The move comes as previous hostilities had seemingly started to ease. Credit: Xackery Irving/Shutterstock.

Coffee chain Starbucks is facing 34 complaints from Starbucks Workers United citing alleged federal labour law violations at stores across 16 US states, as reported by Bloomberg.  

The union, which represents 500 of the company’s 10,000 corporate-run US cafes, accused Starbucks of violating labour law, including retaliatory actions against employees due to their union activism. 

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The move comes after 2023’s hostilities between the two parties had seemingly begun to ease. 

The complaints were filed by the union workers with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which will investigate the allegations.  

If prosecutors find merit in the claims, they could be escalated to agency judges and potentially reach federal appeals court.

The filings follow a 20 December 2024 complaint by the union alleging unfair negotiation practices by Starbucks, and a significant strike during the holiday season. 

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Starbucks refuted the allegations, which is described as baseless.  

Starbucks company spokesperson Phil Gee said in an emailed statement: “Taking time to file such claims is a tactic that brings distraction from the progress we could be making,”.  

The recent complaints reflect ongoing labour disputes that have plagued Starbucks since 2022.  

Despite an agreement in February 2024 to ease tensions, and reported progress in negotiations, talks stalled over wage disputes, with the union criticising Starbucks for inadequate pay proposals. 

Buffalo Starbucks barista Michelle Eisen, part of Workers United, said in an emailed statement: “We’re ready to do what it takes to show the company the consequences of not keeping their promises to baristas.”