Why Starbucks was constantly stopping employees from joining unions? Bernie Sanders wants to learn more from Starbucks Interim CEO Howard Schultz
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is looking into whether the company is following federal labor laws, asked Starbucks Interim CEO Howard Schultz to testify before a Senate panel. Schultz has been in charge of the coffee giant on and off for more than 20 years.
Sanders, who is in charge of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, sent Schultz a letter on Tuesday that was signed by a number of committee members. The letter asked Schultz to testify in front of the committee because the Seattle-based company has been criticized for trying to stop workers from joining unions at all of its locations.
Sanders wrote in his letter that the March 9 hearing will be about “Starbucks’ compliance with Federal labor laws.”
The veteran senator is a progressive who has long fought for workers’ rights to join unions. In the past, he has criticized Starbucks and other companies for trying to stop workers from joining unions.
NPR was the first to report that a push by workers at Starbucks stores across the country shook up the company. By December 2022, 268 stores will have voted to join a union, according to data from the National Labor Relations Board.
In November 2022, the NLRB said that Starbucks had broken the law by not negotiating with a union at one of its Seattle stores. Schultz took over as interim CEO in March 2022, and he will step down again in April when the new CEO takes over.
Sanders has been against Schultz for a long time. When Schultz came back to run the business last year, Sanders sent him a letter telling him to stop “union busting.”
Sanders said in the letter, “This is a very important time for Starbucks.” “Now that you’re back at work, it’s time to do the right thing: stop breaking up unions and follow the law.”
The company hasn’t said for sure if Schultz will take up the offer.
In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson said, “We will keep talking with key stakeholders, including the Chairman’s office, to offer more information about these issues.”
