have filed to hold elections to join one. The employees are asking for higher pay, more consistent scheduling and other improvements.
Bailey Adkins, a spokesperson for Starbucks, said many people come to the coffee maker because of its benefits package. She said Starbucks offers a variety of health insurance plans workers can choose from, all of which offer fertility coverage. The majority of employees, she said, choose the mid-tier “silver” option, which typically costs $42 a paycheck for a single person and has a $1,000 deductible.
Leah and Stephen Russell at the Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine in Omaha, Neb., on Dec. 14, about 15 minutes before a successful embryo transfer.For many families, IVF is still unaffordable. “A lot of patients come to me, and unfortunately cost is a barrier,” said the president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, Dr. Timothy Hickman, a reproductive endocrinologist in Houston.
Reggie Borges, a spokesperson for Starbucks, said the company was enforcing standards with the workers it has always held. “We will continue enforcing our policies consistently for all partners, and we will follow the NLRB’s process to resolve this complaint,” he said.