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
February 7
In today’s News and Commentary, the NLRB withdraws its objections to SpaceX’s constitutional challenge, Whole Foods asks the NLRB to set aside a union election in Philadelphia, and the AFL-CIO launches a campaign to push back against Musk. The NLRB filed a letter with the Fifth Circuit indicating it would not address SpaceX’s challenge to […]
February 6
Gwynne Wilcox files lawsuit challenging her removal from the NLRB, and unions file a lawsuit challenging DOJE's request to access Department of Labor information.
February 5
Trump's disagreements with Abruzzo & Wilcox, Dollar General's plan for ICE agents, remote work in federal CBA's.
February 4
In today's news and commentary King Soopers workers announce a strike, Congressman Biggs introduces a bill to abolish OSHA, the UAW announces willingness to support Trump's tariffs, and Yale New Haven Health System faces a wage and hour class action.
February 2
President Trump seeks to nullify recent collective bargaining agreements with federal workers; Trump fired the NLRB’s acting General Counsel; Costco and the Teamsters reach a tentative deal averting a strike; Black History Month began yesterday with the theme African Americans and Labor
January 31
In today’s news and commentary, AFGE and AFSCME sue Trump for an Executive Order stripping protections from government employees, Trump fires members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Amazon shutters operations in the entirety of Quebec in response to union successes. On Wednesday, two unions representing government employees–American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and […]