In August, pro-union employees at a Starbucks location approached their manager asking for a raise, and the manager reported to the police that she was assaulted by the employees. As a result, on Monday, the Starbucks workers have filed a lawsuit against the company for defamation and falsifying statements to the police with the intent of preventing a union protest. The company affirms that the store's manager felt threatened by the pro-union employees' behavior and will be defending itself against the lawsuit. However, the police investigation into the incident revealed that there was no merit in the claim that the manager was kidnapped nor assaulted by the pro-union employees.
See "Pro-union Starbucks employees to sue the large coffee company for defamation ", Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg, October 17, 2022