Starbucks Illegally Sacked Union Activist, Labor Board Rules

Starbucks Corp.’s termination of a Michigan worker for her union activity and participation in a labor board proceeding violated federal law, the National Labor Relations Board ruled.

Starbucks failed to show it would have fired Hannah Whitbeck absent her legally protected activity, the NLRB said in its Wednesday decision.

The ruling upholds an administrative law judge’s October 2022 ruling against Starbucks for sacking Whitbeck, which was the first of 21 ALJ decisions finding that the coffee giant committed unfair labor practices in its efforts to resist unionization.

Regional NLRB officials have issued 100 complaints alleging the company violated labor ...