Press Releases

Today, House Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC); Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Republican Leader Richard Burr (R-NC); House Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Republican Leader Rick Allen (R-GA); and Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee Republican Leader Mike Braun (R-IN) sent a letter to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Inspector General David Berry to request an immediate investigation into allegations that NLRB officials intervened inappropriately in ongoing union organization efforts at Starbucks stores across the country.
 
In the letter, the Members write: “Starbucks alleges that certain NLRB officials engaged in the following misconduct:

1. Coordinated with agents of Workers United to arrange for unobserved, in-person voting in NLRB offices during NLRB-ordered mail-ballot elections;
2. Provided these union agents confidential, non-public, real-time information regarding specific vote counts, which enabled Workers United to target and influence employees who had not yet voted;
3. Disenfranchised other employees who were not given the same opportunity to cast in-person votes in NLRB offices;
4. Collaborated with Workers United agents to cover up these actions; and,
5. Collaborated with Workers United to increase the number of votes cast in favor of the union and affect the outcome of elections.”

The Members also write: “We request that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) immediately investigate these allegations, protect all whistleblowers from retaliation, and ensure the NLRB is fulfilling its obligations under the law to safeguard the rights of workers to engage in or refrain from organizing activity.”
 
The Members conclude: “[T]he allegations outlined … suggest more widespread problems at the NLRB. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) ensures that workers can freely determine whether they will join a union. Since January 2021, we have conducted oversight regarding the Biden administration’s improper favoritism toward unions. Unfortunately, the allegations outlined above only increase our concerns. Accordingly, we request the OIG not only investigate the allegations in the August 15 Starbucks letter but that it also conduct an audit to review whether the NLRB has been neutral and objective in administering representation elections since January 2021 as required by the NLRA.”
 
BACKGROUND: On August 15, Starbucks wrote to NLRB Chairman Lauren McFerran and General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo to raise concerns of NLRB employees colluding with labor unions to tilt election results in favor of unionization in Starbucks and Workers United elections. An NLRB employee whistleblower provided information on this alleged collusion.

Read the full letter here.