• Vice reports that "representatives of Starbucks walked out of five collective bargaining sessions with union members on Monday, and the company indicated it wouldn’t resume bargaining if the union continued to allow workers to join remotely.
"Starbucks workers in Buffalo, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Louisville, and Lakewood, California, all of whom won their union elections earlier this year, were set to meet with the company Monday to begin negotiating contracts.
"But workers say that after they introduced themselves and colleagues who were physically present and joining via Zoom - some of whom are members of what the union calls its national bargaining committee - Starbucks’ representatives, from both the company and management-side law firm Littler Mendelson, abruptly left and later said they wouldn’t return. At the root of the problem is a disagreement on who should be allowed to participate in the sessions, and how they can join."
According to the story, "Starbucks said that its representatives remained on-site and were willing to bargain if the union met their demand to bargain in-person only. 'It’s disappointing that Workers United would, minutes before bargaining begins, try to create confusion and potential delays,' a Starbucks spokesperson said."
