At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Bernie Sanders accused Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz of “the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country."

Sanders chaired the hearing, named “No Company Is Above the Law: The Need to End Illegal Union Busting at Starbucks," and released beforehand a report detailing the company's illegal labor practices.

Around 300 stores — 3 percent of all U.S. Starbucks — locations have voted to unionize since December 2021, but filings have dramatically slowed. Sanders' report found that the company punished unionization, allegedly breaking the law in 200 separate ongoing cases by firing employees, closing stores, and withholding benefits and pay.

“There is mounting evidence that the $113bn company’s anti-union efforts include a pattern of flagrant violations of federal labor law,” the report reads. “Starbucks has engaged in the most significant union-busting campaign in modern history. It has been led by Howard Schultz.”

Schultz stepped down as CEO last week, and initially refused to testify before Sanders' committee, until he was threatened with a subpoena. He dismissed the allegations, saying Starbucks "unequivocally ... has not broken the law.”

Starbucks has already been found to be in violation of labor laws in eight cases so far, with some requiring that terminated workers be reinstated. One such case in Buffalo described "egregious and widespread misconduct demonstrating a general disregard for the employees" from the corporation.

The report also noted that the first Starbucks location to unionize over 460 days ago were still waiting for the company to negotiate a contract with them. Schultz declined to move negotiations forward after the hearing, despite urging from Sanders.

"Over the past 18 months Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country," Sanders said. "The fundamental issue we are facing today is whether we have a system of justice that applies to all — or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law with impunity."