Starbucks Hit With $105 Million Judgment In Labor Law Class Action Brought By Baristas Alleging Improper Sharing Of Tips With Shift Supervisors
Andrea Chang of the Los Angeles Times reports today that a California state court in San Diego has ordered Starbucks to pay more than $100 in a class action brought by baristas. The class action – filed in 2004 – alleged “that shift supervisors, who also make coffee and serve customers, were illegally getting a cut of employee tips,” Ms. Chang reports. The San Diego Superior Court certified the class action in 2006, defining a class that reportedly “could affect as many as 100,000 current and former baristas who worked in California stores since October 2000.” Starbucks has vowed to appeal the judgment.
Ms. Chang’s article, entitled “Tips ruling is made to order for baristas: Starbucks must repay $100 million for gratuities shared with supervisors, a San Diego judge rules,” may be found in the Main News Section of the March 21, 2008 edition of the Los Angeles Times.
