Starbucks Anti-Unionization Case Brought By NLRB Narrowed By US Appeals Court
A federal appeals court declined to enforce most of an NLRB ruling that found Starbucks had illegally retaliated against workers involved in union organizing at a Wichita, Kansas, store. The court rejected claims involving reduced hours, a hiring pause, and managers’ comments about organizing, finding that most did not amount to unlawful threats or coercion. However, it upheld a finding that management illegally threatened a pregnant employee with the potential loss of maternity benefits if workers unionized. The decision represents another legal victory for the coffee chain amid continuing labor disputes, as workers at more than 700 Starbucks locations have voted to unionize.
See "Starbucks Anti-Unionization Case Brought By NLRB Narrowed By US Appeals Court", Jonathan Stempel, Reuters, September 14, 2026