Fran Swanson is a student at Harvard Law School.
Approximately 47,000 grocery store workers in central and southern California have voted to authorize a strike should bargaining with employers break down again after talks resume this week, NPR reports. A three-year contract covering hundreds of Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions stores expired on March 6th. Forbes reports that employees’ calls for a $5/hour raise over three years were met with a proposed $1.80 raise. 75% of Kroger workers report struggling to feed their families, at a time when the company raked in a record $4 billion profit and its CEO made $20 million. They are also calling for better schedules for part-time workers and safer conditions in the midst of a pandemic that has killed hundreds of grocery workers.
The Biden Administration would support an increase in NLRB funding over the $319.4 million in the White House’s FY 2023 budget request, Bloomberg Law reports. In testimony before the House Budget Committee, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young described the NLRB’s $45 million requested increase in the White House’s budget as the beginning of a “rebuild.” It represents the first increase in requested NLRB funding since FY 2014. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky emphasized that more was needed for “the NLRB to really do its job.”
Finally, 350 Condé Nast employees are requesting that the publishing giant voluntarily recognize a union that would cover over 500 editorial, production video workers, the Washington Post reports. It follows the successful voluntary recognition campaign waged by New Yorker employees. Both groups of employees have emphasized that the prestige associated with these jobs—ones that “a million girls would kill for,” as one pro-union employee quoting The Devil Wears Prada put it—does not make up for the long hours, culture of burnout, and meager pay. Pro-union employees have called for greater job security, better pay, and more transparency about salary and diversity.
Daily News & Commentary
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October 28
Two federal unions oppose CBA cancellations, another federal union urges Democrats to end the government shut down, and Paramount plans for mass layoffs
October 27
GM and Rivian announce layoffs; Boeing workers reject contract offer.
October 26
California labor unions back Proposition 50; Harvard University officials challenge a union rally; and workers at Boeing prepare to vote on the company’s fifth contract proposal.
October 24
Amazon Labor Union intervenes in NYS PERB lawsuit; a union engages in shareholder activism; and Meta lays off hundreds of risk auditing workers.
October 23
Ninth Circuit reaffirms Thryv remedies; unions oppose Elon Musk pay package; more federal workers protected from shutdown-related layoffs.
October 22
Broadway actors and producers reach a tentative labor agreement; workers at four major concert venues in Washington D.C. launch efforts to unionize; and Walmart pauses offers to job candidates requiring H-1B visas.