VICTORY

Memphis Starbucks Workers Vote to Unionize After Organizers’ Firing

The Starbucks location got national attention after seven employees, including five union organizers, were fired in February.

In an 11-3 vote, employees at a Starbucks in Memphis, Tennessee have decided to unionize after the location received national attention when management fired various labor organizers earlier this year. The five union organizers and two other employees, now known as the “Memphis 7,” fired in February participated in Tuesday’s vote, which was certified by the National Labor Relations Board. Starbucks denies that the seven workers were fired for their unionization efforts, instead claiming that they broke store safety protocol, but the NLRB nonetheless filed a petition against the store to rehire them. According to employees, this is the 123rd Starbucks nationwide to unionize. Speaking at a press conference, a member of the Memphis 7 celebrated the victory, saying, “We could’ve found other jobs. This is important to us; we know it’s bigger than us.”