A National Labor Relations Board judge ordered Starbucks to rehire four Pittsburgh-area employees after ruling the company violated the law by laying them off.

In his ruling, Judge Robert Ringler said Starbucks was trying to crush unions at several Pittsburgh locations by firing the workers. The four employees were at different outlets.

Judge Ringler said the coffee company violated federal labor law by “creating the impression that employees’ union and other protected activities were under surveillance, interrogating employees about their union and other protected concerted activities and threatening employees that their rights to transfer to other stores will be lost because of their union and other protected activities.”

The employees were part of the Starbucks Workers United bargaining team. Since the company laid off bargaining members, it made negotiating a contract harder. According to the union, this is evidence that Starbucks is afraid of unionization.

Starbucks has long denied it retaliates against workers organizing.

More than 300 Starbucks locations have recognized a union in the U.S.

“We disagree with the administrative law judge’s recommendations, and we look forward to a full legal review of these spring 2022 allegations,” the company said of the decision.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.