Starbucks has fired a third of its workers in a Memphis branch, claiming they had breached regulations resulting in “safety and security violations”.
Most of these workers were involved in a growing union movement, raising doubts over Starbucks’ claim about their dismissal.
So what?
Starbucks Workers United (SWU) states that this event was an attempt to slow down the union, whose aims are to build the negotiating power of employees regarding pay and conditions.
The company argues that unions are unnecessary as it offers existing benefits for employees, but the firing of the Memphis staff raises questions over Starbucks’ true intentions. Whilst the future of SWU is unknown, there is no denying that Starbucks treatment of its employees are and will continue to be under scrutiny.
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