Starbucks faces suit over OT (San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Jun 2006, Page D1)

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Starbucks faces suit over OT
By Henry K. Lee Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle
27 Jun 2006

A former Starbucks manager has filed a federal lawsuit against the coffee company, alleging supervisors weren’t paid overtime and were forced to work through meal breaks.

Steve White, who had worked at Starbucks shops in Concord and Walnut Creek, said the company owes him and other managers unpaid wages plus interest and compensation for working “off the clock” and missing meal and rest periods.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, is seeking class-action status for thousands of managers who worked at California Starbucks stores over the past four years.

The suit follows litigation — now settled — that accused the Seattle company of wrongly classifying its managers as being exempt from overtime. As a result of that lawsuit, Starbucks’ managers are paid an hourly wage, White’s attorney, Scott Edward Cole of Oakland, said Monday.

“By bringing this action, we hope to send a strong message to Starbucks and other companies like it that gimmicks and end runs around California’s wage laws — in any shape or form — won’t be tolerated.”

In a statement Monday, Starbucks said it was reviewing the complaint and would respond “in a timely manner.” “Starbucks believes that it is has complied with... read more...