Worst. Union. Ever.
I've never joined a barista union. If I did join one, the list of things I'd want my union leaders to do would not include complaining about getting free food and drinks from my employer. But in article describing a threatened lawsuit against Starbucks by the extreme healthists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, that's exactly what they're doing:
The union contends that Starbucks staff gain weight when they work at the chain. They are offered unlimited beverages and leftover pastries for free during their shifts.
The article also mentions the secret "short" size, an 8 oz. cup available at Starbucks that doesn't get listed on the menu. My friend Tim Harford had an interesting column on the economics behind this in Slate a few months ago. Check it out here.
Comments
Yeah, every Starbuck's employee wants to have to pay for day-old (and since they're shipped in UPS from Iowa, probably month-old) pastries.
Oh, and I've been ordering short beverages for ages, and the baristas have no problem calling them out, unlike what the Salon article suggests.
Posted by: LarryB | June 19, 2006 10:52 PM
Hearing about this makes one understand why our legal system is choked.
The - "They said I could have it if I wanted, I ate it and got fat" argument should be immediately dismissed in my opinion.
Just goes to prove no good deed goes unpunished.
Posted by: Brotherhood of the Bean | July 10, 2006 5:34 PM