Supreme Court to Hear Starbucks' Appeal on Reinstating Fired Employees

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Starbucks' appeal of a court order that requires the coffee chain to reinstate seven employees at one of its stores in Memphis, Tennessee. These employees, known as the "Memphis Seven," claim they were fired for participating in a high-profile effort to organize a union and filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

In 2022, a federal judge ordered Starbucks to rehire the workers, a decision that was affirmed by a federal appeals court last year. The issue at hand is the standard used for court injunctions requested by the NLRB in their legal disputes with employers during administrative proceedings.

Starbucks argues that certain courts are granting the NLRB too much leeway, leading to conflicting rulings from different appeals courts. The coffee chain's attorneys wrote to the Supreme Court, expressing concern that this inconsistency "unacceptably threatens the uniformity of federal labor law."

Starbucks Workers' Termination Case Reaches Supreme Court

Starbucks has expressed its satisfaction with the decision of the Supreme Court to consider its request for a level playing field for all U.S. employers. The request aims to ensure that a single standard is applied as federal district courts determine whether to grant 10(j) injunctions pursued by the National Labor Relations Board. In a statement to CBS Moneywatch, Starbucks stated, "We are pleased the Supreme Court has decided to consider our request to level the playing field for all U.S. employers by ensuring that a single standard is applied as federal district courts determine whether to grant 10(j) injunctions pursued by the National Labor Relations Board."

In January 2022, seven workers were terminated by Starbucks after publicly posting a letter to the company's CEO and participating in an interview with a TV news crew at their Memphis store. The purpose of the interview was to discuss their union work. Starbucks claimed that the workers violated a safety policy by opening the store without approval and allowing unauthorized individuals inside.

Starbucks Workers United, a group representing the terminated workers, criticized the Supreme Court's decision to take up the Memphis case. They accused Starbucks of expanding its war on its own employees to a war on all U.S. workers. In an emailed statement, Starbucks Workers United said, "With the Supreme Court agreeing to take up the Memphis case, Starbucks just expanded its war on its own employees to a war on all U.S. workers. All working people should be appalled and join our fight to make sure corporations are held accountable to the law."

A decision in the case is expected to be reached by the end of June.