Anita Alem is a student at Harvard Law School.
In a significant win for Starbucks workers, on Wednesday, the National Labor Relations Board rejected Starbucks’ argument on appeal regarding the proposed size of bargaining units. Starbucks had argued that the appropriate organizing level is at the regional level rather than store-by-store in an attempt to make unionizing more difficult for workers through larger unit sizes. However, the NLRB, reviewing the decision that found single-store units appropriate, stated only that Starbucks had raised “no substantial issues warranting review.” The decision comes on the heels of a complaint the Phoenix regional NLRB director filed on Tuesday alleging that Starbucks surveilled and retaliated against pro-union workers.
In what may signal a change in Starbucks’ strategy against unionization, founder Howard Schultz has stated he will be returning to his position as chief executive after his retirement in 2018. The current chief executive, Kevin Johnson, will be stepping down. The announcement came soon after a group of Starbucks investors recommended that Starbucks “publicly commit to a global policy of neutrality and swiftly reach fair and timely collective bargains with the workers should they vote to unionize.”
The Chicago Teacher’s Union was unsuccessful in its attempt to temporarily block the lifting of the mask mandate in Chicago public schools. The Union had argued that the lifting of the mandate violated the COVID safety agreement the district had previously agreed to that extended the mask mandate through August 26, 2022. The preliminary injunction was not granted on a vote of 3-2. However, the issue will be taken up again by the state labor board in June.
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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.