Starbucks union organizers are talking, and it’s worth listening to what they’re saying, as well as watching what the NLRB is doing in response.
We previously discussed how Sen. Bernie Sanders enjoyed putting outgoing Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on the hotseat, where no meeting of the minds occurred. The Senate also heard from fired Starbucks organizer Jaysin Saxton, who confirmed that he and his fellow baristas were inspired to start a nationwide union wave after watching staffers in Buffalo, New York be the first to organize in late 2021.
Additionally, union organizer Will Westlake has gone on record to describe how he acted as an undercover “salt” by working at a Rochester, New York cafe. As Bloomberg recently reported, Westlake recently told labor activists about how he built up trust with bosses by regularly volunteering for “thankless chores” in order “to make the company less suspicious.” Before long, he was organizing his fellow baristas.
Meanwhile, the NLRB is working through stacks of unfair labor filings while preparing to prosecute a second bundle of Starbucks charges filed by workers at Buffalo cafes.
Additionally, a NLRB judge recently ruled that Starbucks violated labor law by allegedly interrogating workers about union activity and threatening to withhold raises and benefits for union members. The judge did, however, dismiss accusations that Starbucks illegally forced organizers to attend captive audience meetings.
The trickle continues: New notches on the Starbucks Workers United belt are arriving slower, but they’re still happening, including in affluent Sunnyville, California, where baristas are beginning to organize. And in Portland, Oregon, workers at the Pioneer Square location are accusing the coffeehouse giant of intimidating organizers by firing them for minor infractions, including being less than five minutes late for shifts.
However, some not-so-flattering news is coming for the NLRB and Starbucks unions:
Scrutiny of NLRB officials: House Republicans, led by Rep. Virginia Foxx, fired off a subpoena for documents regarding allegations that NLRB officials interfered with the union election process by sharing information with Workers United, but not Starbucks, regarding a cafe in Kansas. As such, the lawmakers accuse the board of “substantial misconduct” in order to sway the election.
Stunts aplenty: The union launched PR-focused moves meant to nab attention from Starbucks board members in order to sway these members into pushing Starbucks toward finalizing contract negotiations. The stunts include a butter sculpture for the CEO of Land O’Lakes; a brass band and a “Just Do It” billboard for the Nike CEO; and for the Lego chairman, posters that liken Howard Schultz to Darth Vader. Subtle.
