Starbucks broke the law by refusing to negotiate with newly unionized workers at 21 stores across the Pacific Northwest, according to a complaint filed Tuesday by National Labor Relations Board prosecutors.
The stores — in Seattle, Olympia, Tumwater, Portland and Eugene, Oregon — are among 261 nationally that have unionized in the past year. The union, Starbucks Workers United, claims Starbucks is not bargaining in "good faith" by delaying scheduling sessions and leaving negotiations soon after they began because of workers joining virtually.
Unionized workers say having a contract would give them extended benefits and pay. In Seattle, the union claims Starbucks is offering more benefits and pay to nonunion workers in an effort to quash union campaigns. Wins at the bargaining table could help union organizers persuade more workers to unionize.
The NLRB's lawsuit supports the union's claim that the company is breaking the law by refusing to negotiate with stores in the Pacific Northwest.
Starbucks spokesperson Rachel Wall said the Seattle-based company has been connecting with the union to schedule bargaining sessions.
"By year's end we will have appeared in-person for more than 75 single-store bargaining sessions," Wall said in an email.
In Oregon and Washington, there are about 40 union-represented stores, according to Starbucks.
Of that total, seven have been in bargaining sessions with the company, and 12 sessions are scheduled in January. Starbucks also said about 20 stores haven't responded to the company's proposed bargaining session dates.
Last month, the NLRB judged that Starbucks illegally refused to bargain with the union at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery store on Capitol Hill in Seattle, and ordered the coffee giant to begin negotiations
