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Union-organizing efforts aren’t limited to historical union strongholds like manufacturing, construction, and the public sector. Even though unions currently represent only about 1.3% of the financial services industry, they’re looking to organize financial services employees. Case in point: On December 20, 2023, Wells Fargo branch employees in Albuquerque, New Mexico, voted 5 to 3 in […]
With March Madness in full swing, thousands of us will gather around to watch young, talented athletes battle for the coveted National Title. Many of us are drawn to college basketball because of what it represents: young, motivated students playing their hearts out in the hopes of having a career in the NBA. In the […]
In mid-September, the United Auto Workers (UAW), which represents nearly 150,000 auto workers, began targeted strikes at certain factories and warehouses around the country run by Ford, GM, and Stellantis NV (formerly Chrysler), the “Big Three” automakers. Although auto strikes against the Big Three aren’t unprecedented, this recent strike had two novel aspects. First, it […]
The overall percentage of private sector unionization dipped slightly (by .2%) in 2022, but labor unions made strides in organizing new workers. In 2022, unions won more elections to represent private sector employees than in any year since 2005. They also won a record-high 76% of all elections held, buoyed by numerous victories in the […]
On September 8, 2022, federal Congressional legislators from Massachusetts and California reintroduced the Nationwide Right to Unionize Act, which takes aim at state “right to work” laws and attempts to increase employees’ right to unionize. Section 14(b) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) prohibits compulsory union membership and payment of union dues and fees […]
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel (GC) Jennifer Abruzzo is taking aggressive positions designed to help unions be more successful in organizing. The GC is the agency’s top lawyer. While she can’t unilaterally change the law, she can argue prior precedent was wrongly decided and urge the present union-friendly NLRB members to change the […]
After years of declining membership, unions are redoubling their efforts to sell their product (membership) to new customers. While they have long targeted grocery stores like Kroger and SuperValu, they are now moving into the so-called “new economy” by zeroing in on employers like Amazon and Starbucks.
Against the backdrop of a new presidential administration, an evolving workforce, and a changing economy brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape for union organizing has radically changed over the past two years. While the nation’s attention is currently focused on unionization efforts at household names such as Amazon and Starbucks, employers of all […]
A new memo from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel (GC) represents a continuation of efforts to promote unionization, according to attorneys who help guide employers through union campaigns. NLRB GC Jennifer Abruzzo on April 27 announced an initiative aimed at promoting collective bargaining through partnering with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service […]
For some people, loyalty to a particular coffee brand rivals their devotion to a favorite college football team. Kathleen, my spouse, would crawl three miles over broken glass for her Starbucks Americano decaf. I favor QuikTrip and McDonald’s coffee. Within the last three months, employees at several Starbucks locations voted to unionize. Seem like isolated […]