What’s going on:
Despite the backlash for its stance against unionizing, Starbucks disclosed that the labor union representing some of its establishments declined to attend physical bargaining sessions and instead asked for hybrid negotiations.
Starbucks Workers United, a union which represents thousands of U.S. baristas at about 200 cafes, unexpectedly aired virtual bargaining sessions without the consent of all parties involved, Starbucks said in a statement to Reuters on Monday.
Why it matters:
The National Labor Relations Board prosecutors have accused Starbucks of breaching labor law for rejecting to negotiate if certain employees partook remotely via videoconference, prompting repercussions.
How it’ll impact the future:
On March 29th, ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to answer questions on his company’s adherence to labor laws, despite initially resisting their requests.
“Hearing this days before Howard Schultz is set to testify in front of the HELP committee is huge, especially because he has personally talked about the fact that Starbucks is refusing to bargain with us because of the Zoom screen,” Tyler Keeling, a leader of the Starbucks Workers United in California said.
