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☆ Here's a map of Starbucks stores that voted to unionize
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A year ago, workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize, a first for the chain. In the past year, more than 260 Starbucks stores have voted in favor of unionizing, giving the union a win rate of 80%, according to data from the National Labor Relations Board. In April, as the union movement continued to gain steam, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson announced he would retire. Starbucks has also fired organizers for unrelated infractions, closed a handful of union stores and withheld higher pay and enhanced benefits from baristas at unionized locations. Cathy Creighton, director of Cornell University's Industrial and Labor Relations branch in Buffalo, said that companies often use delay tactics to frustrate unions and take away momentum.

☆ GM battery plant workers vote to unionize with UAW, a key win for labor as industry shifts to EVs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT — Workers at a General Motors joint venture battery plant in northeast Ohio overwhelmingly voted in favor of representation with the United Auto Workers, the union said early Friday. The count was 710 votes in support of UAW representation; 16 against; and one was void. "Our entire union welcomes our latest members from Ultium," UAW President Ray Curry said in a release. "As the auto industry transitions to electric vehicles, new workers entering the auto sector at plants like Ultium are thinking about their value and worth. Ultium, in a statement Friday, said it respects "the decision of our Ohio workforce supporting representation by the UAW.

[1/3] Amazon Labour Union (ALU) organizer Christian Smalls speaks at an Amazon facility during a rally in Staten Island, New York City, U.S., April 24, 2022. Smalls in a lawsuit filed that year said he was targeted because of his race and his advocacy for the warehouse's largely non-white workforce. Smalls and other workers at the warehouse founded the Amazon Labor Union, which in April won the first U.S. union vote in Amazon's 27-year history. Workers at other Amazon warehouses in New York and Alabama have rejected unions. Several complaints were filed with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board claiming Amazon illegally retaliated against pro-union workers at the Staten Island warehouse, including Smalls.

☆ Twitter accused of targeting women for layoffs in new lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter has been hit with another lawsuit stemming from the recent purging of half its workforce, this one accusing the social media company of disproportionately targeting female employees for layoffs. Twitter laid off roughly 3,700 employees in early November in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, and hundreds more subsequently resigned. The lawsuit filed by two women who were laid off by Twitter last month accuses the company of violating federal and California laws banning workplace sex discrimination. Liss-Riordan represents current and former Twitter employees in three other pending lawsuits filed in the same court since last month. Twitter has denied wrongdoing in the lawsuit involving advance notice, and has not responded to the other complaints.

Twitter laid off roughly 3,700 employees in early November in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, and hundreds more subsequently resigned. The lawsuit filed by two women who were laid off by Twitter last month accuses the company of violating federal and California laws banning workplace sex discrimination. Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said women "had targets on their backs" once Musk acquired the company, regardless of their talent and contributions. Liss-Riordan represents current and former Twitter employees in three other pending lawsuits filed in the same court since last month. Twitter has denied wrongdoing in the lawsuit involving advance notice, and has not responded to the other complaints.

☆ Former employees suing Twitter speak out on Elon Musk’s ‘clumsy and inhumane’ layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —A group of former Twitter employees who are suing the company spoke out Thursday, alleging that new owner Elon Musk’s mass layoffs at the company have triggered multiple labor rights violations. The employees who spoke during the Thursday press conference are each plaintiffs in lawsuits filed by attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan against Twitter on behalf of former employees who were affected by Musk’s takeover of the company. The attorney said Thursday she has also filed three claims against Twitter with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of former employees. The employees have rights here.”Weeks after the initial Twitter layoffs, hundreds more Twitter employees exited after Musk gave them an ultimatum to work “extremely hardcore” or leave the company. “Of all the issues Elon Musk is facing right now, this feels like the easiest one to fix … treat your workers with respect,” Liss-Riordan said.

☆ US labor officials say Apple violated the law by allegedly interrogating employees and holding mandatory meetings about unionization
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An Atlanta NLRB director found merit to allegations that Apple violated labor law. Apple, which did not respond to Insider's request for comment, has previously denied wrongdoing in a complaint with similar allegations concerning a New York Apple Store. We commend the NLRB for recognizing captive audience meetings for exactly what they are: a direct violation of labor rights." The Atlanta Apple Store in Cumberland Mall became the first Apple retail location to file for a union election in April. The employees in Atlanta eventually withdrew their call for a union vote days before the election, alleging intimidation from Apple.

