In today’s News and Commentary, the UAW’s organizing campaign hits another milestone, Pizza Hut workers strike in Los Angeles, and French public sector workers threaten to strike during the Paris Olympics.

The UAW announced that 30% of the more than 1000 employees at a Toyota plant in Missouri have signed cards in support of a union. The 30% threshold is the minimum mark required under federal labor to call for a union election. However, the UAW will wait until it achieves 70% card support to call for an election. The milestone is the latest in a string of organizing advances at automobile manufacturers based outside of the UAW’s traditional geographic footprint. I wrote about the union achieving 50% card support at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee. Last week, a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama also hit the 50% support mark. John reported on Mercedes’ resistance to the campaign. 

Pizza Hut workers in Los Angeles are striking. Six current and former employees of the chain’s restaurant in Historic Filipinotown are in the midst of a three-day strike over wage theft and poor workplace conditions. Workers alleged that management stole $81,443 in wages in a complaint filed with the California labor commissioner’s office. This strike is the latest iteration of workers calling out poor conditions at the store. Employees protested layoffs and abusive scheduling during a January 26th strike. The strikers are supported by organizers from the newly-formed California Fast Food Workers Union, which is aiming to organize broadly across the fast food sector.

France’s General Confederation of Labor, or CGT, threatened to strike during the upcoming Paris Olympics. The union’s general secretary cited the need to address issues ranging from overtime compensation, child care, and housing during the expected massive influx of tourists. The strike would include public sector workers such as hospital staff.