Starbucks Illegally Refused Contract Talks at Cafes, NLRB Claims

Starbucks Corp. has illegally refused to negotiate at 21 recently unionized cafes in Washington state and Oregon, US labor board prosecutors alleged in a complaint.

In a Tuesday filing on behalf of the National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel, the agency’s Seattle regional director wrote that Starbucks “has been failing and refusing to bargain collectively” in cities including Portland and Seattle, the coffee giant’s hometown.

Regional directors across the country have issued dozens of complaints accusing Starbucks of deploying illegal tactics such as threats and retaliation in an effort to defeat the union, Starbucks Workers United. The new ...