"We've done everything that we possibly can to respect the right under the law of our partners' ability to join a union," Schultz said. "But conversely, we have consistently laid out our preference, without breaking any law, of communicating to our people what we believe is our vision for the company."
At least 293 of Starbucks' 9,000 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since late 2021, according to the National Labor Relations Board. Starbucks Workers United, the labor group seeking to unionize stores, has yet to reach a contract agreement with any Starbucks store.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who has been a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, accused the company of stalling. He said federal courts and administrative judges at the NLRB have found Starbucks guilty of hundreds of labor law violations, including firing labor organizers and illegally closing unionized stores.
"The fundamental issue we are confronting today is whether we have a system of justice that applies to all, or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law with impunity," Sanders said.
Schultz denied the company has broken the law and said Starbucks is appealing those charges. He said Starbucks respects workers' right to unionize, but believes the company already provides its workers with industry-leading wages and benefits.
He noted that Starbucks' average starting wage is $17.50, while the minimum wage in Vermont is $13.18.
"I think unions have served an important role in American business for many years. In the `50s and '60s, unions generally were working on behalf of people in a company where people haven't been treated fairly," Schultz said. "We do not believe that we are that kind of company. We do nothing nefarious. We put our people first."
That comment earned a rebuke from Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, who said $17 per hour is not a living wage.
"Any large corporation shouldn't necessarily be bragging about $15 to $20 wages," Braun said.
But other Republicans defended Starbucks, saying it has created millions of jobs and is being demonized by Democrats to bolster their support from unions.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, questioned why customers are willing to pay $6 for a Starbucks latte, and said his family is satisfied with Maxwell House. But Starbucks still deserves respect, he said.
"The hearing today is convened to attack a private company for its success," Paul said.
Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, questioned Schultz's respect for employees, noting that the company has refused to add new benefits ---- like credit card tipping or wage increases ---- at stores that have unionized. Schultz countered that those benefits are subject to bargaining.
Smith said labor organizers are seeking to address an imbalance of power within the company. Labor organizers have complained that Starbucks can cut their schedules with little notice, for example, making them ineligible for benefits.
"You're a billionaire and they are your employees. The imbalance is extreme," Smith said.
Schultz angrily responded that repeatedly calling him a "billionaire" was unfair.
"I grew up in federally subsidized housing. My parents never owned a home. Yes, I have billions of dollars. I earned it. No one gave it to me," he said.
Sanders had sought Schultz's testimony for months. Schultz had tried to sidestep the hearing, suggesting that others in the company were more deeply involved in labor matters.
But Sanders argues that Schultz, who stepped down as interim CEO last week but remains on the company's board, was instrumental in setting the company's policies.
Schultz repeatedly pointed out that just 3,400 of Starbucks' 250,000 U.S. employees have elected to join a union.
"About 1% of partners have chosen a different approach, as is their right under law," he said.
The unionization effort has been contentious. Earlier this month, a federal labor judge found that the company violated labor laws "hundreds of times" during a unionization campaign in Buffalo, New York. The company is appealing. Federal judges have also forced Starbucks to reinstate the labor organizers that it fired.
Schultz, who led Starbucks from 1987 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2017, returned as interim CEO last April. Starbucks' new CEO, Lazman Narasimhan, told The Associated Press that he also believes Starbucks functions better without unions.
"I continue to believe a direct relationship with our partners is the best way forward," Narasimhan said.
In the final part of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5's Jon Woodward and Joseph Loiero look at how some cities are trying to rein in the chaos.
A Quebec mother of six, once detained in northeast Syria, has died while waiting for repatriation. The Canadian woman was known only by her initials F.J.
If Canadians could vote in the U.S. election, a majority would choose to send Kamala Harris to the White House.
A former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model鈥痠s alleging鈥痶hat former President Donald Trump groped her in the 1990s, in what she believes was an attempt to show off for Jeffrey鈥疎pstein.
The federal government is giving Canada Post the ability to store and transport restricted firearms in new regulations that bring the retail gun buyback program one step closer to beginning.
Diverse firefly species lit up the night during the late Mesozoic period, scientists have confirmed.
Within a year of dating, 31-year-old Siara Rouzer crossed a major relationship milestone. The guy she was seeing was no longer a boyfriend but her partner.
From apparitions to zombies, this season offers up a variety of scary movies, and film critic Richard Crouse has put together a list to help you find the perfect horror movie to watch on Halloween.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon 鈥 and it won't be until Monday before the makeup of the legislature is finalized.
If Canadians could vote in the U.S. election, a majority would choose to send Kamala Harris to the White House.
The federal government is giving Canada Post the ability to store and transport restricted firearms in new regulations that bring the retail gun buyback program one step closer to beginning.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
A former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model鈥痠s alleging鈥痶hat former President Donald Trump groped her in the 1990s, in what she believes was an attempt to show off for Jeffrey鈥疎pstein.
