House Education and Labor Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx on Thursday asked Workers United to hand over employment files on a Starbucks barista who didn’t disclose to Congress that she was a paid union organizer.
Foxx (R-NC) told Workers United International president Lynne Fox in a letter that she expects to receive all employment and payroll documents for Michelle Eisen, who testified before the House panel on Sept. 14, 2022, by the end of this month.
Though she represented herself as just a barista, Eisen was paid $49,734 by the Service Employees International Union affiliate to be an organizer last year, The Post reported in May.
The Republican chairwoman said it was “unacceptable” that the union had “failed to respond” to an earlier request from the committee about Eisen’s work, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Post.
Fox disputed the chairwoman’s remarks, telling The Post: “I received the letter several days after its existence was reported. I replied promptly and well within the requested time period.” She added that her response was hand-delivered to the post office.
House Education and Labor Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on Thursday asked Workers United to hand over employment files on a Starbucks barista who didn’t disclose to Congress that she was a paid union organizer. APAfter publication, a spokesperson for the committee said the letter had been mistakenly routed to the personal office rather than the committee office, leading to the mixup.
Staff have since received the missive, in which they said Fox confirms Eisen worked as an organizer for the union at the time of her testimony.
Though she represented herself as just a barista, Eisen was paid $49,734 by the Service Employees International Union affiliate to be an organizer last year, The Post reported. Committee on Education & the Workforce Democrats“As a result of the Committee’s oversight efforts, we have confirmation that Michelle Eisen was indeed a paid Workers United organizer at the time of her testimony on September 14, 2022,” the spokesperson said.
“Ms. Eisen presented herself as someone she was not, glossed over her employment ties to Workers United, and, by that omission, misled the American people and lied to Congress.”
Lying to Congress is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, but is rarely prosecuted.
Foxx told Workers United International president Lynne Fox (above) in a letter that by the end of the month, she expects all employment and payroll documents for Michelle Eisen, who testified before the House panel on Sept. 14, 2022. workersunited.orgOn July 17, the chairwoman had cited The Post’s reporting on a Workers United 2022 financial disclosure form to ask whether Eisen misled Congress about her affiliation while working at the first unionized Starbucks in Buffalo.
At least 10 other baristas in the city were also paid by the union as part of an effort to “salt” the coffee chain with labor-friendly employees, Bloomberg reported.
Starbucks Workers United had also shared video clips of Eisen’s testimony online and called her a “union leader” during the September 2022 hearing.
Eisen worked at the first Starbucks to unionize in Buffalo, NY. APIn the earlier letter, Foxx also asked whether Workers United helped Eisen draft her testimony to the House panel.
The union spent nearly $2.5 million in 2022 to organize at Starbucks franchises nationwide, according to LaborUnionNews.com.
In December, Starbucks Workers United said it had organized in 270 stores.
CEO Howard Schultz has engaged in a counter-campaign to ward off union efforts by visiting dozens of stores nationwide.






