Lawsuit Over Who Gets Starbucks Tips
from the too-much-tipping dept
I imagine Mr. Pink doesn’t tip at Starbucks. Hell, I don’t “tip” at Starbucks. Occasionally, I don’t feel like having 30 cents clanging around in my pocket all day, so I throw it in the tip jar. But there’s only so much I can pay for a cup of coffee in good conscience.
Apparently, there’s a lawsuit kicking around the New York Court of Appeals over who owns the tips at Starbucks. The baristas are fighting to keep control over the jar and not share the tips with assistant managers.
It’s kind of sad. At this point, why not just dump the tip jar out on the floor at the end of the day and watch them fight over it…
The Starbucks decision could have a significant impact on the hospitality industry in New York. Here’s a report from CBS News:
The Court of Appeals was asked by a federal court to interpret New York’s labor law and its definition of an employer’s “agent,” who is prohibited from tip sharing.
On one side are low-level baristas who serve customers and share tips weekly based on hours worked. On the other side are assistant managers who don’t get any gratuities and want some. In between are shift supervisors with limited management responsibilities who serve customers and also share tips.
Starbucks — which thinks that its assistant managers should not get tips — points out that their assistant managers are salaried full-time employees with performance-based bonuses. Lawyers for the assistant managers argue that they are not “agents” because they don’t have hiring and firing capabilities.
I feel sorry for these people, I really do. They shouldn’t have to fight over loose change. I do think that assistant managers are in the wrong; they get bonuses, and they knew damn well their jobs were not “tips” jobs when they signed up.
But this does, you know, illustrate a little bit of what Quentin Tarantino was getting at when he wrote that bit for Mr. Pink. Society somewhat arbitrarily decides which people get tips and which people don’t. It’s not like you are tipping your Starbucks barista for his or her specific skill and talent in pouring your coffee. Instead, you’re slavishly giving a billion-dollar corporation loose change because they put a freaking jar on the counter. I can see why the assistant managers want a cut.
Of course, if the assistant managers win, hospitality personnel will come out of the woodwork wanting tip money, and “mandatory gratuity” will go up. Middle-class customers will get screwed a little more, to help out lower-class service employees, who can’t otherwise get a living wage from their employers.
You know what I think?
“I’m very sorry the government taxes their tips, that’s f**ked up. That ain’t my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government f**ks in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn’t do that, I’ll sign it, put it to a vote, I’ll vote for it, but what I won’t do is play ball.”
N.Y.’s top court to decide who can tap Starbucks’ tip jars [CBS News]
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Filed Under: employment, tips
Companies: starbucks
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I think I'd learn to like coffee for that.
On a more serious note:
If I were an assistant manager for Starbucks, I'd tell these people to go screw themselves. I wouldn't want to be considered a tipped employee since they make as little as $2.13 an hour. I wouldn't want to risk my salary for just a few extra coins.
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I don't care if it had gold sprinkles it's not worth $8 "or whatever" for a fucking cup of coffee. That's why I make my own I know just how I want it and I get the same result every single time and it's better. A month without Starbucks and anyone could save enough to buy your own espresso machine.
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"Management" is always trying to chisel labor.
You don't help labor by wimpy sympathizing, but by going after The Rich full tilt, full time. This is (as even implies above), just pitting one group of poor against others. Let's go after owners of Starbucks and require those paraistes to let go of just SOME of their obscene excess.
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Re: "Management" is always trying to chisel labor.
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Who should get the tip?
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...but only if ALL workers are paid at least the minimum wage.
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I know what my next Photoshop project is now!
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but why is this a techdirt story?
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Re: but why is this a techdirt story?
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and you're proud of that?
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FOR GODS SAKE HOW HARD UP ARE THESE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS
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How did I know, a TD writer, being a "TIGHTASS" with their money.
I guess, being a freetard is a full time job.
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Name
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$4-$5 cups of coffee
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Fortunately, I'm not a coffee drinker.
I'll stick to iced green tea, unsweetened...occasionally sweetened with sucralose.
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tips as income
While it's perhaps silly to argue about it in a place like Starbucks, where the average tip might be lower, it's still a valid fight: who's income is it?
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Re: tips as income
The person who already paid income tax on it. Tips are donations.
gratuity-something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service
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Tips vs non-tips
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Baristas
Overall I agree with what this article said. They are told that they will not be receiving tips but that they will get performance bonuses. If you don't like not getting tips then don't take the promotion simple as that.
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