A Los Angeles prosecutor said on Thursday he would ask a judge to release Erik and Lyle Menendez on parole after nearly 35 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents, as new evidence emerged indicating they were sexually abused by their father for years.
An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people on Thursday, nearly all women and children, Palestinian medical officials said.
Donald Trump said Thursday that if he wins the White House, he will fire special counsel Jack Smith 'within two seconds' of taking office.
Colorado funeral home owners accused of misspending nearly US$900,000 in pandemic relief funds and living lavishly, all while allegedly storing 190 decaying bodies in a building and sending grieving families fake ashes, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal fraud charges for defrauding customers.
Elon Musk's super PAC didn't announce a winner for its "daily" $1 million giveaway to registered swing state voters on Wednesday, the same day news broke that the Justice Department warned Musk鈥檚 group that its sweepstakes might be illegal.
A Quebec mother of six, once detained in northeast Syria, has died while waiting for repatriation. The Canadian woman was known only by her initials F.J.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces growing pressure from within his own caucus to step aside, former B.C. premier Christy Clark says she is open to returning to politics.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is digging in, saying 'yes,' he's staying on as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. His assertion comes less than 24 hours after telling his MPs that he'd reflect on his future in the face of a deadline imposed by defectors in his caucus, and that鈥檚 left some feeling 'disappointed.'
Quebec's health department says it will be ready to meet the expected demand for advanced applications for medical assistance in dying when it begins accepting those requests next week.
A Colorado man has filed the first lawsuit against McDonald鈥檚 relating to its E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounders that, so far, has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.
Radon is a radioactive gas found in nearly every Canadian home. A new research study is putting a renewed spotlight on the invisible, odourless element that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada.
London Ont. born astronaut and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen spoke with thousands of high school students across the country today about the upcoming Artemis II mission.
Diverse firefly species lit up the night during the late Mesozoic period, scientists have confirmed.
European scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm capable of interpreting pig sounds, aiming to create a tool that can help farmers improve animal welfare.
A new organization that aims to help people struggling with addiction officially launched in Ottawa Thursday, named after the late Matthew Perry.
Argentina's police raided the Buenos Aires hotel where ex-One Direction singer Liam Payne stayed before dying last week after falling from a third-floor balcony, a government official said Thursday.
From apparitions to zombies, this season offers up a variety of scary movies, and film critic Richard Crouse has put together a list to help you find the perfect horror movie to watch on Halloween.
It's a dream for many Canadians, trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their very first home. That was also the dream for the Esmeralda family, a family of five with two dogs who currently live in a Scarborough apartment building.
Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares his advice for new immigrants to Canada -- from figuring out where to bank to learning about retirement plans.
Boeing factory workers voted against the company鈥檚 latest contract offer and remain on the picket lines six weeks into a strike that has stopped production of the aerospace giant鈥檚 bestselling jetliners.
A Toronto man who only recently checked a Lotto 6/49 lottery ticket he bought back in June is now $2.5 million richer.
Within a year of dating, 31-year-old Siara Rouzer crossed a major relationship milestone. The guy she was seeing was no longer a boyfriend but her partner.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Broadway vs. Hollywood has produced the starriest Series in decades, if not ever.
The parent company of WWE and UFC is buying Professional Bull Riders, On Location, and IMG from Endeavor Group in an all-stock deal valued at US$3.25 billion.
The Vegas Golden Knights made defenceman Shea Theodore their second highest-paid player Thursday, signing him to a seven-year contract worth an average of US$7.425 million per year.
A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
A senior executive for Volkswagen in China has been deported for allegedly using cocaine and marijuana while on vacation in Thailand, according to Chinese authorities and German media reports.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
With the final results of the B.C. election still pending, speculation is rampant about what concessions the Greens might ask for to prop up a potential NDP minority 鈥 and it could be a common philosophy about health care that ultimately helps forge an alliance.
Crews removed approximately 50 tonnes of "fatbergs" from the sewer system in Richmond, B.C., earlier this month, according to Metro Vancouver.
The Canadian government's plan to reduce the number of immigrants entering the country could impact B.C.'s housing affordability.
An infant has died and a woman is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a fire broke out at a home in the city鈥檚 west end overnight.
U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.
If Canadians could vote in the U.S. election, a majority would choose to send Kamala Harris to the White House.
Alberta's government and meat producers worry a bill about preventing and preparing for future pandemics could be harmful to the agriculture industry.
A Calgary business owner is frustrated and looking for answers after Google removed his business' profile without warning, resulting in a loss of bookings and damage to his company鈥檚 reputation.
The Carolina Hurricanes handed the Calgary Flames their first loss in regulation this season with Thursday's 4-2 victory at the Saddledome.
