The National Labor Relations Board is pursuing charges against Philadelphia-based restauranteur Stephen Starr and his company, Starr Restaurants, over union-busting allegations at his Washington D.C. steakhouse St. Anselm, according to documents reviewed by The Inquirer.
Filed on Nov. 20, the charges are the latest development in a nearly yearlong standoff between Starr Restaurants and Unite Here Local 25, a D.C. union that represents more than 7,500 hospitality workers.
The NLRB’s case revolves around anti-union activity that Local 25 alleges occurred in February at St. Anselm, one of three D.C.-based Starr restaurants that sought a union at the start of 2025 and the only one where workers voted to unionize.
The complaint consolidates a set of unfair labor practice (ULP) allegations Local 25 initially filed to the NLRB on behalf of St. Anselm workers, who said that Stephen Starr and a St. Anselm supervisor directly coerced employees with false information, made promises of improved benefits if they voted against unionizing, and threatened loss of revenue if they voted for it.
In one instance, the complaint alleges, Starr “interrogated” a St. Anselm staffer about their union involvement during a one-on-one conversation.
The ULP filings were submitted to the NLRB in June. After investigating, the board found merit in the accusations that Starr Restaurants, Starr, and the supervisor violated the National Labor Relations Act. It is now set to bring the charges before an...
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