What the Starbucks case at the Supreme Court is all about. Hint: It's not coffee
Starbucks and some of its baristas have been in a contentious fight over unionizing since 2021. Now, the Supreme Court is hearing a case that could have implications for unions far beyond Starbucks.
When Starbucks barista Florentino Escobar first heard that the Supreme Court had taken up a case involving him and six of his co-workers from Memphis, Tenn., he was shocked.
"I was like, 'Wait, the Supreme Court? Like we're talking the U.S. Supreme Court?'" he says.
Escobar is one of the Memphis 7, a group of Starbucks baristas and shift supervisors who were fired by the company in February 2022, days after they announced their intent to unionize.
Starbucks said the employees had violated multiple company policies, including allowing a television crew into the store after hours. The workers believe they were fired for trying to organize
