As Starbucks workers across the United States join a unionization wave, Sen. Bernie Sanders planned a Wednesday night town hall to speak with organizers at the iconic coffee chain.
Sanders (I-Vt.), who supported the nation’s first successful Starbucks union drive in New York state late last year, will host a livestream beginning at 8:00 pm ET at live.berniesanders.com and on his social media pages.
The event will feature Starbucks workers from Boston and Denver as well as the Tennessee cities Knoxville and Memphis—where some organizers were recently fired in what they argue is retaliation, which the company denies.
Alluding to such issues in a Tuesday tweet, Sanders said that “Starbucks workers should be able to form a union without fear of being fired. End of discussion.”
According to Sanders’ office, “Workers have filed to organize unions at more than 100 Starbucks locations in cities from coast to coast.”
The senator highlighted the scope of the movement at the company earlier this week while promoting the town hall.
“Workers at Starbucks have ignited a nationwide movement united in the struggle for dignity and respect on the job,” he said. “They’re organizing in New York, in Tennessee, in California, and in states all across this country.”
Sanders is among the several progressive elected officials and candidates who in recent months have rallied behind Starbucks workers organizing in the face of the company’s widely decried anti-union tactics.
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