Starbucks Closes Stores Where Union Elections Were Pending

Abstract

After three Starbucks stores in the Buffalo area filed election petitions last August, Starbucks imported out of state “support managers” to work with the employees. Workers believed they were spies, said they found them intimidating and demoralizing and that they disrupted normal operations. At times, including several support managers, there would be more than 10 baristas to serve customers. Then on October 25 Starbucks closed two of the stores where union elections would have occurred.