Starbucks’ Howard Schultz defends union stance before Senate

By DEE-ANN DURBIN
AP Business Writer

Longtime Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz insisted his company hasn’t broken labor laws and is willing to bargain with unionized workers during an often testy, two-hour appearance before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. But he also was firm in his stance that the Seattle-based coffee giant already provides good wages and benefits and doesn’t need a union. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent and a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, has sought Schultz’s testimony for months, saying the Starbucks chief has violated workers’ rights by opposing unionization. At least 293 of Starbucks’ 9,000 company-owned U.S. stores have voted to unionize since late 2021.