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New York CNN —

Starbucks’ Howard Schultz, who was interim CEO at the time, broke federal labor law in 2022 by telling a California barista who raised concerns about unionization that “if you’re not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company.”

A decision by the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday said Schultz’s statement was an unlawful, coercive threat.

The decision underscores the fractious relationship Starbucks has had with organized labor as more and more workers at its stores unionize.

In 2022, when Schultz was interim CEO, he attended a company event in Long Beach, California, to address and improve working conditions at Starbucks stores. Barista Madison Hall attempted to bring up what she described as the benefits of unionization and Starbucks’ alleged history of unfair labor practices, according to the NLRB.

Schultz asked her, “Why are you angry at Starbucks?” He said the event wasn’t the place to discuss union issues, then made the remark about working elsewhere. According to the administrative law decision, he “had an angry expression on his face.” The NLRB decision upholds an administrative law judge’s decision in October 2023.

In a statement, Starbucks said it disagrees with the board’s decision. “Our focus continues to be on training and supporting our managers to ensure respect of our partners’ rights to organize and continuing to make progress in our discussions with Workers United,” a company...

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