Starbucks Ordered to Pay Back Tips

ap ^ | 3/21/08 | By Chelsea J. Carter

[Flavius]

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered Starbucks Corp. to pay its California baristas more than $100 million in back tips and interest that the coffee chain paid to shift supervisors.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett also issued an injunction that prevents Starbucks' shift supervisors from sharing in future tips, saying state law prohibits managers and supervisors from sharing in employee gratuities.

Starbucks spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil said the company planned an immediate appeal of the ruling, calling it "fundamentally unfair and beyond all common sense and reason."

[Blogger]

uh, when I tip, I tip the person who waited on me. Not their boss. What is unfair is starbucks stealing their employees money.

[al baby]

At five bucks a pop i don.t tip plus I HATE TIP JARS

[em2vn]

No tip is low class.

[acapesket]

Well, maybe this is why they had to shut down a few weeks ago on an evening and “Re-Train” their employees.

The Uber Libs had such a sissy fit that it was Shep Smith's
lead on the fox News Channel.

Shep needs to be conscripted into the Military, maybe then he could achieve little boy status... with alot of hard work.

Starbuck’s is a liberal joke, they need to be decommissioned.

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

Starbucks is so wrong. The tip is for the person who served you, when you feel that they went above and beyond, at your discretion.

Starbucks is stealing tips from those workers to pay shift managers, instead of paying the managers more themselves. Jeeeezus this is just low.

Starbucks, with all their problems, has its head so far up its coffee grinder, I can’t believe the people in charge there would let this person embarrass them like this.

[tomh68]

I don't go to Starbuck's very often but, sometimes I have been waited on by the manager. I've given her a tip.

[Dianna]

No tip is low class.

The people at Starbucks think they deserve a tip? One more reason I'm glad I've avoided them for years.

[Hildy]

How on EARTH are they going to figure this one out?

[indcons]

Good - Starbucks should pay its shift supervisors more instead of including them in the tip pool for baristas (fancy term for the kid who brews the coffee).

[KC_Conspirator]

Starbucks has any right to have their pay structure the way they want it. Does the shift manager stock up for the employees? Who knows.

As a bartender, I got tips from waitresses that I served drinks right quick. They just thought, and rightly so, a little grease to the bartender made make more money overall.

[svcw]

Shift supervisors are not the “boss”. They are supervising the shift, at the opening they are making sure registers are assigned, cash is correct and product is made, in the mid day a different person (because shifts are part time) deposits are done and product is made, evening clean up goes as planned and the safe balances.
They make about 0.50 hour more than the baristas.
Managers and assistants who are salaried do not get tips.
Starbucks does not steal the tip money. Managers are even prohibited from dropping the money in the safe. It is counted and distributed by the baristas themselves.

[svcw]

Starbucks does not sell a $5 cup of coffee.
The largest size 20 ounces (venti) is $1.90-$2.10.

[blackbart.223]

"I don't go to Starbuck's very often."

I have never even set foot in one and have no intention of ever doing so.

[svcw]

Managers can not take tips.

[A CA Guy]

Starbucks has a mean blueberry oat bar, that is about it.

They seem to be going through the typical #2 way of going out of business. They have been growing too fast.

I don't know how you can have three of them within 4 blocks and expect them all to be profitable all the time.

Can you say Krispy Kream.

[svcw]

Well, what they have been doing is opening a new cafe when a cafe consistently earns 20-25K gross.
It only takes about a month for both stores to be earing 20K gross.
You are correct the blueberry oat bar is good but not all stores carry it.
I like the whole wheat carrot cake, not very many stores carry that either.

[paul51]

calling it "fundamentally unfair and beyond all common sense and reason."

Welcome to the legal system

[Squantos]

Well if it stings Starbucks I feel it only proper to report that I may have left as much as a thousand dollar tip for every 5 dollar cup of their fine product. < /sarcasm>

[FrdmLvr]

With what they charge for their lousy coffee, those money grubbing liberals can’t even pay their managers?