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business Monday 21 March 2022
Labor foe Schultz returns as Starbucks union effort grows

By DEE-ANN DURBIN spied on their conversa-
AP Business Writer tions and ultimately fired
From the time he bought them. It ordered Starbucks
Starbucks in 1987 to the to stop interfering with
time he stepped down as workers’ right to organize
chairman in 2018, Howard and offer reinstatement to
Schultz consistently — and the two workers.
successfully — fought at- More recently, on March
tempts to unionize Star- 15, the NLRB issued a com-
bucks’ U.S. stores and roast- plaint against Starbucks
ing plants. alleging that district and
But Schultz — who was re- store managers in Phoenix
cently named Starbucks’ spied on and threatened
interim chief executive — workers who supported
never confronted a union- unionizing. The complaint
ization movement as big says Starbucks suspended
and fast-growing as the one union supporter and
current one. Six U.S. Star- fired another.
bucks stores have voted to Starbucks did not make
unionize since December, anyone available to com-
and at least 140 more in 27 ment. In a letter to employ-
states have filed petitions ees in December, Starbucks
for union elections. North America President
It’s unclear how Schultz will Rossann Williams said the
tackle the issue when he company will respect the
returns to the company in legal process and bargain
April. in good faith. But the com-
“He took it really person- pany insists its stores func-
ally that his workers wanted tion better when it works
to be part of a union, be- directly with employees.
cause he thought with him Pam Blauman-Schmitz, who was a union rep at Starbucks in the mid-1980’s, poses for a photo in The outcome of the current
in charge they wouldn’t front of a Starbucks coffee shop Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, in Seattle. unionizing effort is unclear.
need it,” said Pam Blau- Associated Press The number of stores that
man-Schmitz, a retired have petitioned for union
union representative who family’s foundation. Starbucks barista and labor in 1988. elections is still only a frac-
worked to organize Star- In a November letter to em- organizer who heard Schul- “You could see the writing tion of Starbucks’ 9,000
bucks’ first stores in the ployees, posted just before tz speak at an employee on the wall. As the compa- company-owned stores in
early 1980s. “He would say the first unionization votes forum in Buffalo last fall. ny grew, it was not going the U.S. And Starbucks has
stuff like, ‘Maybe you need at three stores in Buffalo, Others say they’ve seen to continue to be possible the resources to keep fight-
unions in the coal mines, New York, Schultz said he outright anger from Schultz to act on the good faith of ing, with annual revenue of
but not at Starbucks stores.” tried to create the kind of over unions. the people who controlled $29 billion last year.
Starbucks announced company that his blue- Blauman-Schmitz said as all the power,” she said. But Brisack said this union-
March 16 that its CEO of collar father never had the soon as Schultz bought Star- Schultz soon swept the izing effort is also stronger
five years, Kevin Johnson, chance to work for. bucks in 1987, he reneged union out. In his 1997 book, than past ones, which were
was retiring. The company He recalled the “traumatic on a labor agreement “Pour Your Heart Into It,” he thwarted by high worker
tapped Schultz to serve as moment” his family had that had been reached recalled how a barista who turnover and resource-
interim CEO until it finds a no income after his father between the company opposed the union began starved unions. Organizers
permanent replacement suffered a workplace in- and the United Food and a campaign to decertify it. now have the backing of
by this fall. Schultz, 68, who jury, and said that’s why Commercial Workers union, By 1992, the union no lon- Workers United — an arm
has held the honorary title Starbucks has benefits like which represented six Seat- ger represented the stores of the 2 million-member
of chairman emeritus since health care, free college tle-area stores and a roast- or the roasting plant. Schul- Service Employees Interna-
2018, is also rejoining the tuition, parental leave and ing plant. Schultz want- tz saw that as a sign that tional Union — and a union-
company’s board. stock grants for employees. ed a new contract with workers trusted him. friendly president in the
It is not yet clear if Schultz “No partner has ever need- weaker benefits and job “If they had faith in me and White House. Brisack said
will try to amp up the fight ed to have a representa- protections, said Blauman- my motives, they wouldn’t the pandemic also fueled
against unionization. But tive seek to obtain things Schmitz, who has since re- need a union,” he wrote. workers’ outrage.
Timothy Hubbard, assistant we all have as partners at tired from the union. Still, efforts to unionize Star- The climate is also chang-
professor of management Starbucks. And I am sad- One day, she said, Schultz bucks didn’t go away, and ing. Dan Cornfield, a labor
at the University of Notre dened and concerned to spotted her passing out fly- the company continued to expert and professor of so-
Dame’s Mendoza College hear anyone thinks that ers in the roasting plant and fight them. Starbucks had ciology at Vanderbilt, said
of Business, said he is well- is needed now,” Schultz rushed toward her, scream- to reinstate fired workers or U.S. polling shows growing
positioned to do so. wrote. But to many union ing and red in the face. pay to settle labor law vio- public support for unions
“My sense is that if they organizers, who complain Anne Belov was working lations numerous times in since the Great Recession.
want to shut down the of inconsistent hours, poor part-time in the roasting the early 2000s. That’s a big difference from
unions, this is the best training, understaffing and plant and sat on the union Last year, the NLRB found the 1980s, when Starbucks
course of action,” Hubbard low wages, Shultz’s words negotiating committee. that Starbucks unlawful- first fought back unions.
said. “Schultz has what it fell flat. She had always gotten ly retaliated against two “By taking an anti-union
takes to tackle a hard topic “A lot of people felt like glowing performance re- Philadelphia baristas who stand from the Reagan
like unions.” they were being lectured views, but after Schultz took were attempting to union- era, they are actually po-
Schultz did not respond to to by a disappointed fa- over, she was suddenly be- ize. The NLRB said Starbucks tentially jeopardizing their
attempts to contact him ther because they weren’t ing reprimanded constant- monitored the employees’ customer base,” Cornfield
through his website or his grateful,” said Jaz Brisack, a ly. Belov left the company social media, unlawfully said.q