Supreme Court Sides with Starbucks in 8-1 Decision, Impacting NLRB Authority in 'Memphis 7' Case

Jun 13, 2024, 03:52 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Starbucks in a significant labor dispute, making it more difficult for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to obtain court orders for the reinstatement of workers fired during unionization efforts. The case, Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney, involved the firing of seven Memphis employees, known as the 'Memphis 7,' who were attempting to unionize in 2022. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion for the 8-1 majority, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson concurring in part and dissenting in part. The ruling mandates that district courts apply a traditional four-factor test when considering the NLRB's requests for preliminary injunctions under Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act. This decision is seen as a setback for labor organizers and could have broader implications for the NLRB's authority in future labor disputes, impacting labor prosecutors' ability to win court injunctions against employers.