SEATTLE — The nation’s top labor body said Wednesday it wants Starbucks to reopen 23 shuttered stores across the U.S., including seven in Seattle and one in Everett.
According to a National Labor Relations Board complaint filed Wednesday, Starbucks violated labor law because it allegedly closed the stores due to union organizing.
Seattle-based Starbucks cited safety concerns as the reason for the Seattle-area store closings, which happened last year. Half of the shuttered Washington stores were unionized.
Starbucks spokesperson Andrew Trull said in an email Thursday that the NLRB’s allegations lack merit. Trull also said Starbucks evaluates its store portfolio each year, including opening and closing locations.
