Bernie Sanders is holding a vote to subpoena Howard Schultz for fighting Starbucks unionization
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- Sen. Bernie Sanders announced he's holding a vote on issuing a subpoena for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.
- The Senate HELP chairman wants Schultz to testify on his company's fight against unionization.
- Schultz declined a request from Sanders and committee Democrats last month to voluntarily testify.
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced he's holding a vote on issuing a subpoena for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to provide testimony on his company's fight against Starbucks employees' unionization efforts.
Sanders, the new chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, also wants the committee to authorize an investigation into major corporations' labor law violations.
The votes next week follow Schultz's decision last month to decline a request from Sanders and committee Democrats to voluntarily testify.
"For nearly a year, I and many of my colleagues in the Senate have repeatedly asked Mr. Schultz to respect the constitutional right of workers at Starbucks to form a union and to stop violating federal labor laws," Sanders said in a statement. "Mr. Schultz has failed to respond to those requests."
Sanders says the National Labor Relations Board has filed more than 75 complaints against Starbucks for violating federal labor law and more than 500 unfair labor practice charges have been lodged against the company, including the firing of more than a dozen workers.
The company did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Since 2021, workers at more than 35 Starbucks locations in nearly 40 states have held votes to unionize, citing concerns about safe working conditions, better wages, and reliable schedules, but no union contracts have been signed, according to Sanders' office.
Schultz rejoined Starbucks as interim CEO in April 2022 and will transition out of the role this month, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The company said another senior leader would be better suited to "address these matters."
With a 51-seat majority, Senate Democrats now have subpoena power they weren't able to use last Congress when the Senate was evenly split.
Sanders said Schultz has denied the committee's requests for documents and meetings. The subpoena and investigation votes will take place during a committee meeting on March 8, followed by a hearing on defending the rights of workers to organize a union and collectively bargain.
"A multi-billion dollar corporation like Starbucks cannot continue to break federal labor law with impunity," Sanders said.
Contributer : Business Insider https://ift.tt/o45Amnl
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Thursday, March 02, 2023
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