Washington: In a decision sparked by a labor dispute with Starbucks, the Supreme Court on Thursday made it more difficult for the federal government to obtain court orders when it suspected a corporation of meddling in unionization efforts.
A higher standard, pushed by Starbucks that must be satisfied in most other disputes over court orders or injunctions, was favored by the court unanimously over a provision that some courts had applied to orders requested by the National Labour Relations Board.
Supreme Court, Siding With Starbucks, Makes It Harder For NLRB To Win Court Orders In Labor Disputes
The National Labour Relations Act, which controls the agency, has, the NLRB had contended, permitted judges to issue temporary injunctions for over 75 years if they determined that the requests were “just and proper.” According to the agency, the statute was meant to restrict the power of the courts and does not need it to demonstrate any additional elements.
“Consistent federal standards are important in ensuring that employees know their rights and consistent labour practices are upheld no matter where in the country they work and live,” Starbucks stated after the ruling.
However, Lynne Fox, head of the union representing the workers, claimed that Starbucks should have abandoned the lawsuit as part of its more accommodating stance on union organizing initiatives. When their employers disobey the law, working people have very few options for self-defense. That makes today’s Supreme Court decision especially horrible, said Workers United president Fox.
Starbucks fired seven employees in February 2022 for attempting to organize their Tennessee location. The matter moved through the agency’s administrative procedures while the NLRB won a court order requiring the employer to rehire the employees. Two years may pass during such procedures.
Supreme Court, Siding With Starbucks, Makes It Harder For NLRB To Win Court Orders In Labor Disputes
Starbucks was ordered to rehire the employees in August 2022 by a temporary injunction issued by a district court judge who concurred with the NLRB. Starbucks appealed to the Supreme Court following the upholding of that decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
According to Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, five of the seven workers are still employed at the Memphis store, while the other two continue involved with the organizing campaign. The Memphis store voted to unionize in June 2022.
As the case proceeded, antagonism between Workers United and Starbucks began to dissolve. The two parties declared in February that they would reopen talks to complete contract agreements this year, and they convened their first bargaining session in nearly a year in late April.
Supreme Court, Siding With Starbucks, Makes It Harder For NLRB To Win Court Orders In Labor Disputes
According to the NLRB, workers at 437 company-owned U.S. Starbucks cafes have voted to unionize since late 2021, but none of those stores has achieved a labor agreement with Starbucks.
Starbucks said it’s pursuing its goal of obtaining finalized contracts for those outlets this year.
SOURCE – (AP)
