Starbucks CEO Niccol pledges to "engage constructively" with workers' union

In a letter on Tuesday, the new Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said that he "deeply respects" the right of the coffee chain's workers to choose to be represented by a union and said that he was committed to "engage constructively."

Starbucks continues contract negotiations with the Workers United union this week. The session would be the first with the new chief executive officer, Brian Niccol, at the helm after the company surprised everyone last month when it announced a change in leadership.

This is after an open letter to him from 298 baristas who are bargaining delegates from the union.

Earlier this month, Niccol said in an open letter that he will work on changing coffeehouse culture at the chain's US stores and plans to spend time in stores getting together with suppliers and partners to make improvements.

For example, in his Tuesday letter, he said he is committed to helping create "a great work environment" at the stores and noted that the company "values" having direct relations with workers.

"If our partners choose to be represented, I am committed to making sure we engage constructively and in good faith with the union and the partners it represents," Niccol wrote.

In April, Starbucks began negotiating with Workers United on a "foundational framework" to direct collective bargaining in the US. The union's bargaining delegation represents more than 10,500 partners across over 490 stores.

In June, the US Supreme Court overturned a lower court's injunction sought by the US National Labor Relations Board ordering Starbucks to reinstate seven Memphis employees fired as they sought to unionise.