30 year-old Northeast Portland resident Fabian Mills used to manage the Starbucks store on 102nd and Halsey near the Gateway Transit Center.

Back in August he rode his bike to a district meeting and got a surprising reaction from his new district manager, Frances Ericson. Here’s how it went down according to Mills:

“She pulled me aside and said she would prefer that I drove to the meeting. She asked me if I even had a car and then said it was inappropriate to ride my bike. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing but she actually said she would prefer if I drove a car and that it was unprofessional to ride a bike to work.”

Four days after this conversation took place Ericson transferred Mills to a new store in Troutdale at 257th and Stark. Mills was unhappy with the decision because the transfer would add 16 miles to his daily bike commute.

When Mills expressed his disappointment with the move, Ericson allegedly said, “you should just get over riding your bike.”

More at: https://bikeportland.org/2006/10/17/s...aged-bike-use/

Yet another reason friends shouldn't let friend drink Staryucks

If it's true that's nuts.

I would sue. Especially since having a car was not a condition of employment.

He should apply for a job at Jittery Joe's. I bet they'd be a little more supportive of cycling to work.

Lawsuit, for sure. I'm not one to flippantly invoke the 'ol legal system, but I'd have HR all over that DM's arse. "Inappropriate" ?

Yup, he should go to HR and file a complaint against the manager. If having a car is a condition of employment, then it should be spelled out clearly as part of the job description.

Starbucks DMs have the lifespan of a Denali in the TdF.

Nice motto for a poster or sticker:

"When you drink at Starbucks, you sit with Osama."

Paul

I'd hate to be right on this but I don't think the biker has any legal grounds for a lawsuit. Only discrimination on the basis of race, religion or sex.

Starbucks is so pro green though - it seems like the dm is picking a bad fight if the manager wants to get a little publicity on her side ...

Well, I don't know about a lawsuit, as I'm no lawyer (though I do know that wrongful termination suits don't have to have anything to do with race, sex, or religion, so there might be something that can be brought to bear in court). However, most large companies have regulations covering hostile workplace environments that in no way involve race, sex, or religion, and there's a lot of layers over a DM's head that live to do things like enforce those regulations. This sounds like a job for Ombudsman Man!

One could float some casual e-mails around to other members of admin... I'm sure some pro-bike manager will step up and throw some support

For a crummy coffee shop job?

Or you could email Starbucks w/ a link to the story and let them know that as a cyclist, you'd prefer to shop at bike friendly stores.

Crummy to you, but it might be the highest paying job he's ever had.

what a *****

Yeah Starbucks is anti-commuting. That's why they're the prime supporter of Bike to Work Day in the Seattle (and other) area year after year. I think this is just the case of one misinformed district manager. Starbucks as a company definately supports bike commuting. If I was Mr. Mills, I'd be voicing my concern with Starbuck's upper management over the unprofessional mistreatment and apparent deviation from "the party line" by the district manager.

Surprising considering the ones around me try to discriminate on the basis of hipster appearance. (I swear...I've never seen a mainstream looking person working at one, and I had a friend who looked pretty mainstream and had every qualification to work there and then some and didn't get hired even when the store was desparately short of people)

Also...Starbucks, last I knew, didn't deal in fair-trade coffee, so their environmental image is pretty tarnished.

Starbucks Corporate Social Responsibility program:

https://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/csr.asp

To contact Starbucks departments:

https://www.starbucks.com/customer/co...rms.asp?nav=3f

Could be, but turnover in these type of management jobs is very high. He'll be able to find another job if he's any good. Even if he's no good, I expect he'll find something soon enough.

Lawsuits can be expensive, take a lot out of everyone emotionally, and can poison the atmosphere. Even if you win, you lose (and if you lose, you really lose).

If you think your boss is screwing you, you need to look for other work. They transferred him, so he can still earn a living while he's looking. Anyone who would lose a good employee over something like this is simply an idiot. It costs a fortune to recruit a new person and get him or her up to speed. Anyone who doesn't recognize this is someone you don't want to work for.

Actually, the last time I looked Starbucks did deal in fair-trade coffee. I do know that they are buying premium coffee here in Costa Rica for a fair price.

And I don't think there is a single Starbucks in Costa Rica...

That's in Seattle. Portland's a ****ty city for bicycling*.


*Tongue in cheek humor given Portland's status as the bestest city in the USA for cycling.

That's why lawyers have no problem finding work. Stupid managers.

boycott starbucks

Hmmm... Does being too cheap to pay Starbucks prices constitute a boycott?