Black Starbucks Workers Allege Mistreatment, Wrongful Termination

Brian Stimson |

Special to the NNPA from The Skanner Group

Several Black workers who say they were improperly treated and fired from the Tazo Tea factory in Southeast Portland have filed complaints with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. The state agency has launched an investigation into the allegations.

In total, The Skanner News has confirmed that four Black workers have been fired within the last two years from the Starbucks-owned company. The Skanner News was able to only speak to three of them. A fifth employee now deceased was also dismissed, but The Skanner News was unable to confirm details of his employment.

While the complaints and situations around their firings from Tazo are different, each man tells a similar tale of disparate treatment and dismissal by management when compared to the actions of their White co-workers. All of the Black workers were employed in the manufacturing/shipping section of the Tazo Tea factory in Portland.

The complaint alleges that Black employees were placed under closer scrutiny than any other employees at the plant. The former employees who spoke to The Skanner News say the atmosphere made the working conditions hard to bear.

Shakur Shabazz -- a four year employee was one of four employees allegedly fired. According to the Skanner News, in September 2010, Shabazz was fired for arriving late, soon after an injury that caused doctors to put him on a light work schedule where managers gave him a flexible schedule, he says.

Stacey Krum, a spokesperson for Starbucks, says they certainly deny the allegations of disparate treatment or wrongful firing.

We take this issue very seriously and are cooperating in the investigation. We are confident that the evidence will show that the actions involving Mr. Shabazz and others individuals he has named were made for legitimate, performance-related reasons, Krum told the Skanner News.

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