Starbucks is offering $1,200 bonuses, expanded tipping, and weekly payouts to boost the pay of its U.S. baristas.

The article focuses on Starbucks' new incentive program aimed at increasing pay for its U.S. hourly workers, including baristas and shift supervisors, by offering up to $300 in quarterly bonuses tied to store sales, operations, and customer service goals. Starting July, customers will also have expanded tipping options, including tipping on mobile orders paid by credit card and at the register, potentially increasing eligible employees' earnings by 5% to 8%. This initiative is part of Starbucks' broader $500 million "Back to Starbucks" turnaround effort to improve staffing and customer service amid ongoing negotiations with the Starbucks Workers United union, which represents workers at about 600 stores and continues to advocate for higher wages and stable schedules. The incentive changes are subject to collective bargaining at unionized locations, with the union expressing concerns about the reliance on store performance and customer tipping for bonuses. [Extracted from the article]