The Gist – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Barista Michelle Eisen on Face Tattoos, Short Staffs, and Union Shots Fired
Host: Mike Pesca
Guest: Michelle Eisen – Barista and Union Bargaining Delegate, Starbucks Workers United
Release Date: October 27, 2025
Duration: ~30 minutes (Content timestamps below)

Overview

This episode of The Gist features an in-depth interview with Michelle Eisen, union delegate and barista at the first unionized Starbucks in Buffalo, NY. Host Mike Pesca delves into the state of Starbucks unionization, worker conditions, company pushback, and contentious policy changes, including dress codes affecting piercings and tattoos. Pesca’s tone is probing yet fair, often playing devil’s advocate on contentious topics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Growth of Starbucks Unionization

• Buffalo’s Role and COVID’s Impact

  • Michelle Eisen worked at Elmwood Avenue, the first Starbucks to unionize in 2021, during the peak of COVID-19. She credits Buffalo's union history, the location's community ties, and pandemic conditions for catalyzing the effort.
  • “Buffalo is a pretty big union town...and our community just really rallied behind us immediately.” (10:00 – 10:45)

• After the First Win: National Momentum

  • A “waterfall” of stores across the country began seeking to unionize due to common issues: short staffing, pay, facilities, and safety. By the episode’s taping, over 650 stores had unionized, representing ~12,000 workers.
  • “The issues we were organizing over in Buffalo existed across the country.” (12:29)

2. Challenges to Unionization

• Company Resistance

  • Eisen characterizes Starbucks as the “most egregious union busting company in modern labor history,” citing hundreds of alleged labor law violations.
  • “If they had just said, hey, yeah, you’re right, this is a good idea...I think you would have seen a lot more [unionized stores].” (13:41 – 14:41)

• Regional Differences

  • Despite assumptions, the unionization effort has succeeded even in “right to work” and traditionally anti-union states.
  • “We have a lot of unionized locations in the southern part of New York [and] red states…” (14:47)

3. Union Demands and Negotiation Stalemates

• Key Issues
  • Staffing: Stores now often run with half the workers compared to a decade ago, burdening employees and degrading customer service.
  • Pay: Wage increases are important but insufficient if hours are cut.
  • “You walk into some of these stores today, you’re going to see two, maybe three workers doing the job of six...Customers are waiting for an exorbitant amount of time and...paying double what you were paying a few years ago…” (15:28 – 16:14)

4. Dress Code Controversy: Lawsuits, Tattoos, and Piercings

• Multiple Legal Actions

  • Two related disputes:
    1. Class-action lawsuits in some states (not union-led) over lack of uniform reimbursement when new dress codes were imposed.
    2. Union-filed unfair labor practice charges for unilaterally changing dress codes at unionized stores without bargaining.
  • “These workers are taking this on themselves. There was also a charge filed, an unfair labor practice charge filed around dress code for the union stores…” (18:28 – 19:56)

• Face Tattoos & Body Art: Grandfathering Debate

  • New policies now ban face tattoos, more than one facial piercing, tongue piercings, and “theatrical makeup.” The union objects both substantively and procedurally:
    • Some workers were hired with these features; sudden retroactive bans are argued to be unfair.
    • Eisen: “If someone was hired with four piercings and a facial tattoo and then two months later they were told, sorry, that actually doesn’t fit our dress code anymore, I think that person should be grandfathered in...” (21:57 – 22:34)

5. Social Media Controversy and Lawsuits

• Starbucks vs. Workers United: Israel-Hamas Post
  • Starbucks sued Workers United over a pro-Palestinian social media post, arguing it damaged the company’s reputation and logo confusion. Both sides ultimately dropped claims after negotiations.
  • Eisen: “...to the best of my knowledge that has been settled. Both sides came to an agreement and charges on both sides have been dropped...” (24:16 – 25:09)

6. Advantages of a Union Job at Starbucks

• Tangible Benefits
  • Unionized stores allow workers to bargain for better severance/benefits in cases of closures—unlike in non-union shops, where workers get little notice and no compensation.
  • “In our case we were able to secure severance for workers who couldn’t take the transfer. Whereas the non union workers...they got absolutely nothing.” (25:46 – 27:13)

7. Division in Worker Opinion on Unions

• Deal with Dues and Economics
  • Pesca refers to online discussions skeptical of union benefits, with concerns over dues and lack of immediate monetary gain.
  • Eisen pushes back:
    • Unions increase wages and protections, especially once a contract is secured.
    • Contracts can lock in 'just cause' termination standards, health/safety language, and enforceable rights.
    • “Even if what you gain from a union contract is minimal, it’s still more than what you’ll ever get just hoping the company does the right thing.” (28:31 – 31:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pay After 11 Years:
  “At the time that we unionized, I was making...just over maybe $16.75 an hour or something.” (11:03, Eisen)

• On Dress Code Lawsuits:
  “There's a couple of different things going on when it comes to the dress code policy.” (19:56, Eisen)

• On Retroactive Policies:
  “I think that person should be grandfathered in...especially when we’re talking about a coffee shop.” (21:57, Eisen)

• On Union Benefits at Store Closure:
  “We were able to secure severance for workers who couldn’t take the transfer. Whereas the non union workers...got absolutely nothing.” (27:02, Eisen)

• On At-will Employment:
  “As any worker, you should want...the ability to fight an unlawful termination. If your store manager just doesn't like you...they can fire you and you can't demand any information beyond that. That’s not acceptable.” (30:00, Eisen)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [09:32] – Michelle Eisen joins the show
• [10:00 – 10:45] – Why Buffalo’s Elmwood store led the union charge
• [12:29 – 13:03] – National impact after Buffalo’s union win
• [13:41 – 14:41] – Starbucks’ response to unionization
• [15:28 – 17:18] – Staffing/pay grievances & their effects
• [17:18 – 20:29] – Dress code lawsuits, reimbursement debates, and union rights
• [21:23 – 23:00] – Policy changes, tattoos, and workplace identity
• [24:16 – 25:09] – Lawsuit over union social media post
• [25:46 – 27:13] – Union benefits during Starbucks store closures
• [28:31 – 31:18] – Worker skepticism about unions, Eisen’s rebuttal

Conclusion

This episode offers a candid look behind Starbucks’ labor struggles, blending Eisen’s first-hand worker experience with sharp, sometimes skeptical questioning from Pesca. It sheds light on the evolving realities of service work, worker identity, and the economic and legal battles shaping the American labor movement—especially in the high-profile, brand-conscious world of Starbucks.

For anyone considering the pros and cons of union work in service industries—or simply curious about the future of American labor—this episode is a clear-eyed, informative, and at times provocative conversation.