Starbucks fired seven employees in Memphis on Tuesday who were trying to unionize the store amid an atmosphere where several Starbucks stores across the country have filed for union elections.
According to The New York Times, a Starbucks spokesperson said that the employees violated company safety and security policies.
The firings come after an incident at the store last month when employees allowed media members into the store to conduct interviews in regards to the unionization efforts.
"These egregious actions and blatant violations cannot be ignored," Reggie Borges, a company spokesman, said in an email. "As a result of our investigation, several partners involved are no longer with Starbucks given the significant violations of these policies."
The employees allegedly opened a locked door, remained in the store after hours without authorization, allowed other unauthorized individuals inside the store after it closed, and allowed the unauthorized individuals in restricted areas of the store.
Starbucks Workers United, who has helped a number of stores unionize, said in a statement that, "Starbucks chose to selectively enforce policies that have not previously been consistently enforced as a pretext to fire union leaders."
Two of the now fired employees said that some of the violations were common practice, such as off-duty employees checking the schedules posted in the back of the store. However, Borges said that this is uncommon when a store is closed.
"I was fired by Starbucks today for 'policies' that I've never heard of before and that I've never been written up about before," Nikki Taylor, a shift supervisor, said in a press release from the union.
Beto Sanchez, another former worker, said he was the one accused of opening a store safe without authorization, even though he is normally authorized to do so as a shift supervisor. He said he didn't understand why he was fired instead of being disciplined.
It's unclear if Starbucks usually fires its employees, or 'partners' as they're referred to, over similar violations.
"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," Borges said. "This is a common, understood policy by partners as it brings an element of safety and security risk that crosses a number of lines."
A Starbucks in Buffalo, NY became the first to unionize in December 2021. There are more than 50 separate Starbucks stores across the country fighting for union elections.
"Starbucks corporate is currently firing virtually the entire union leadership in Memphis after they spoke to the media. They are repeating history by retaliating against unionizing workers. The arc of Starbucks' union-busting is long, but it bends toward losing," the Starbucks Workers United tweeted.
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