Judge Gollin concluded that Ledwon’s directive for Victor to stop recording was an “isolated and minimal” violation.
“This was a single, nonsevere violation, which occurred during a one-on-one conversation between the store manager and a vocal union supporter. There is no evidence that this conversation was shared with other employees in the three weeks prior to the election,” Gollin wrote.
While acknowledging that the vote—an 11-8 loss for Workers United—was close, Gollin found no basis for claiming that the violation had materially swayed the results.
What’s Next for Starbucks and the Union?
For now, Starbucks must comply with the judge’s order to display the workplace notice about employee rights. However, the ruling does not prevent Workers United from continuing its efforts to organize the store, nor does it preclude further legal action if additional violations are found.
Representatives for all parties did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Legal Representation:
- NLRB General Counsel: Abby Schneider and William Komos (in-house representation)
- Starbucks Corp.: Michael Gotzler and Jason Hartzell (Littler Mendelson PC)
- Workers United: Alex M. Tillet-Saks (Dowd Bloch Bennett Cervone Auerbach & Yokich LLP)
