Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Bernie Sanders Unloads On Starbucks CEO For 'Union Busting' In Epic Takedown During Senate Hearing

C-SPAN 3 screenshot of Bernie Sanders; C-SPAN 3 screenshot of Howard Schultz
C-SPAN 3

Sanders wasted no time during his opening statement of the Senate hearing to call out the coffee chain's CEO Howard Schultz for leading 'the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country.'

Howard Schultz, the billionaire former CEO and co-founder of Starbucks, was questioned in a Senate hearing on Wednesday about allegations of union-busting by the coffee chain.

The hearing was led by Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Senate Democrats, who accused Starbucks of carrying out “the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country” over the past 18 months.


Schultz, who was present at the hearing, denied the allegations and dismissed recent rulings by administrative law judges that found otherwise. He also pushed back against being called a "billionaire" because he "grew up in federally subsidized housing."

You can hear what Sanders said in the video below.

Sanders said:

"Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country. That union-busting campaign has been led by Howard Schultz, the multibillionaire founder and director of Starbucks, who is with us this morning only under the threat of subpoena."

He then went into more detail about the scale of Starbucks' union-busting efforts:

"Let us be clear about the nature of Starbucks’ vicious anti-union efforts. The National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, has filed over 80 complaints against Starbucks for violating federal labor law. There have been over 500 unfair labor practice charges lodged against the company."
"And judges have found that Starbucks broke the law 130 times across six states since workers began organizing in the fall of 2021. These violations include the illegal firing of more than a dozen Starbucks workers for “the crime” of exercising their right to form a union and to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions."

And he noted that Starbucks "has refused to sign a single first contract with the union" since the first Starbucks union was certified over a year ago:

Since the first Starbucks union was certified more than 450 days ago in Buffalo, workers at more than 360 stores across 40 states have held union elections."
"Eighty-three percent of these elections have resulted in a union victory, and today nearly 300 Starbucks coffee shops, employing more than 7,000 workers, have a union — despite Starbucks’ aggressive anti-union efforts."
"Not a single one."

The National Labor Relations Board's general counsel has made numerous claims against Starbucks, accusing the company of violating labor laws over the past year and a half. These complaints include allegations of illegal employee firings, withholding of wages and benefits, store closures, and offering incentives to discourage workers from organizing.

Schultz was specifically implicated in charges of unfair labor practices, with accusations that he promised to improve pay and benefits if employees chose not to unionize.

Schultz was questioned regarding whether he had threatened or coerced workers to discourage them from unionizing. His response was cautious, stating that he had engaged in conversations that could have been misinterpreted.

At one point, Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Bob Casey claimed that Starbucks had spent significant funds on an anti-union law firm, to which Schultz objected, saying that he and Starbucks were not "union busters," resulting in laughter from some in the audience.

Many have criticized Schultz and expressed their support for Starbucks workers.


Baristas and their supporters waited for over an hour outside the hearing room, eager to see Schultz answer questions about how Starbucks had combated a union effort that had organized nearly 300 of the company's 9,000 corporate-owned stores since 2021.

Schultz maintained that Starbucks did not require a union, saying Starbucks doesn't "need" one. However, during the hearing, two witnesses, a current and a former Starbucks employee, disputed Schultz's claim that Starbucks had run a fair campaign.

More from News

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less