Starbucks fires workers involved in union push as US movement gains momentum

Starbucks has fired seven workers involved in organising a union in Tennessee, fueling accusations that the coffee giant is retaliating against the growing labor movement it faces nationwide.

The firings stem from a media event last month when the employees allowed journalists into the cafe after hours as part of the public launch of their efforts to unionize.

Buffalo, New York recently became home to the first unionised Starbucks-owned stores in the US since the 1980s. Since then, more than 50 locations of the chain have filed to hold votes on unionizing, which would enable workers to negotiate with the company as a group over pay and conditions.

The efforts are part of a labor movement resurgence in the US, with low paid workers across a range of industries interested in setting up unions.

SWU said that it planned to file complaints over the seven firings in Memphis with the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces US labour laws.

Starbucks has consistently tried to stop its workers from unionising, which it claims would be bad for workers. The company, which owns 8,000 stores across the US, argues that unions are unnecessary as it already offers benefits above and beyond the industry norms such as health insurance for part-time workers and college tuition reimbursement.