BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Federal labor officials are accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against pro-union employees. The National Labor Relations Board’s Buffalo regional director filed a sweeping complaint Friday outlining a host of labor law violations and seeking reinstatement and backpay for the employees. The coffee chain called the allegations “false” and vowed to fight them at an upcoming hearing. Starbucks Workers United said the complaint “confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks’ conduct in Western New York for the better part of a year.” The first votes in a nationwide Starbucks unionization push came in December at three stores in Buffalo.

Ross D. Franklin/AP
FILE - Michelle Eisen, a barista at the Buffalo, N.Y., Elmwood Starbucks location, helps out the local Starbucks Workers United, employees of a local Starbucks, as they gather at a local union hall to cast votes to unionize or not, on Feb. 16, 2022, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Posted at 9:12 PM, May 06, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-06 21:12:35-04
Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.