WeHo Starbucks might be forced to re-open

In Los Angeles County, Starbucks faces a potential mandate to reopen six stores it shuttered last summer, following allegations from federal labor officials. This action comes in response to a complaint lodged this week by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The board challenges Starbucks’ reasoning for the closures, originally attributed to safety concerns, by suggesting these actions were actually aimed at stifling unionization efforts.

The complaint, filed by the NLRB on Wednesday, scrutinizes the closure of 23 Starbucks locations across the United States, highlighting that six of the closed stores had voted in favor of unionizing with Starbucks Workers United. Notably, one of the impacted stores is located in West Hollywood.

The situation is set to be resolved in court next year, as reported by The New York Times. Although the NLRB has directed Starbucks to reopen the affected stores, the final decision is pending judicial review.

In response to the NLRB’s action, Starbucks Workers United has released a statement interpreting the complaint as further evidence of Starbucks’ alleged unlawful resistance to employee organizing. This sentiment is part of a larger narrative, as workers at over 350 Starbucks locations have participated in a unionization wave starting in Buffalo, New York, in 2021. Starbucks operates more than 9,000 company-owned stores.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Starbucks conveyed to The New York Times that the company had both opened hundreds of new stores and closed over 100 in the past year, with only around three percent of the closed stores being unionized.

The closures in question, particularly those in the LA area, were initially justified by Starbucks as a response to safety concerns, citing the volume of criminal complaints as a deciding factor.

The specific Los Angeles County Starbucks locations mentioned in the NLRB complaint include:

• Santa Monica Boulevard and Westmount Drive in West Hollywood
• Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue in Hollywood
• Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood
• 1st Street and Los Angeles Street in downtown Los Angeles
• 2nd and San Pedro Streets in downtown Los Angeles
• Ocean Front Walk and Moss Avenue in Santa Monica