Starbucks Illegally Threatened Union Organizers, NLRB Judge Says

Starbucks Corp. illegally interrogated workers at a store in Minnesota about their union activities, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled.

Management at a Starbucks cafe in Minneapolis violated the National Labor Relations Act by asking workers about their plans with Starbucks Workers United in March and April 2022, Administrative Law Judge Andrew Gollin said in a decision Thursday. The coffee giant also illegally threatened the organizers with lower pay and benefits if they decided to unionize, he found.

Gollin dismissed charges accusing the company of unlawfully forcing organizers into mandatory meetings, saying he can’t overrule current precedent set ...