First I heard she was a volunteer, then working for tips, and finally “casual labor.”



Whatever you call 21-year-old Ashley Ross, a former employee of the Morning Grind/Buck’s Shotz coffee stand in Lacey, according to her father, Scott Ross, she got screwed.



In fact, for the last week, everyone who’s driven by the coffee stand at 8904 Martin Way E. received that message. Mr. Ross has been picketing the coffee stand since Thursday, May 15, waving a sign that reads “My daughter went unpayed at Buck’s Shots espresso.”



You’ll have to forgive Mr. Ross’s spelling. He’s mad as hell. After learning his daughter had worked for three weeks at the Morning Grind/Buck’s Shotz coffee and then been denied a paycheck, anger took over. According to Ashley and her father, she’s owed wages for about 60 hours.



According to Buck, well, that depends on when you asked him.



Weekly Volcano co-publisher Ken Swarner saw Scott Ross and his sign first. At the time Buck said Ashley Ross was a “volunteer.” As a “volunteer” Buck insisted he owed Ross nothing.



A day later I spoke with Buck, and his story had changed. He first said Ashley had “worked for tips,” and later that Ross was “casual labor” — two different claims. Buck also disputed the hours Ashley says she worked, which were calculated by hand since there’s no real time clock at the Morning Grind. Nevertheless, Buck said he planned to pay Ashley that afternoon. 



That never happened.



Meanwhile, there were now two dads. James Cox, whose daughter worked at the Morning Grind for three weeks in February, saw Scott’s sign and stopped to support him. According to Cox, his daughter received the same treatment from Buck and to this day hasn’t been paid for her time. He recounted a very similar story, and said that when Buck did finally cut his daughter a check it was dated for August, 2008 — five months into the future. Mr. Cox says there has never been an offer from Buck to rewrite the checks. Buck described the incident as an honest mistake.



“My first inclination was to do exactly what Scott is doing,” says Mr. Cox. “This is proof there’s a pattern.”



“I came out like a swarm of bees, just like any father would,” says Scott Ross of his decision to picket. “He preys on vulnerable girls and I’d like to see my daughter get paid. I’ll stay out here until I rot if I have to.”



As for Buck’s claims that Ashley Ross was an “independent contractor,” or “working for tips,” Elaine Fischer from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries says neither scenario is legal.



“It doesn’t matter what you call them, they’re employees,” says Fischer. “None of the things you’ve described would be legal. It sounds like there are some problems there.”



For his part, Buck insists he’s done nothing wrong. But with a growing pack of angry dad’s circling his stand, not to mention L&I’s assertion that every excuse he gave me was illegal, it’s definitely enough to make you wonder.



While Fischer couldn’t discuss details, she reported L&I is currently looking into two claims against the Morning Grind. The fate of those claims will depend on what L&I concludes after an investigation.



Until that day, or until Ashley gets a paycheck, there Scott Ross will be with his sign.