Luke Hinrichs is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentaries, Amazon workers launch strike as Teamsters continue labor contract negotiations, Hyundai supplier terminates Alabama prison labor contract, and Starbucks Workers United baristas authorize strike.
Thousands of Amazon workers at seven facilities are on strike as of Thursday, December 19 as part of an organizing campaign launched by the Teamsters union. The workers at locations in Skokie, Illinois, Southern California, New York City, and Atlanta have joined picket lines after Amazon failed to respond to a Sunday deadline the Teamsters set for contract negotiations. As the holiday season approaches, the Teamsters are calling for the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history as Amazon workers at other facilities prepare to join in the nationwide action.
Ju-Young, a car-part manufacturer and supplier of Hyundai, ended its labor contract with the Alabama Department of Corrections after facing scrutiny for the company’s use of prison labor. Under the prison labor program in Alabama, thousands of incarcerated persons are compelled to work at private businesses with the risk of disciplinary action and adverse consequences if they refuse. The Alabama prison system collects 40 percent of an inmate’s paycheck, leaving a worker with an effective wage of only a few dollars per hour.
Starbucks Workers United baristas overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing a strike as collective bargaining continues with Starbucks. 98 percent of voting members support initiating a strike, if necessary, to end unfair labor practices, resolve outstanding litigation between workers and Starbucks, and secure fair raises, benefits, and staffing. Bargaining delegates continue to negotiate with Starbucks for a comprehensive agreement. The Starbucks Workers United union represents workers at more than 525 stores across D.C. and 45 states.
Daily News & Commentary
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September 14
Workers at Boeing reject the company’s third contract proposal; NLRB Acting General Counsel William Cohen plans to sue New York over the state’s trigger bill; Air Canada flight attendants reject a tentative contract.
September 12
Zohran Mamdani calls on FIFA to end dynamic pricing for the World Cup; the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement opens a probe into Scale AI’s labor practices; and union members organize immigration defense trainings.
September 11
California rideshare deal advances; Boeing reaches tentative agreement with union; FTC scrutinizes healthcare noncompetes.
September 10
A federal judge denies a motion by the Trump Administration to dismiss a lawsuit led by the American Federation of Government Employees against President Trump for his mass layoffs of federal workers; the Supreme Court grants a stay on a federal district court order that originally barred ICE agents from questioning and detaining individuals based on their presence at a particular location, the type of work they do, their race or ethnicity, and their accent while speaking English or Spanish; and a hospital seeks to limit OSHA's ability to cite employers for failing to halt workplace violence without a specific regulation in place.
September 9
Ninth Circuit revives Trader Joe’s lawsuit against employee union; new bill aims to make striking workers eligible for benefits; university lecturer who praised Hitler gets another chance at First Amendment claims.
September 8
DC Circuit to rule on deference to NLRB, more vaccine exemption cases, Senate considers ban on forced arbitration for age discrimination claims.