STARBUCKS has been accused of delaying tactics after the ballots at three more of its stores in the Buffalo district of New York were impounded on Wednesday.

The seizure came after the National Labour Relations Board failed to issue a decision on the global coffee chain’s pending request for a review into the vote at Walden & Anderson, Sheridan & Bailey, and French & Transit.

“This is now the second time that ballots have been impounded for Starbucks union elections in the past week,” shift supervisor at the Sheridan & Bailey store Rachel Cohen said. 

“This comes after we already waited months to exercise our fundamental right to organise a union. Starbucks must end their anti-union campaign. You cannot be for sustainability, anti-racist, and pro-LGBTQ+ and be anti-union.”

Ian Hayes, a lawyer for Workers United, which is the union representing Starbucks workers, said the ballots had been impounded for two reasons; NLRB inaction and the company’s desire to stop workers unionising.

“Under the Board’s rules, the company can file a request for review within 10 days of a decision and the ballots will be impounded if the Board doesn’t decide on it.”

He said it was a “strategic decision” by Starbucks to deliberately file its request at the very end of the 10 days to ensure the ballot was impounded.

Barista at the Walden & Anderson store Colin Cochran slammed the “incredibly unfair process” and called on the NLRB to stop enabling Starbucks’ delay tactics.

Despite waging an aggressive anti-union campaign at the cost of millions and targeted leaders of the unionisation drive, workers at 105 stores in 26 states have filed for recognition.

Earlier this month Starbucks bosses fired seven members of the union organising committee at a store in Memphis. They refuse to bow down and have vowed to win back their jobs.