Labor Attorney Michelle Devitt Discusses Negotiations Between Starbucks and Workers United

After years of opposition to its workers unionizing, Starbucks is now set to begin negotiations with the Workers United union to address the various labor practice complaints against the company. The talks will focus on reaching deals on collective bargaining agreements, a fair process for organizing, and resolving litigation. However, these negotiations will be complex, as Starbucks and Workers United will need to get settlement approval from different authorities within the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for cases in various stages of the dispute process.

Willig, Williams & Davidson associate Michelle “Micky” Devitt, a former NLRB lawyer, spoke with Bloomberg Law about the upcoming negotiations. She highlighted the numerous hurdles on the path to resolution. “It would be a very complicated process to unscramble all the eggs, given that the cases are in very different procedural postures,” she said.

The NLRB is litigating against Starbucks based on Workers United’s allegations of unfair labor practices. However, the NLRB’s concerns are broader than the union’s, as it is taking legal action to protect public rights and further the National Labor Relations Act’s policy goals regarding collective bargaining and workplace democracy.

As the roughly 130 complaints the NRLB has issued since 2021 make their way through the process and the union negotiates on behalf of more than 400 of its stores, Starbucks has a long path toward creating a “foundational framework” for better treatment of its workers.

Read the full article online: Starbucks’ Path to Settling With Union Laden With Legal Hurdles (Subscription is required.)