Bernie Sanders Has Joined The Unions' Fight Against Starbucks

Over the past year, Starbucks stores have unionized at record speed, but they've also hit roadblocks that seem to harken back to the robber baron era (per NPR). The first Starbucks store to unionize only did so in early December 2021 in Buffalo, New York. Less than a year later, in October 2022, over 300 locations in nearly three dozen states have held union elections, with an astoundingly high 80% of those voting in favor of unionizing, according to NPR. So now, Starbucks has 245 fully unionized locations.

It might sound like a lot, but Starbucks operates a mind-boggling 9,000 U.S. stores — that means only 2.7% of stores have unionized. You'd think a massive corporation bringing in $6.1 billion in profits in 2022 wouldn't be too worried about these unionized locations, which only amount to a fraction of the Starbucks empire (per Starbucks). That's where you're wrong. Starbucks corporate has reportedly been after this contingent with claims of union busting running rampant. And that's where Senator Bernie Sanders comes in.

Senator Bernie Sanders has publicly taken the side of union workers as Starbucks is again in hot water for alleged union busting. In addition to a previous letter the senator sent in October over the corporation's behavior, Sanders released a letter he sent on Wednesday to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz (via Twitter), demanding that Schultz "Obey the law." Sanders cites that, "[T]he National Labor Relations Act declares it to be the policy of the United States to encourage collective bargaining." Stating that U.S. workers, "have a fundamental right to organize and participate in workplace democracy."

Sanders goes on to reference a Memphis, Tennessee case when a federal judge ordered Starbucks to reinstate seven union employees after wrongful termination and Starbucks refused (per NPR). As if that weren't bad enough, Sanders pointed out the nearly 500 unfair labor practice cases filed against Starbucks with the National Labor Relations Board, according to his letter. He accused Starbucks of unlawfully firing union leaders — including Jaz Brisack of the Buffalo, New York, location that set off the trend — as well as, "attempting to interfere with workers' right to distribute and wear union material, and refusing to bargain with the union," his letter states. It's clear that Starbucks workers seeking to unionize have a high-ranking ally in their corner.