Starbucks accuses U.S. union of bullying and intimidating workers and customers
April 21, 2022, 7:00 am

Starbucks accuses U.S. union of bullying and intimidating workers and customers

Starbucks Inc in Seattle, USA (Photo: Pixabay)

The Anews reported, citing Reuters, Starbucks Inc on Wednesday (Apr 20) filed complaints with a U.S. labor board accusing a union organizing cafe workers across the country of bullying and intimidating workers and customers in violation of federal law.

Starbucks in two complaints filed with the National Labor Relations Board said the union, Workers United, engaged in unlawful conduct during demonstrations at stores in Phoenix, Arizona and Denver, Colorado.

Workers United has filed petitions to represent Starbucks workers at about 200 U.S. locations, and has won about two dozen elections since December.

Starbucks in the complaints said union organizers have blocked store entrances and exits, made threats and yelled profanities during demonstrations.

Starbucks Inc on Wednesday (Apr 20) filed complaints with a U.S. labor board accusing a union organizing cafe workers across the country of bullying and intimidating workers and customers in violation of federal law (Photo: Pixabay)

The company said in the complaints: "The conduct of Workers United and their agents ... has jeopardized physical safety, caused severe emotional distress, and unlawfully interfered with business operations."

Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, said in a statement that the complaints are a reflection of Starbucks' desperation as an increasing number of workers seek to form unions.

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Workers United has filed more than 80 complaints with the NLRB accusing Starbucks of illegal union-busting tactics, including threatening and firing pro-union workers. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing.

Rossann Williams, Starbucks' executive vice president, in a letter to employees obtained by Reuters said the company filed the complaints "to protect the physical safety and emotional wellbeing of our partners and to make it very clear that the behavior we're seeing from some union organizers is not acceptable and we won't tolerate it."

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The nationwide campaign to unionize Starbucks stores is part of a larger surge in union election petitions filed over the last six months in the United States. Unions are also organizing Amazon.com Inc warehouse workers and Apple Inc retail employees for the first time.

Source: anews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.