Anjali Katta is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, Whole Foods workers in Philly file for first-ever union election under Amazon’s ownership, Waffle House sues the NLRB, and Amazon workers across the world threaten to strike and protest on Black Friday.
Whole Foods workers in Center City, Philadelphia, have announced their intention to unionize with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776 and have filed a petition with the NLRB. If successful, this effort would result in the first ever Whole Foods union under Amazon’s ownership. The union would represent 300 workers. These workers would join the 800,000 grocery store members already represented by UFCW including workers from Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, and Stop & Shop. Since Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017, workers have faced harsher working conditions, decreased benefits, and increased surveillance.
Waffle House, a fast-food chain, is suing the NLRB over an unfair labor practice charge filed by the Service Employees’ International Union (SEIU). Waffle House argues that the NLRB’s administrative procedures are unconstitutional and deprives the company of due process. Waffle House also claims that that the NLRB’s Administrative Law Judges and Board members are too insulated from Presidential removal. By suing the NLRB, Waffle House joins a growing list of employers—including SpaceX, Amazon, and the ACLU— who have also challenged the NLRB’s structure as unconstitutional.
Amazon workers in 20 countries across the globe are planning to protest and strike between Black Friday (November 29) and Cyber Monday (December 2) as part of the Make Amazon Pay Campaign. The campaign, which includes over 80 labor unions, anti-poverty organizations, and labor rights groups, is calling for fair wages, the right to join a union without interference, for Amazon to pay its fair share of taxes, and for commitments to environmental sustainability. November 29, 2024 will mark the fifth consecutive Black Friday that the Make Amazon Pay campaign has organized a global action. The largest strike is expected in Germany, where up to 3,000 workers across six Amazon facilities are planning to join the protests.
Daily News & Commentary
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February 27
The Ninth Circuit allows Trump to dismantle certain government unions based on national security concerns; and the DOL set to focus enforcement on firms with “outsized market power.”
February 26
Workplace AI regulations proposed in Michigan; en banc D.C. Circuit hears oral argument in CFPB case; white police officers sue Philadelphia over DEI policy.
February 25
OSHA workplace inspections significantly drop in 2025; the Court denies a petition for certiorari to review a Minnesota law banning mandatory anti-union meetings at work; and the Court declines two petitions to determine whether Air Force service members should receive backpay as a result of religious challenges to the now-revoked COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
February 24
In today’s news and commentary, the NLRB uses the Obama-era Browning-Ferris standard, a fired National Park ranger sues the Department of Interior and the National Park Service, the NLRB closes out Amazon’s labor dispute on Staten Island, and OIRA signals changes to the Biden-era independent contractor rule. The NLRB ruled that Browning-Ferris Industries jointly employed […]
February 23
In today’s news and commentary, the Trump administration proposes a rule limiting employment authorization for asylum seekers and Matt Bruenig introduces a new LLM tool analyzing employer rules under Stericycle. Law360 reports that the Trump administration proposed a rule on Friday that would change the employment authorization process for asylum seekers. Under the proposed rule, […]
February 22
A petition for certiorari in Bivens v. Zep, New York nurses end their historic six-week-strike, and Professor Block argues for just cause protections in New York City.