Holt McKeithan is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, the UAW and Ford reach a tentative agreement to avert a strike in Kentucky, the DOL investigates a Tennessee company that employed children to clean a slaughterhouse, and Starbucks faces pressure from students and baristas.
UAW Local 862 announced plans last week to strike a Ford factory in Kentucky, as Will noted. The union and Ford reached a tentative agreement to avert the strike on Wednesday. Although the national UAW negotiated a master agreement last fall, individual unions can still bargain around local issues. Local 862 planned to strike over issues regarding health and safety, skilled trades, and ergonomics.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Fayette Janitorial Services hired 24 minors, including children as young as 13, to clean dangerous equipment in a slaughterhouse. A 14-year-old at a Virginia factory suffered severe injuries on the job. The Labor Department filed a nationwide injunction against the Tennessee-based company this week seeking to halt Fayette’s child labor practices while the Department continues to investigate. The company employs about 600 workers and operates in over 30 states. Reporting from the New York Times sparked the Labor Department’s investigation.
Starbucks faced pressure on multiple fronts this week. Over 400 baristas from 21 stores across the country petitioned the NLRB for representation by Starbucks Workers United on Tuesday. Meanwhile, baristas in Chicago and Philadelphia filed complaints alleging their employer violated their respective cities’ Fair Workweek statutes, which prohibit employers from cutting workers’ hours on short notice. Students at 25 college campuses across the country demanded that their schools kick Starbucks stores off campus on Thursday. The students called for university administrations to cancel contracts with the chain because of Starbucks’ union-busting activity. The actions occur amid growing calls for a consumer boycott of the coffee giant.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
August 19
Amazon’s NLRA violations, the end of the Air Canada strike, and a court finds no unconstitutional taking in reducing pension benefits
August 18
Labor groups sue local Washington officials; the NYC Council seeks to override mayoral veto; and an NLRB official rejects state adjudication efforts.
August 17
The Canadian government ends a national flight attendants’ strike, and Illinois enacts laws preserving federal worker protections.
August 15
Columbia University quietly replaces graduate student union labor with non-union adjunct workers; the DC Circuit Court lifts the preliminary injunction on CFPB firings; and Grubhub to pay $24.75M to settle California driver class action.
August 14
Judge Pechman denies the Trump Administration’s motion to dismiss claims brought by unions representing TSA employees; the Trump Administration continues efforts to strip federal employees of collective bargaining rights; and the National Association of Agriculture Employees seeks legal relief after the USDA stopped recognizing the union.
August 13
The United Auto Workers (UAW) seek to oust President Shawn Fain ahead of next year’s election; Columbia University files an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against the Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers for failing to bargain in “good faith”; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) terminates its collective bargaining agreement with four unions representing its employees.