Starbucks Closes Unionized Store

[Alpha8472]

Starbucks permanently closed the Ithaca, New York store on June 10. This store voted to unionize less than 2 months ago. It is the first unionized store to be shut down by Starbucks.

Employees had gone on strike due to a broken grease trap. Starbucks said that the closure was due to lack of facilities, staffing, and attendance issues.

[storewanderer]

Starbucks permanently closed the Ithaca, New York store on June 10. This store voted to unionize less than 2 months ago. It is the first unionized store to be shut down by Starbucks.

Employees had gone on strike due to a broken grease trap. Starbucks said that the closure was due to lack of facilities, staffing, and attendance issues.

Starbucks has closed hundreds of stores over the years. They are well saturated and just because a store unionizes won't make it somehow immune from closure.

I am sure the various distractions the organizing effort had over the operation, before the operation organized, may have had a negative impact on unit performance. Starbucks does not hold on to poorly performing units for long, they will close units without hesitation.

[veteran+]

Starbucks permanently closed the Ithaca, New York store on June 10. This store voted to unionize less than 2 months ago. It is the first unionized store to be shut down by Starbucks.

Employees had gone on strike due to a broken grease trap. Starbucks said that the closure was due to lack of facilities, staffing, and attendance issues.

I HOPE the NLRB DEEPLY investigates this!!!!

[Alpha8472]

It was the strike at this store that probably triggered this. There are other unionized stores, but they did not strike.

[ClownLoach]

Let's review.

Starbucks operates store in problematic facility that employees are disgusted by.

Employees unionize to protest Starbucks continued operation of problematic facility that employees are disgusted by.

Employees in Union go on strike to protest unacceptable working conditions in problematic facility that they are disgusted by.

Starbucks closes problematic facility that employees are disgusted by.

Sounds like they got exactly what they wanted.

Grease traps when configured improperly are not easy to fix. If the placement was difficult they may have had to half demolish the facility to dig them out and replace them. For a big box like a grocery store this is a cost of doing business. But for a little coffee shop like a Starbucks there is zero reason to do this work when they can walk away from their likely year to year lease, close and open in a new building elsewhere. That way they leave the defective construction for the landlord to deal with. The cost structure of a coffee shop, even in a chain of tens of thousands, would not be able to accommodate such costly construction. And before anyone talks about how many billions of dollars Starbucks makes they're still a business which has a obligation to shareholders to make appropriate financial decisions. Based on the plumbing situation as described in other news stories, which would cause the building to fill with foul odors similar to raw sewage as well as drain overflows, there is no way they could or would retain such a store even if the CEO had a satellite office in the back room.

[pseudo3d]

Starbucks permanently closed the Ithaca, New York store on June 10. This store voted to unionize less than 2 months ago. It is the first unionized store to be shut down by Starbucks.

Employees had gone on strike due to a broken grease trap. Starbucks said that the closure was due to lack of facilities, staffing, and attendance issues.

I HOPE the NLRB DEEPLY investigates this!!!!

To do what? Waste Starbucks' time on the taxpayer dime?

The grease trap was broken...there's no mysterious unexplained "plumbing issues", no one is debating that. Not batting an eye on a chain that sometimes does culling on underperforming stores (every single chain does this) and turning around and demanding an investigation on every closed union store is exactly why unions are seen as detrimental to the business as a whole.

[storewanderer]

I am curious what does Starbucks need a grease trap for anyway?

[veteran+]

Starbucks permanently closed the Ithaca, New York store on June 10. This store voted to unionize less than 2 months ago. It is the first unionized store to be shut down by Starbucks.

Employees had gone on strike due to a broken grease trap. Starbucks said that the closure was due to lack of facilities, staffing, and attendance issues.

I HOPE the NLRB DEEPLY investigates this!!!!

To do what? Waste Starbucks' time on the taxpayer dime?

The grease trap was broken...there's no mysterious unexplained "plumbing issues", no one is debating that. Not batting an eye on a chain that sometimes does culling on underperforming stores (every single chain does this) and turning around and demanding an investigation on every closed union store is exactly why unions are seen as detrimental to the business as a whole.

How convenient if this is true

Unions are "detrimental" to business because that is the promulgated kool-aid that most enjoy drinking. That kool-aid is manufactured by buisness. That is convenient as well

[Alpha8472]

I also wonder what they are using a grease trap for. Starbucks does not fry any food.

My guess is all of the whipped cream, milk, and Frappuccinos being dumped down the drain. Why not just have a policy of not pouring old whipped cream, milk, and Frappuccinos down the drain? Most customers just dump their unwanted drinks in the trash can.

[pseudo3d]

I HOPE the NLRB DEEPLY investigates this!!!!

To do what? Waste Starbucks' time on the taxpayer dime?

The grease trap was broken...there's no mysterious unexplained "plumbing issues", no one is debating that. Not batting an eye on a chain that sometimes does culling on underperforming stores (every single chain does this) and turning around and demanding an investigation on every closed union store is exactly why unions are seen as detrimental to the business as a whole.

How convenient if this is true

Unions are "detrimental" to business because that is the promulgated kool-aid that most enjoy drinking. That kool-aid is manufactured by buisness. That is convenient as well

One common complaint of unions that has come up (especially in regards to teachers' unions) is that it becomes very hard to fire a bad employee, and bad employees in retail environments can drive off consumers over time.

You have also proved a point...they now can't just close a store anymore because in your mind it is no longer an issue of the store's problem, it is a manufactured anti-union plot and the issue is if they can "get away with it" or not.

Talk about drinking the Kool-Aid.