Some of you may remember when I broke the story on breaking my silence about My Abusive, Addictive Relationship That I Just Can't Quit. Well some people have asked me may have wondered why I chose to come out when I did. It is because I
have learned that I am not alone. I had heard whispers about other
abusive relationships, about union busting, spying, reading e-mails.
But now other victims are breaking the silence, coming forward,
testifying, engaging in class action law suits in
San Francisco, where about 2,500 assistant managers in California
allege in U.S. District Court that since 2002 they were forced to work
overtime without pay. A hearing on whether to certify the class is
April 10. Starbucks had no comment on this case.
West Palm Beach, Fla., where roughly 900 store managers
allege they performed essentially the same duties as baristas and
should be paid overtime. A trial in U.S. District Court is expected in
late summer or early fall, according to a lawyer for the workers.
Starbucks said that by the end of the week it intends to file a motion
to dismiss the case.
San Diego, where a California judge has ruled that the
company's tip pool policy violated the state's labor code because
"agents" of the company, in this case shift supervisors, were sharing
in the tips with baristas.
This inspiring lawsuits have given me the strength to leave starbucks,
and this time for good. I won't fall the nice gestures, the kidney
donations, the retraining sessions, the 5 cent donations to charity. I
finally see Starbucks for what it is: a monster. A greedy,
union-busting, pseudo-environmentalist, pseudo-human-rights-defending,
generic, mainstream, yuppy, cold, impersonal, fake, corporate monster.
