Starbucks’ Union Settlement Hints At Pickier Litigation Approach

Starbucks Corp. has agreed to give back pay to baristas unlawfully denied shifts at a University of Washington cafe, in a settlement that signals the coffee giant may get more selective about which of its many legal battles with unionizing workers are worth fighting.

The 10 Seattle-area employees were told they couldn’t take “premium pay” shifts during games at Husky Stadium on the university’s campus. Managers denied the more lucrative shifts only to workers represented by Starbucks Workers United, according to the complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board in August 2022.

The settlement, posted to the NLRB’s ...