Labor regulators find merit in accusations by unions at Amazon and Starbucks.

The National Labor Relations Board said Friday that it had found merit in accusations that Amazon and Starbucks had violated labor law.

The labor board found merit to the charges that the company had required workers to attend anti-union meetings at a Staten Island warehouse where the Amazon Labor Union won a stunning election victory last month. The determination was communicated to the union by an attorney for the labor board's regional office in Brooklyn, according to a lawyer for the union.

The meetings are legal under the current labor board precedent. Last month, the board's general counsel issued a memo saying that the precedent was at odds with the underlying federal statute, and she indicated that she would challenge it.

The Amazon Labor Union accused the company of threatening to deny benefits to employees if they voted to unionize, and of inaccurately telling employees that they could be fired if the warehouse were to unionize. According to an email from the attorney at the regional office, Matt Jackson, the labor board found merit to the accusations.

Mr. Jackson said the agency would issue a complaint if Amazon didn't settle the case. An administrative law judge would hear the complaint and make a decision.

Mr. Goldstein said the right to unionize will be protected by ending Amazon, and applauded Ms. Abruzzo for taking steps to end captive audience meetings.

Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokeswoman, said in a statement that the allegations are false and that they look forward to showing that through the process.

The labor board issued a complaint against Starbucks on Friday, accusing the company of illegal behavior after the union filed a number of charges against it. Those accusations include firing employees in retaliation for supporting the union, threatening employees with new benefits if they choose to unionize, and requiring workers to be available for a minimum number of hours to remain employed at a unionized store without bargaining over the change.

The labor board found merit in the accusations that the company intimidated workers by closing stores in the area, and that it engaged in espionage on workers while they were on the job. All of those actions are against the law.

Starbucks Workers United, the branch of the union representing workers there, said that the finding confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks' conduct in Western New York for the better part of a year.

Starbucks said in a statement that the complaint doesn't constitute a judgement by the labor board, and that they look forward to presenting their evidence when the allegations are adjudicated.