A decision by the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday said Schultz’s statement was an unlawful, coercive threat. The decision underscores the fractious relationship Starbucks has had with organized labor as more and more workers at its stores unionize. In 2022, when Schultz was interim CEO, he attended a company event in Long Beach, California, to address and improve working conditions at Starbucks stores.
” “We note that the judge identified the Respondent’s highest official, interim CEO Schultz, as a ‘legendary leader,’ a status that would exacerbate the coercive nature of Schultz’s statement,” the board decision said. Since the first Starbucks location in Buffalo, New York, unionized in 2021, the coffee chain has been involved in hundreds of labor disputes over its alleged union-busting tactics. One case, Starbucks v.