NLRB Files Comprehensive Complaint Against Starbucks for Failing to Bargain with Union

From the Office of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P.

The National Labor Relations Board has filed an expansive complaint against Starbucks accusing the Company of stonewalling collective bargaining efforts with new unions at hundreds of stores nationwide.

The administrative complaint consolidates more than two dozen cases and alleges that Starbucks has been “failing and refusing to bargain collectively with the union.” The Complaint covers nearly 400 stores and is the largest and most focused action yet against Starbucks by the Labor Board since a number of union victories beginning in late 2021 share a spotlight on economic and workplace grievances in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Complaint alleges that Starbucks failed to provide union representatives with information needed to bargain effectively, including employee hiring dates, hours, and scheduling information. The NLRB general counsel’s arm, which prosecutes violators of federal labor law, has filed more than 100 charges against Starbucks with similar complaints. This is the 12th nationwide complaint that the Board has filed against Starbucks in connection with the ongoing organizing drive. Late last year, Starbucks baristas in more than 200 cities went on strike over the Company’s refusal to bargain in good faith with their union.