Baristas and Buttons: NLRB v. Starbucks

By Craig Cowart

(Hospitality Update, No. 3, September 2012)

The next time you stop in for your morning “must-have” caffeine, take a look at your Starbucks barista. He or she is likely to be wearing the familiar “Starbucks green” apron and black pants. Your barista may also be sporting a number of pins and buttons touting Starbucks products and promotions. Who knows what those pins and buttons will say?

You may not be able to predict what pins and buttons your barista will be wearing. But, after a recent federal appeals court ruling there is one thing you can know for sure. There won’t be more than one pro-union pin on the uniform. The court told Starbucks that it was okay to limit employees to wearing only one pro-union button with their uniform at work.

So, how did this ruling come about? And what does it mean for you? Continue reading “Baristas and Buttons: NLRB v. Starbucks”