Current:Home > BackSupreme Court agrees to hear Starbucks appeal in Memphis union case-LoTradeCoin
Supreme Court agrees to hear Starbucks appeal in Memphis union case
View Date:2024-12-24 00:11:21
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal from Starbucks in a dispute with the National Labor Relations Board over efforts by workers to unionize at a store in Memphis, Tennessee.
The case has been among the most closely watched in the more than 2-year-old effort to unionize Starbucks’ company-owned U.S. stores.
Starbucks fired seven employees in Memphis in February 2022, citing safety. The Seattle coffee giant said they violated company policy by reopening a store after closing time and inviting non-employees — including a television crew — to come inside and move throughout the store.
But the NLRB intervened, saying the company was unlawfully interfering in workers’ right to organize and that the store had routinely allowed employees to gather there after closing time. The NLRB asked a federal judge for an immediate injunction requiring Starbucks to reinstate the workers.
In August 2022, a federal judge agreed and ordered Starbucks to reinstate the workers. That decision was later affirmed by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Starbucks appealed to the Supreme Court.
The legal issue in the case is the standard courts should use when deciding whether to issue an order against a business in the midst of a labor dispute. Starbucks said the lower courts in this case used a relaxed standard when deciding to grant the injunction to the labor board, while other federal courts have used a tougher standard.
“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 injunctions pursued by the National Labor Relations Board,” the company said Friday.
Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, said the company is trying to weaken the labor board’s ability to hold companies accountable.
“There’s no doubt that Starbucks broke federal law by firing workers in Memphis for joining together in a union,” Workers United said. “The district court determined that, and the decision was affirmed by one of the most conservative courts in the nation.”
The Memphis store did eventually vote to unionize. It is one of at least 370 Starbucks stores that have voted to unionize since late 2021.
veryGood! (94)
Related
- 2 Florida women charged after shooting death of photographer is livestreamed
- Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's PDA-Filled 2024 MTV VMAs Moments Will Have You Feeling Wide Awake
- The Best Kate Spade Outlet Deals Under $100 – Score $39 Wallets, $39 Wristlets, $58 Crossbodies & More
- Linkin Park setlist: All songs in the From Zero World Tour kickoff with Emily Armstrong
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- Taylor Swift makes VMAs history with most career wins for a solo artist
- Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale Extended for 1 More Day With 70% Off Deals
- 71-year-old boater found dead in Grand Canyon, yet another fatality at the park in 2024
- Caitlin Clark shanks tee shot, nearly hits fans at LPGA's The Annika pro-am
- Webcam captures its own fiery demise from spread of Airport Fire: See timelapse footage
Ranking
- Elon Musk says 'SNL' is 'so mad' Trump won as he slams Dana Carvey's impression
- A Colorado man is charged with arson in a wildfire that destroyed 26 homes
- Video captures Jon Bon Jovi helping talk woman in crisis off Nashville bridge ledge
- Dave Grohl and Wife Jordyn Blum Were All Smiles on Wimbledon Date 2 Months Before His Baby News
- Chris Evans Shares Thoughts on Starting a Family With Wife Alba Baptista
- 2024 MTV VMAs: Halsey Teases Marriage to Avan Jogia Amid Engagement Rumors
- Teen Mom’s Catelynn Lowell Claps Back at Critics Over Feud With Daughter’s Adoptive Parents
- 'Fine Taylor...you win': Elon Musk reacts to Taylor Swift's endorsement for Harris-Walz
Recommendation
-
Keke Palmer Says Ryan Murphy “Ripped” Into Her Over Scream Queens Schedule
-
'Fine Taylor...you win': Elon Musk reacts to Taylor Swift's endorsement for Harris-Walz
-
Billionaire Jared Isaacman and crew complete historic spacewalk: 'Looks like a perfect world'
-
Treasury proposes rule to prevent large corporations from evading income taxes
-
Jon Gruden joins Barstool Sports three years after email scandal with NFL
-
Kentucky authorities still hunting suspect in I-75 shooting that injured 5
-
Candidates can use campaign funds for child care in most states, but few do
-
Caitlin Clark 'likes' Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris on social media