Hundreds of OC Transpo bus trips have been cancelled this week due to a 鈥渄ecrease in fleet availability and increased congestion鈥 on Ottawa鈥檚 roads, according to the transit service.
The Ottawa Police Service has identified the woman who was stabbed to death at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive Thursday morning.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at things to do in Ottawa and eastern Ontario this weekend.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough.
A new tree-planting pilot project in Plateau-Mont-Royal is drawing criticism for eliminating parking spaces in a borough already facing limited parking, as well as for its cost.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and on Thursday the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation held a brunch in downtown Montreal featuring a special guest: Matthew Knowles.
Some Edmonton public school support staff walked off the job Thursday morning, after the province stepped in on Wednesday to prevent strike action.
The man who cut up the body of his grandson's mother is going to prison after the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned his previous sentence.
The City of Edmonton says staying proactive has helped keep its 90,000 elm trees relatively untouched by the devastating Dutch elm disease (DED).
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
WorkSafeNB is investigating after a man was killed in a workplace incident at a tire shop in Moncton, N.B., last week.
The Nova Scotia Liberals are accusing former member Fred Tilley of accessing party files one day before he crossed the aisle to join the Progressive Conservatives.
The Manitoba man who brutally murdered his partner and two young children stood in court, voice wavering, and apologized for his actions that ended the lives of three people he said he loved very much.
A pair of councillors in the RM of Springfield plan on bringing forward a motion to opt out of Plan 20-50 when they are first able to.
A Winnipeg teenager has been charged with multiple offences after a stolen car crashed in St. Boniface Thursday morning.
After two days of advance polls, more than 119,000 people have already cast a ballot in-person for the 2024 Saskatchewan election.
A man is dead and two other people were injured in a two vehicle collision north of Regina on Wednesday evening.
Regina police says a reward of up to $50,000 is available for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel 'Juma' Drie Atem, who officers say is responsible for a murder that occurred downtown in the summer of 2023.
Fire crews responded to a house fire in St. Clements Thursday night.
Erick Buhr, the man on trial for second-degree murder in the death of his grandmother Viola Erb, took the stand Thursday to testify in his own defense.
A Kitchener man has been charged with arson after playground equipment was set on fire earlier this week.
The Saskatchewan RCMP is calling off its dangerous persons alert after two people were arrested in the Tobin Lake area Thursday afternoon.
A former tire recycling company in Saskatoon is announcing additional layoffs months after a dispute with the provincial government.
Saskatoon police are investigating a series of suspicious fires that were lit in the Mayfair neighbourhood on Thursday morning.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
The Gathering Place board chair Peter Gregory is vowing to fight to keep the doors to the Cassells Street soup kitchen open after the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board denied their six-figure funding request.
Greater Sudbury Police have released a photo of a person they say escaped by driving their motor vehicle on a sidewalk past pedestrians and then the wrong way down a one-way street.
Eighteen months after the closure of the London Health Sciences Centre鈥檚 (LHSC) fertility clinic, its replacement is now fully operational.
The London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) has released findings on their study looking into mood and anxiety disorders in young adults.
When she took the stand at a London courthouse on Thursday, 21-year-old Kaiah Edmonds testified that she arrived at the bush party off of Pack Road in a vehicle driven by one of the accused - Carlos Guerra Guerra.
The cost of living is increasing, from groceries to gas, prices are consistently going up, and now there鈥檚 controversy surrounding paying for parking at hospitals.
A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
Emergency crews were called to attend a fire that broke out in a grassy area in Barrie on Thursday morning.
Issues include benefits, wages, working conditions, contracting out/work ownership and getting union representation for staff.
Windsor鈥檚 first Night Light Walk raised $50,302 on Thursday night, with more than 200 participants walking to support awareness of intimate partner violence (IPV).
Christ Church in Chatham is organizing the return of an honour guard vigil at the downtown cenotaph ahead of Remembrance Day next month.
As the RCMP prepare to strap cameras to the chests of front-line police officers, an expert warns they might not work 鈥 at least, not in the way some had hoped.
Mounties on Vancouver Island are investigating after a set of popular driftwood sculptures was reportedly stolen last week.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon 鈥 and it won't be until Monday before the makeup of the legislature is finalized.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass deserves a better shot at becoming a significant tourism hub than the UCP government is giving it, an NDP shadow minister said as the southeastern Alberta community gears up for a coal mining plebiscite.
A three-game road trip across the prairies got off on a sour note Wednesday night as the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Calgary Hitmen 4-2.
A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
A critical piece of the Sault鈥檚 homeless outreach strategy is almost ready to hit the road.
Police seized drugs, $70,000 and a large gold chain in a drug trafficking bust earlier this month in Thunder Bay.
An annual event held in Sault Ste. Marie is back for the 29th year to ensure local kids get the winter clothing they need as the temperature dips.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
