One of the first Starbucks to vote to unionize now is trying to oust the union

But workers, the union and a labor scholar said the move is just the Starbucks Corp.’s latest variation of union busting. 

Last week, that store filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board to decertify its union, something that can be done if support for a labor union wanes. In order to decertify a union, workers must collect signatures from at least 30% of workers in a unit, according to the National Labor Relations Board. The outcome is decided by a majority of votes.

But workers and the union paint a picture of pro-union workers consistently being fired from or pushed out of the location, while new workers are steadily pressured to side against the union. After stores began to unionize, Starbucks gave pay hikes and other benefits to workers at all of its stores, except the ones that unionized. The NLRB has filed a complaint, saying that is a violation of labor law.

“This has been Starbucks’ strategy from the beginning: Don’t bargain in good faith, fire workers, don’t give union stores new benefits, cut hours of union workers so those not fired quit,” said Richard Bensinger, senior adviser to Workers United, the labor union representing Starbucks workers. “It ain’t subtle.”

Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment.

The current manager at the Delaware and Chippewa location began talking about decertification early in her tenure, Bensinger said.

“They just need 30% and they can quietly try to get that,” he said.

The store is down to 14 workers – 19 participated in the union vote – so about four of them would have to agree to file a decertification petition. But, in order for the union to be decertified, a majority of workers would have to vote that way.

Allegra Anastasi, an eight-year Starbucks veteran, shift supervisor and labor leader who was…