Catherwood LibraryILR School

A panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals signaled skepticism toward an NLRB decision finding that former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz unlawfully threatened a pro-union barista by suggesting she “work for another company.” The judges questioned whether the single remark, made during a 2022 employee town hall where Schultz pledged no retaliation, truly amounted to coercion under labor law. Their eventual ruling could add to a string of appellate decisions narrowing the NLRB’s interpretation of what constitutes unlawful employer speech.