Judge Orders Starbucks to Reinstate Union Organizer

Image copyright: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • A federal labor law judge on Tuesday ordered Starbucks to reinstate former employee and labor organizer Jaz Brisack, who had resigned in 2022 after the coffee chain reportedly ignored her request for fewer working shifts.

  • Robert Ringler, an administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board, observed that Starbucks had compelled Brisack to quit by not accommodating her scheduling needs, violating her rights under labor law.


The Spin

Narrative A

Starbucks' attempts to bend or break US labor laws as well as its intent — sabotage employees' attempts to improve their lives — is out in the open. Despite around 300 stores across the US deciding to unionize, the coffee chain refuses to see the obvious. Its preferential treatment of those staying away from union activities amounts to mistreatment of those exercising their legitimate rights.

Narrative B

Starbucks' management has met with union representatives at least 85 times in the past few years. Besides regular pay, which approaches around $27 per hour on average, the coffee chain extends multiple benefits, like stock grants and parental leave, to thousands of its employees worldwide. Branding this conscientious corporation as anti-worker or "union-busting" is disingenuous.


Metaculus Prediction


Articles on this story