Swap Agrawal is a student at Harvard Law School.
In this weekend’s news and commentary, more than 1,000 Starbucks baristas at more than 100 stores across the country walking off their jobs for three days.
On December 16, Starbucks Workers United, the union behind organizing efforts at the national coffee chain, announced that over 1,000 baristas at store locations across the country are participating in a three-day workout. Starbucks Workers United called this unfair labor practice (ULP) strike the longest collective action in the campaign’s history. Specifically, workers are fighting back against union-busting by the company, including the recent closing of the first store to organize in Seattle. Starbucks Workers United’s press release highlighted that the NLRB has issued 45 complaints against Starbucks for over 900 violations of labor law, making the company one of the worst violators of federal labor law in modern history. Striking employees are also calling on customers to support the union by not purchasing Starbucks Gift Cards this year as part of the #NoContractNoGiftCards Campaign. The union published a map showing the Starbucks stores where workers are walking out. Fred and Kevin recently summarized the extraordinary year of organizing by Starbucks employees since the first store unionized on December 9, 2021.
Daily News & Commentary
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November 2
In today’s news and commentary, states tackle “stay-or-pay” contracts, a new preliminary injunction bars additional shutdown layoffs, and two federal judges order the Trump administration to fund SNAP. Earlier this year, NLRB acting general counsel William Cowen rescinded a 2024 NLRB memo targeting “stay-or-pay” contracts. Former General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo had declared that these kinds […]
October 31
DHS ends work permit renewal grace period; Starbucks strike authorization vote; captive-audience ban case appeal
October 30
Sweden’s Tesla strike enters its third year; Seattle rideshare drivers protest Waymo’s expansion in the city.
October 29
9th Circuit rejects challenge to NLRB's constitutional structure; preemption challenges to state labor peace statutes
October 28
Two federal unions oppose CBA cancellations, another federal union urges Democrats to end the government shut down, and Paramount plans for mass layoffs
October 27
GM and Rivian announce layoffs; Boeing workers reject contract offer.