PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s congresswoman is calling for an investigation after Starbucks announced it’s closing a location in Portland that voted to unionize last month.
Corporate officials say that the location at Exchange and Middle streets, which is in the heart of the Old Port, will close by Dec. 23.
Although a Starbucks spokesperson said that the company reviewed whether the store was thriving, whether the workers felt supported, and whether customer needs were met, the specific reason for the store’s closure was not clear.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat in Maine’s 1st District, tweeted that the closure is “blatant union busting” and is calling for the National Labor Relations Board to investigate the closure.
.@Starbucks told me personally that the chain “remains committed to good faith negotiation and satisfying all collective bargaining obligations.” Now they are BLATANTLY union-busting at one of the busiest stores in my district. Despicable. We need a full @NLRB investigation now! https://t.co/7ImgSRJ5Pd pic.twitter.com/wMmyjc4MQ2
— Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
(@chelliepingree) November 15, 2022
Workers at that store voted to unionize on Oct. 17.
Earlier this month, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Chipotle for the way it closed its store in Augusta. The complaint accused Chipotle of violating the National Labor Relations Act in July when it closed its Augusta store after its workers voted to form a union in June.
The store in Augusta was the first Chipotle location in the country where workers sought to form a union.
