A Colorado judge has ordered Starbucks to apologize for terminating a barista who supported a union and has suggested rehiring her.
Last week, Judge Ira Sandron ruled that Starbucks unlawfully fired Alendra Harris, a barista in Westminster, Colorado, in November 2022. The judge also ordered the company to provide back pay to Harris.
This ruling is the latest setback for Starbucks this year.
In 2022, Harris was fired for alleged mishandling of the store’s safe. She appealed her case to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) later that year. Following a six-month investigation, the NLRB concluded that her termination was in retaliation for her efforts to unionize. Starbucks challenged the ruling in court but was unsuccessful.
Starbucks has denied Harris’ allegations and disagrees with the judge’s recommendations made on December 19.
“The record shows that Harris was terminated due to progressive discipline for violations of established safety, security, and cash-handling policies, not as retaliation for her involvement in, or support of, any union activities,” the company stated.
Starbucks has faced criticism in recent years for its anti-union stance. Administrative judges from various locations across the country have ordered the company to reinstate multiple fired workers this year alone. In March, a labor judge ruled that the company violated workers’ rights “hundreds of times” during a 2021 organizing campaign in Buffalo, New York.
The new year may bring hope for Starbucks Workers United, a union representing Starbucks workers. In response to an internal audit of the company’s union policy, Starbucks announced that it is open to further contract negotiations in 2024.