Starbucks closing Capitol Hill store, the first union location in Seattle

Starbucks will close a store located at Broadway and Denny in Capitol Hill on Dec. 9.

The location happens to be the first Starbucks to unionize in Seattle, and some employees are alleging that the closure is "blatant retaliation" and a union-busting tactic.

Workers United, the employees' union, points out that the closure is scheduled on the anniversary of the union's formation last year. It also says that the Capitol Hill store is the fourth unionized Seattle location to close (along with Olive Way, First and Pike, and Holman Road).

Starbucks says the reasons for the Capitol Hill closure are "safety and security incidents." A Starbucks spokesperson says the company tried to resolve the issues at the store to no avail, and now, the company believes that closing it is the best way to keep staff and customers safe.