Business & Tech
NJ’s Booker, 13 Senators Condemn Starbucks Over Union Response
In a letter to CEO Howard Schultz, led by NJ's Cory Booker, the senators said Starbucks was engaging in 'unfair labor practice.'
MERCER COUNTY, NJ – Sen. Cory Booker has led a group of 14 Democratic senators urging Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to stop anti-union efforts.
In a letter written to Schultz Tuesday, the senators said they support workers who were taking steps to unionize across Starbucks stores. They expressed disappointment at the company’s proposal to deny new, expanded benefits to unionized workers, and said interfering with workers’ right to organize is an illegal, unfair labor practice.
“We write to underscore that attempts to interfere with workers’ right to organize is an illegal unfair labor practice,” the senators said in their letter.
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Recently three New Jersey Stores – Hopewell, Hamilton and Summit - voted in favor to join the union. Read More: 2 More NJ Starbucks Locations Vote To Join Union
During a May 3 meeting, Schultz announced new benefits for employees but said employees of unionized locations would not be eligible.
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“It is unfortunate that Starbucks has chosen to do this now seemingly to interfere with the union campaigns since such action would constitute impermissible interference in a union organizing drive,” the letter said.
The senators called on Schultz to “work together” with employees and set new standards in the industry.
“We know that a unionized workforce spurs economic growth, productivity and reduces rates of turnover. We also know that union households have twice the amount of net wealth as non-union households – that figure is three-and-half times more for Black families and five times more for Hispanic families,” the senators wrote.
“Workers who have called on you to support unionization efforts deserve the company that Starbuck seeks to be, one that is inclusive and built on investing its greatest asset: its workers.”
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