Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., relentlessly grilled former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Wednesday during Shultz’s testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee about Starbucks’ labor practices. “Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country,” Sanders declared. Schultz denied throughout the hearing that the company has done anything illegal. But the National Labor Relations Board has issued more than 80 complaints over 278 unfair labor practice charges against the company, and has in the past handed down rulings that Starbucks broke federal labor law.
Schultz’s language illustrates the delusion that extreme wealth generates among those who hold it.
Schultz — who had refused to appear before the Senate until Sanders threatened to subpoena him, and who may have resigned early to shield the company before the hearing — seemed particularly angry about one point: He said it was “unfair” that Sanders called him a billionaire. It was a bizarre bit of pushback, given that it’s an indisputable fact. Schultz is worth nearly $4 billion. What he really meant was that bringing up his wealth implied unfair things about his character. It was pure nonsense — Sanders is right to point out how Schultz’s class status as an ultra-wealthy owner puts him at odds with his employees and the public good.
Here’s what Schultz said during the exchange:
This moniker billionaire, let’s just get at that, OK? I grew up in federally subsidized housing. My parents never owned a home. I came from nothing. I thought my entire life was based on the achievement of the American dream. Yes, I have billions of dollars. I earned it, no one gave it to me. And I’ve shared it constantly with the people of Starbucks. … It’s your moniker constantly, it’s unfair.
There are a couple of things to note about these remarkable comments.
First, in his attempt to describe his self-made…
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