On August 16, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace issued the following statement in response to concerning reports from Starbucks Corporation that the NLRB may be interfering in ongoing union representation elections at various Starbucks stores and collaborating with union organizers, jeopardizing the agency’s role as a neutral arbiter of federal labor law.

The following statement can be attributed to CDW Chair Kristen Swearingen:

“Reports that NLRB personnel are interfering with union representation elections and even colluding with union organizers in those elections are deeply concerning and warrant an immediate investigation. The NLRB is supposed to be a neutral arbiter of federal labor law, but the Board will lose all credibility if agency personnel are taking sides and working to tip the scales in favor of their preferred side.

“Starbucks Corporation has made serious allegations against the NLRB, and these reports must be fully investigated to ensure such an egregious dereliction of duty is not occurring.

“Starbucks has called on the agency and its Inspector General to investigate these allegations, and Representative Virginia Foxx, Ranking Member of the House Education and Labor Committee, has called for a Congressional hearing into these troubling reports. CDW agrees that the Board, its Inspector General, and Congress must get to the bottom of these disturbing allegations. The public has a right to know if Board agents are interfering with union representation elections and workers’ right to choose whether or not they want to join a union.

“CDW urges the Board, the Inspector General, and Congress to get to the bottom of these disturbing claims.”