A UNION representing Starbucks staff has accused the coffee chain of firing employees attempting to organise in Tennessee, the United States (US).

Starbucks Workers United said those comprising “almost the entire union organising committee” at a store in Memphis were fired weeks after two Starbucks stores in New York became the first to officially organise.

“I was fired by Starbucks today for ‘policies’ that I have never heard of and been written-up about,” said Nikki Taylor, who worked as a shift supervisor, in a statement released by the union.

“This is a clear attempt by Starbucks to retaliate against those of us who are leading the union effort at our store and scare other partners.”

A Starbucks spokesman confirmed that seven workers were fired yesterday, but said the terminations were over violations of safety and security policies.

“We respect our partners’ rights to organise,” said the spokesman, noting that “we also expect our partners to follow the policies we have at our stores.”

“We are not engaging in any anti-union activities.”

Two Starbucks stores in Buffalo, New York, became the first in the US to vote to unionise in December, and workers at more than 50 stores are now trying to do the same.

The coffee chain, which announced it was lifting its minimum wage to US$15 an hour in October, has stressed that it is not against organised labour, but argued that the issues raised by workers do not justify a union.

Starbucks Workers United, whose members include the workers in New York, said the company fired its employees after they allowed reporters to hold interviews in the store after it had closed for the day.

“Starbucks chose to selectively enforce policies that have not previously been consistently enforced”, such as a ban on going behind the counter when no employees are working “as a subterfuge to fire union leaders”, said the statement.

The union will file charges with the National Labour Relations Board. – AFP, February 9, 2022.