition to unionization that began at the company in 2021." - Clair Lorell
"I note that the Maple Street Starbucks voted to unionize in June 2022, and reporting around that effort highlighted company opposition, including an instance in which Starbucks fired a worker who helped lead the drive a few weeks after employees filed for union recognition." - Clair Lorell
"I noted that at a Starbucks on Maple Street the company fired the worker who led unionization efforts; the store had voted to unionize but Starbucks has yet to begin bargaining. That local firing is reported alongside broader allegations that Starbucks has refused to bargain fairly with unionizing workers at hundreds of stores, threatened some with the loss of trans-inclusive healthcare benefits, refused wage increases at unionized stores, and fired union organizers over petty rule infractions." - Clair Lorell
"Three weeks after hourly workers at the 7700 Maple Street Starbucks filed for union recognition, the shift supervisor who helped lead the effort, Billie Nyx, was fired; Nyx says Starbucks attributed the firing to their decision to close early during Jazz Fest when the store was understaffed. Nyx, who has worked at the University-area store for three years, says they were asked to run the store with just two people on a busier-than-average weekend evening and ultimately closed the store three hours early on Sunday, May 1 after delivery orders overwhelmed staff, having notified managers and the district manager by phone; Nyx calls the firing a “deliberate and strategic move” two weeks before the store’s union vote and says they’ve been the most vocal organizer and have helped organizers at other stores. Starbucks responded that Nyx was fired “for closing our location early without business justification and against the direct instructions of two store managers,” referred to Nyx by a non-preferred name, and denied any anti-union activity, saying shift supervisors are expected to uphold the “Starbucks Experience.” The store is the first in Louisiana to file with the NLRB (10 of 16 partners signed the petition), its union vote is scheduled for June 3–4, Nyx is filing an unfair labor practices charge and will be unable to vote unless reinstated, and Nyx asks customers to make their disapproval known and to tip the remaining workers who will have extra work now." - Clair Lorell
"This Maple Street shop filed for union certification, becoming the first location in Louisiana to take formal steps toward organizing. The filing adds to a growing series of individual store elections and petitions across the country, highlighting both rising interest in unionization within the hospitality industry and the persistent legal and logistical challenges smaller establishments face when attempting to organize." - Beth McKibben