The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Friday announced a lawsuit against Starbucks for the alleged illegal termination of Austin Locke, a barista and union organizer. DCWP filed a complaint in the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, the city’s central, independent administrative law court.

The DCWP, formed by the NYC Consumer Protection Law of 1969, seeks to “protect and enhance the daily economic lives of New Yorkers.” Locke informed DCWP that his employer illegally fired him, and DCWP opened an investigation. The inquest found that Starbucks could “not refute or mitigate DCWP’s determination that Starbucks illegally fired Austin Locke.” After the investigation, DCWP sued Starbucks for violating the city’s Fair Workweek Law. Under the 2017 law, employers cannot fire or lay off workers who have completed a probationary period without just cause or a legitimate economic reason.

Locke is not the first union organizer to suffer retaliation from Starbucks. Last month, a US district judge ordered the company to rehire seven employees in Memphis, Tennessee. after they were allegedly terminated for participating in pro-union activities.