In today’s News and Commentary, Josh Hawley releases a pro-labor proposal, thousands of nurses and doctors strike in Oregon, and Starbucks Workers United files new ULP complaints.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley has called for a “Pro-Worker Framework” for the upcoming Congress. The proposal calls for a ban on captive audience meetings, safety and health protections, and new guarantees for speedy elections and contract negotiations. As Ben notes, it’s unclear how much traction these ideas will gain among Republicans, but they have the potential to “scramble the politics of labor law reform.”

Starbucks Workers United has filed 34 new complaints with the NLRB as of this week against the coffee chain. They allege unfair labor practices in 16 states, including retaliation against employees who are active union supporters. Along with recent strikes that began at the end of December, this recent activity signals that what looked like progress in SWU’s fight for its first contract may be disappearing. Negotiation talks broke down at the end of the year over pay. SWU said Starbucks offered no immediate raises and future increases of only 1.5% a year. 

Approximately 5000 nurses and doctors in Oregon struck this morning.It’s the largest healthcare strike in the state’s history. The action follows ongoing negotiations between the Oregon Nurses Association and hospital owner Providence Health. Health care workers say that Providence is failing to meet staffing standards required by the state, resulting in prolonged wait times, overwhelming workloads and the inadequate patient care.“Our members are angry because Providence has systematically lowered the standards of care and focused on healthcare model that prioritizes profits over our patients,” said Anne Tan Piazza, ONA’s Executive Director. “And that is not why ONA members started their career in healthcare.”