“We intend to issue clearer centralized guidelines… for in-store visual displays and decorations that will continue to represent inclusivity and our brand,” Sara Trilling, president of Starbucks North America, wrote in an open letter Monday. “Additionally, we will continue to provide the flexibility needed so that our stores reflect the communities they serve.
charges were “nothing more than a public relations stunt meant to distract from Starbucks’ own actions,” adding, “While attacking the union that represents its own workers, Starbucks has now changed its policies in response to worker actions.” The union said it is confident that the charges will be dismissed.
, which has also certified 65 stores voting against the union. So far, a contract has not yet been negotiated, with each side blaming the other for the delay. There are roughly 9,300 company-operated US Starbucks stores in the United States, so unionized locations are relatively few, at this point. But their victories have been hard won.
administrative law judge Michael Rosas wrote in March that Starbucks displayed “egregious and widespread misconduct” in its dealings with employees involved in efforts to unionize Buffalo, New York, stores, including the first location to unionize. Starbucks repeatedly sent high-level executives into Buffalo-area stores in a “relentless” effort, the judge wrote, which “likely left a lasting impact as to the importance of voting against representation.
over Starbucks’ practices. And some shareholders want answers. During the company’s annual shareholder meeting in March, investors approved a proposal to have the board of directors “commission and oversee an independent, third-party assessment of Starbucks’ adherence to its stated commitment to workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.