Starbucks Widely Violated Law in Washington, Labor Judge Finds

Starbucks Corp. committed widespread legal violations before and after workers at several stores across Washington unionized, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled.

The coffee giant violated the National Labor Relations Act dozens of times at four stores unionizing in spring and summer of 2022 by enforcing unlawful rules, surveilling workers, and trashing union leaflets, NLRB Administrative Law Judge John Giannopoulos found in a decision released Monday.

The ruling, which is over 100 pages long, comes at a moment of heightened tension between the union and Starbucks. Both parties have been locked in negotiations for months over a “framework” ...