Starbucks to Pay $39 Million in Landmark N.Y.C. Labor Law Settlement

[SouthBayDem]

Source: NY Times (gift link)

Mayor Eric Adams announced a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks on Monday over violations of New York City’s law guaranteeing fair working conditions, a resolution that city officials said was the largest worker protection settlement in the city’s history.

The city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection found that Starbucks had violated the law more than half a million times since 2021 by failing to provide workers with stable schedules. More than 15,000 hourly workers are expected to receive restitution payments under the agreement.

Workers have complained for years that the coffee behemoth was cutting their hours and refusing to give them predictable schedules. The city found that the company “arbitrarily cut schedules and illegally prioritized their own profits over their workers’ rights” across more than 300 locations.

“With this landmark settlement, we’ll put tens of millions of dollars back into the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers and reinforce every New Yorker’s right to a reliable schedule, full hours and basic dignity,” Mr. Adams said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/nyregion/starbucks-workers-strike-settlement.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5k8.wrDJ.Q5LKDBv09lm0

[William Seger]

1. Someone posted a list recently of the average pay with some big employers

I can't find it now, but I was really surprised at how low Starbucks was, given they are selling some pricey coffee to what seems to be many very regular customers.

[DFW]

2. I see that too. They have many outlets here in Europe

€1.50 extra or more for a few extra drops if some flavoring or other. Of course, they tend to place their locations in high rent districts, too, so their expenses are not minimal. They have locales in strategic locations in the main train stations of Brussels, München, Köln, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Utrecht and Arnhem, surely dozens of other cities as well. Unless the service is especially unfriendly or super slow (usually the opposite), I always leave a tip, since I know how little those people earn. They are often foreign students, just looking for extra spending money. The last time I was in NL, I had a quicker trip from our office into town (Utrecht) than expected, and so sat down in the Starbucks since it was close to my track. Utrecht is a big train station. The guy who took my order didn’t understand Dutch very well, and asked if I spoke English (!!). I said “somewhat,” and asked him where he was from. He said Germany, and was relieved when I told him it was fine to use German. He said good luck with the woman who was preparing my drink, since she was from Poland. I said no problem, and spoke to her in Polish. Big smile! My Polish is only rudimentary, and I often mix in Russian when I don’t know the words I’m looking for, but they usually understand what I’m trying to say. I have seen situations where these young people get told off by the locals for not knowing the local language well enough, so I know they are relieved when someone shows up with no language issues.

[MichMan]

5. A least in NYC, Zohran campaigned on $30 per hour minimum wage

[twodogsbarking]

3. $1.79 at McD vs. $3.45 at Starbucks for the same cup of coffee.

[OldBaldy1701E]

4. "Starbucks to Pay $39 Million in Landmark N.Y.C. Labor Law Settlement"

Well, since that area alone probably makes them a billion or more each year, they can afford it.

What they cannot afford is their entire staff deciding to strike. Which would have ended this a long time ago.

But, the programming worked in that most workers in the US would not dare do this, as they are afraid that they will burst into flame or something if they do... thanks to the rich and their social programming.

Did I mention that the programming worked?

[MichMan]

6. Not from NYC, so I was not familiar with this law

The city’s Fair Workweek Law was approved in 2017 by the City Council. Fast food employers must give workers regular schedules that stay the same week to week, must provide schedules 14 days in advance and cannot reduce hours by more than 15 percent without “just cause or a legitimate business reason.”

Are workers required to give 14 days notice before asking for time off? If people call in sick or don't show up, Starbucks is prohibited from giving people extra hours to fill in? Makes it really hard on those still working if they are short staffed like that.

[Old Crank]

7. About one third of the CEOs

pay packet.

That will sting...