WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and all Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) in a letter inviting Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to testify at a hearing in front of the panel about the company’s lack of compliance with Federal labor laws.

“Please consider this letter an invitation to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on March 9, 2023,” the senators wrote. “We look forward to seeing you. We greatly appreciate your assistance to the HELP Committee.”

Since the first store voted to unionize in December of 2021 in Buffalo, workers at more than 350 Starbucks in nearly 40 states across the country have held votes to unionize, citing various concerns – from safer working conditions during the pandemic and better wages, to better benefits and more reliable schedules. Last June, Murphy stood with workers at a Starbucks in West Hartford that was Connecticut’s first to unionize. A Starbucks in Vernon has also successfully unionized.

Despite this growing movement, the $122 billion-dollar corporation has fought their workers every step of the way, including refusing to bargain a first contract in good faith, delay tactics, and a significant escalation in union busting. There have been 500 unfair labor practice cases filed against Starbucks and its affiliates. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued 75 complaints in response to those charges and has sought emergency preliminary injunctive relief in five cases in the Federal courts.

The Democratic members of the HELP Committee asked Schultz, who during the pandemic became $800 million richer and is now worth $3.9 billion, to respond to the invitation confirming attendance to the hearing by February 14.

Read the full letter here.

###