
Iman Masmoudi is a student at Harvard Law School.
As labor organizing spreads rapidly across the country, recent profiles show just how workers get started, the methods they are using, and what inspired their actions. As OnLabor has previously covered here and here, social media has become a powerful organizing tool for workers across industries. The NYTimes today profiled a worker at one of Florida’s Dollar General stores, who began documenting her long hours and subpar working conditions on TikTok. After going viral, she was fired. She now manages a network of hundreds of Dollar General and other retail workers who are still speaking out, and is hoping to build a “movement” that can lead to a union. Social media organizing like Ms. Gundel’s may be one factor, or sign (depending on which came first), of the growing public support for workers and unions. In that vein, More Perfect Union reported today that even though many Americans have a favorable view of Amazon, the vast majority (~75%) still support the Amazon Workers’ Union and believe it is necessary to achieve “job security, better pay, and safer working conditions.”
An NLRB administrative law judge ruled that Amazon must reinstate Gerald Bryson, who was fired two years ago after an organizing protest. This is the same Amazon warehouse where workers successfully created the first Amazon union weeks ago. Mr. Bryson celebrated the decision as one that “will show that Amazon can be beat. It will show you have to fight for what you believe in.” Following the unions at Amazon and Starbucks, workers at Apple retail stores have also begun to organize. Many credit the increased support for workers at NLRB to changes brought in by Jennifer Abruzzo, NLRB General Counsel. We may continue to see such administrative changes as the Biden Administration proposes a budget that increases NLRB funding by 15%. The NLRB budget has long been frozen at $274 million and last had a budget increase in 2014.
Finally, last week, Maryland’s General Assembly overroad Governor Larry Hogan’s veto to enact the Time to Care Act of 2022 (TCA). With that, Maryland joined the growing list of jurisdictions — including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington State, and Washington, DC — that have adopted a paid family and medical leave insurance program. The program provides up to twelve weeks of paid leave for eligible employees.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
March 24
Duke opposing unionizing grad student workers; NLRB prosecutors find merit to ULPs against Amazon; Starbucks investors weighing outside audit of company's labor practices.
March 23
Trader Joe's workers in Oakland file a petition to form a union; a Kenyan court temporarily blocks Meta contractor’s mass layoff of content moderators; and Starbucks workers at more than 100 stores walkout ahead of shareholders’ meeting.
March 22
NLRB's General Counsel issues two memos clarifying priorities and a recent Board decision, LA teachers go on strike, and Bloomberg Law reports higher pay raises from labor contracts
March 20
Residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham hospitals prepare to unionize; divisions in the New York Times NewsGuild union deepens as contract negotiations remain ongoing; the six-month Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike turned violent on Saturday; Los Angeles schools prepare to close this week as workers plan to strike
March 19
Ninth Circuit reinstates Uber's Equal Protection challenge to California's AB5; reduction in SNAP benefits could lead to "hunger cliff" for low-wage workers; Amazon workers start unionizing campaign at Kentucky facility; ex-Google employees ask company to honor parental leave.
March 17
Texas committee considers sweeping legislation limiting municipal power; University of Chicago graduate students unionize; Tennessee Nissan technicians reject a unionizing effort; and protestors in France take to the streets after President Macron activates nuclear option to raise retirement age.