Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol pledges to collaborate with union during negotiations.

• Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol stated that he supports the right of the coffee chain's baristas to unionize.
• Collective bargaining agreements for unionized cafes are being negotiated between Starbucks and Workers United.
• Over 10,500 Starbucks employees in the U.S. are represented by Workers United, which controls over 490 of the company's cafes.

Brian Niccol, CEO of the coffee chain, stated that they are dedicated to negotiating fairly with the union representing their baristas in order to reach a labor agreement.

"Niccol wrote in a letter to the union obtained by CNBC that he deeply respects the right of partners to choose, through a fair and democratic process, to be represented by a union. He stated that if partners choose to be represented, he is committed to engaging constructively and in good faith with the union and the partners it represents."

The Starbucks Workers United bargaining delegation sent a letter ahead of a bargaining session between Starbucks and the union, pushing for fair scheduling, a living wage, and racial and gender equity. The two sides are negotiating a framework for collective bargaining agreements between individual stores and the company.

The group stated in its letter to Niccol that many of its committed customers, as well as future generations of customers, have a stake in the success of its negotiations and the establishment of a fundamental agreement.

In 2018, Starbucks baristas began unionizing under Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. Despite the company's efforts to stop the unionization for two and a half years, the issue played out in headlines, social media, and courts.

The turning point for both parties was six months ago when they agreed to work together on a path forward after mediation to resolve lawsuits caused by the union's social media posts.

Niccol recently joined Starbucks, making him a newcomer to the union discussions. Prior to this role, he was CEO of a single location in Lansing, Michigan, which successfully unionized. Last year, the burrito chain agreed to pay former employees of an Augusta, Maine, location $240,000 as part of a settlement for closing the restaurant when workers tried to unionize. Chipotle denied any wrongdoing.

Over 490 of Starbucks' U.S. cafes and 10,500 of its employees are represented by Workers United. The company owns more than half of its 16,700 U.S. locations.