OnLabor

Law. Workers. Organizing.

News & Commentary

January 15, 2025

Jacqueline Rayfield

Jacqueline Rayfield is a student at Harvard Law School.

In today’s News and Commentary, Starbucks workers’ negotiations with the company continue to flounder, Utah ski patrollers return to work after a nearly two-week strike, and a longtime UAW union officer announces his retirement.

Starbucks workers highlight their CEO’s large pay package amid tense contract negotiations. Starbucks’ CEO, Brian Niccol, joined the company in August 2024 from Chipotle. He receives $113 million in total compensation annually.

Last week, two hundred ski patrollers returned to work after accepting a new contract. By returning to work on Thursday, patrollers ended a nearly two-week strike which began on December 27th amid the ski resort’s busiest season. Patrollers’ employer, Vail Resorts, agreed to a $2-an-hour base pay increase for senior ski patrollers among other key demands from workers. Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association reported that a livable wage in Park City surrounding the ski resort has risen to $27 per hour. The average home price in Park City is over $1.5 million.

Chuck Browning, a leader in the United Auto Workers for over two decades announced his retirement to local union leaders on Tuesday morning. Browning supported Shawn Fain’s UAW leadership and worked on a deal with Ford Motors during the union’s six-week strike in 2023. Browning currently leads negotiations between UAW and Volkswagen but is expected to retire once the deal is finalized. UAW leadership Shaw Fain commented, “Chuck Browning is not only one of the greatest bargainers in the labor movement, but one of our most powerful, generous, and capable leaders.”

Daily News & Commentary

Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all

OnLabor In The News

Browse all

More From OnLabor

See more

EU Court Draws the Line on Regulating Minimum Wages — Balancing Member State and EU Competence

Nearly three years after Denmark challenged the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages (AMWD), last November 11th, 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued a landmark judgment clarifying the boundaries of EU legislative power in wage policy.  The ruling struck down selected provisions of the directive but preserved the EU’s ability to shape wage […]

The Surprising (and Unintended) Expansion of “Mutual Aid and Protection” Under Trump

In the past year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have mounted a callous and unprecedented immigration crackdown. ICE’s tactics have violated the constitutional rights of undocumented and documented immigrants, as well as U.S. citizens. While ICE has deployed a range of enforcement strategies, raids on private businesses like hospitals, car washes, and agricultural facilities have become a mainstay. ICE’s actions have raised important […]

What New Workers can Learn from Old Retirement Plans: How the History of American Retirement Can Help a New Generation

For many Americans, the prospect of retirement invites dread. Modern-day employees retire later and with less in their savings accounts than their parents and grandparents. Over the past decade, the proportion of Americans working past the age of 65 has increased by 60%. Despite that, retirees are carrying more debt than ever before. And most troublingly, retirees often […]

Drawing Power: How Redistricting Can Strengthen Political Responsiveness to the Working Class 

For decades, political scientists have documented a stark reality: Economically marginalized Americans struggle to exert meaningful influence over public policy. Studies show that the preferences of low- and middle-income constituents exert “little or no independent influence” on federal decision-making, while elected officials give “no weight” to the views of constituents in the bottom third of the income distribution. The […]

Enjoy OnLabor’s fresh takes on the day’s labor news, right in your inbox.

Sections

Connect