Starbucks is ordered to write APOLOGY LETTER and re-hire barista who was illegally fired for organizing a union

A Colorado judge has ordered a local Starbucks to rehire, pay and apologize to a barista who had been ‘illegally’ fired for organizing a union. 

Barista Alendra ‘Len’ Harris had been fired on November 18, 2022, from her role as a shift supervisor at the Starbucks Superior location after she organized a union at the branch and participated in the Red Cup Rebellion in the same week. 

The Red Cup Rebellion saw baristas from more than 200 US Starbucks locations walk off the job last month, the corporation’s busiest day in the year, where it offers customers a reusable red cup to celebrate its holiday launch.

Federal administrative law Judge Ira Sandron ruled that the coffeehouse had ‘engaged in certain unfair labor practices’ against Harris on December 22, 2023. 

As a remedy, Judge Sandron ordered Starbucks to rehire Harris in the same position in 14 days, pay for damages and losses she may have incurred while she was unemployed and provide her with an apology letter. 

The court order also said the company would have to sign a notice stating they violated federal labor law. 

In an interview with CBS, Harris said she feels validated by Judge Sandron’s ruling. 

‘There’s a lot of feelings. I’m incredibly validated. It really hits different when a legal document tells you you were treated unjustly,’ said the supervisor. 

But, the multinational corporation did not agree with the ruling. 

A Starbucks representative told The Colorado Sun: ‘We firmly disagree with the administrative law judge’s recommendations and intend to file exceptions — or an appeal — in this matter. 

‘It was not in retaliation for their participation in, or support of, any concerted union activities.’

Starbucks’ Superior location voted to unionize in April 2022, but Harris pushed this location into unionizing and made the branch the state’s first later that year. 

According to court documents, shortly before Harris was fired, a temporary manager at the Superior location started firing workers last year. 

Harris explained: ‘She warned us an anti-union manager is gonna come in here, they’re going to drop the axe, they’re going to start really firing you for small infractions or things you didn’t know about, and low and behold, after a month of working with her, that’s exactly what she started doing. 

‘She started firing people for being a minute or two late, started firing people for dress code infractions.’

By October 2022, Harris was notified she had allegedly mishandled counting the store’s safe and received a final notice, even though there were no prior problems during her employment.

She was later accused of leaving the door unlocked and cash unattended. Harris was later fired on those grounds on November 18, 2022. 

Afterwards, she went to National Labor Relations Board and explained what had happened. 

‘I went to the National Labor Relations Board in Denver and I brought my concerns to them, and said, “hey, I was just fired from the company, this company, I was engaged in organizing a union, and I’m pretty positive they fired me for union organizing”,’ she said. 

A six-month investigation then commenced and found Starbucks at fault, but the company continued to fight back till last week’s ruling. 

Last year – the Starbucks annual revenue was $32.25 billion, a 10.98 percent increase from 2021. 

The 2022 holiday cup giveaway was the company’s highest single sales day of all time – even though 100 of its locations went on strike last year, Axios reports. 

Starbucks Workers Reunited said: ‘Last year, workers went on strike. This year, on the heels of victories won by striking workers across different industries nationwide, Starbucks workers are taking the rebellion to the next level!’

According to the union’s website this year, some of their striking demands include a base wage of at least $20 an hour for baristas and $25.40 for shift supervisors.

Currently – Starbucks stores have different wages for their baristas based on location. 

California baristas make approximately on average $16.18 and New York City workers get paid $17.02, according to Indeed. 

The wage for a Starbucks employee in Mississippi – the US state with the highest poverty rate – is $12.79.