Starbucks-Haters Of The World Unite!
The [National Labor Relations Board] began a trial Monday investigating employee complaints against everyones favorite neighborhood retailer, Starbucks. The coffee super-giant is accused of engaging in [anti-union discrimination](http://www.1010wins.com/pages/665983.php?contentType=4&contentId=677417), including firing pro-union employees, intimidating union activists at four Manhattan locations, banning workers from wearing union pins and giving unfair negative performance reviews. In my view it is clear that Starbucks is a repeat offender, with a profound lack of respect for workers rights. This is not a case of a few bad apples, a Starbucks Union organizer and former employee [Daniel Gross](http://ny.metro.us/metro/local/article/Starbucks_union_battle_goes_before_labor_board/9294.html) said at the trial. Starbucks? Accused of unwholesome labor practices? But my barista always looks so smiley!
According to Gross, the trial was adjourned Wednesday and will now resume Aug. 6. Starbucks evidently needed more time to produce boxes of documents and the labor board wanted more time to prepare. We dont think a 25 billion company that gets sued all the time, with offices in 40 countries, should have that much trouble finding documents, Gross complained.
The company, meanwhile, is denying all charges. Valerie ONeil, a Starbucks spokeswoman, said in a statement that the company continues to believe the allegations are baseless and will defend itself vigorously against them. If Starbucks is found guilty, it would be required to reinstate fired employees and make a public statement saying that it will not engage in anti-union activities. Quite the punishment, right? Of course, this is [not the first time] that Starbucks has faced such accusations. In 2006, the company was forced to re-hire two workers and pay $2,000 in damagesor, by our calculations, approximately 389 Venti Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccinosafter a similar trial by the labor relations board.
Photo courtesy of [Joe in DC on Flickr]