Jacqueline Rayfield is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found merit to allegations that Chipotle Mexican Grill violated federal labor law, over 4,000 Fred Meyers workers began a strike in Portland, Oregon, and unionized software workers filed a labor complaint against Activision Blizzard and Microsoft.
The NLRB announced on Monday that a complaint against Chipotle by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters alleging unlawful discipline of a worker has merit. Teamsters assert that Chipotle denied raises to an employee based on union activity in violation of federal labor law. If Chipotle and Teamsters do not reach a settlement, the NLRB general counsel threatened to file charges against the company. This is not the first time Chipotle violated labor law. The company retaliated against unionizing employees last year by closing a store in Augusta, Georgia.
Over 4,000 workers in 28 Fred Meyers stores around Portland began a strike early this morning. The union says that the strike will continue until September 3rd or until Fred Meyers negotiates a deal. The employee’s union, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and Fred Meyers remain unable to reach a contract after several bargaining sessions. The union explains that a strike is necessary to add pressure on key bargaining issues like pensions and wages.
Unionized software workers at Raven Software filed a National Labor Relations Board complaint against their parent companies, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft. The workers allege that both companies bargained in bad faith and retaliated, discharged, and disciplined workers for union activity.
Daily News & Commentary
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April 30
US Circuit Court of Appeals renders decision on Jefferson Standard test; construction subcontractors settle over wage theft in Minnesota; union and immigrant groups urge walkout.
April 29
DOJ sues for discrimination against US citizens; Musk and DOJ pause litigation on AI discrimination bill; USTR hosts forced labor tariff hearings.
April 28
Supreme Court grants cert on Labor Department judges' authority; Apple store union files NLRB charge; cannabis workers win unionization rights
April 27
Nike announces layoffs; Tillis withdraws objection on Fed nominee; and consumer sentiment hits record low.
April 26
Screenwriters in the Writers Guild of America vote to ratify a four-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and teachers in Los Angeles vote to ratify a two-year agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
April 24
NYC unions urge Mamdani to veto anti-protest “buffer zones” bill; 40,000 unionized Samsung workers rally for higher pay; and Labubu Dolls found to contain cotton made by forced labor.