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) will voluntarily recognize a union of about 300 videogame testers at subsidiary ZeniMax Studios if they vote to unionize, a first for the company in the United States, the Communication Workers of America union (CWA) said on Monday. Voluntarily agreeing to bargain with the union would allow Microsoft to avoid a formal election overseen by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board and the legal battles that often ensue. The company in June entered into an agreement with the CWA to remain neutral in union organizing campaigns at Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), which Microsoft is seeking to purchase for $69 billion. Game testers at Activision units Blizzard Albany and Raven Software have voted this year to join unions amid claims by the CWA that the company has threatened and retaliated against union supporters. Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Now Biden faces a backlash from a core of rail workers and allied groups, as some of them see a betrayal in the bill he pushed to avert a rail strike. The standoff between rail workers and the profitable companies that employ them posed an awkward dilemma for Biden, forcing him to find an elusive middle ground between dueling campaign pledges. A rail strike threatened to unravel the job gains that no doubt will be central to any Biden re-election campaign. He said he is not giving up on paid sick leave for rail workers and other Americans who don’t receive such benefits. …”Still, the president could have used more leverage to reach a deal that included paid sick leave, union officials and allies contend.

[1/2] The entrance to the Activision Blizzard Inc. campus is shown in Irvine, California, U.S., August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Mike BlakeDec 2 (Reuters) - Workers who test games at Activision Blizzard Inc.'s (ATVI.O) unit Blizzard Albany have voted to form a union months after the games developer began negotiating with employees at its Wisconsin unit, the first in the company to unionize. Blizzard Albany has developed installments of popular video game franchises including Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Activision had argued that Blizzard Albany's entire workforce of about 100 employees, including production workers, should have been involved in the union vote and not only game testers. The vote announced on Friday came after about two dozen employees of Activision unit Raven Software voted to unionize in May.

☆ How an arcane 96-year-old law stopped the rail strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Railway Labor Act was passed in 1926 as one of the very first labor laws in the nation. Because of the law, the House was able to vote Wednesday to impose unpopular contracts on four rail unions whose members have already rejected the terms, followed by a vote by the Senate vote late Thursday that did the same. The Railway Labor Act, passed in 1926, is the reason Congress could intervene this week to block a strike by freight railroad unions. But under the Railway Labor Act, management can fall back on hopes that Congress will give them the deal it wants. When he served in the Senate, Biden voted against an earlier effort to impose a contract on the rail unions to keep them on the job.

☆ Amazon CEO explains thinking behind layoffs as unionized warehouse workers protest outside
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon, more than most tech companies, experienced a staggering pandemic boom as more customers shifted their spending online during the health crisis. Despite the landmark union victory in April, Amazon has so far refused to formally recognize the grassroots worker group known as the Amazon Labor Union, or come to the bargaining table. The company has aggressively pushed back against the workers’ victory through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Jassy also emphasized that the last two Amazon union elections held resulted in workers voting not to unionize, and that Amazon prefers to have a direct relationship with fulfillment center workers rather than going through unions. Labor activist Chris Smalls joins members of the Amazon labor union and others for a protest outside of the New York Times DealBook Summit as Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, will be appearing on November 30, 2022 in New York City.

☆ Starbucks closes location that was the first to unionize in Seattle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Starbucks is closing the store in Seattle where employees were the first to vote to form a union in the chain’s home city. It’s not the first time Starbucks has pointed to safety concerns to explain a closure. “This is the most clear-cut case of retaliation this company has shown closing a union store yet,” Starbucks Workers United said in a statement on the closure. They lack respect not only for the rights of their workers, but for the law of this country.”Starbucks is closing the first Seattle location to vote to unionize. Last week, Starbucks workers across the country went on a one-day strike to protest what they see as retaliation for unionizing efforts.

☆ Eight Fired SpaceX Employees Allege Company Violated Labor Law
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Several former SpaceX employees alleged that the company violated federal labor law when it fired them after they took issue with CEO Elon Musk‘s behavior online and SpaceX’s internal culture, the former employees’ attorneys said. In charges filed individually Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board, the eight former employees said they were terminated by SpaceX because they were part of a bigger group that raised concerns about Mr. Musk in a letter to executives earlier this year, the attorneys said.

☆ Starbucks U.S. workers at 100 stores hold one-day walkout
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Hilary Russ | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Workers at more than 100 U.S. company-owned Starbucks locations are striking for one day on Thursday to protest what they say is illegal retaliation against their union organizing. The walkout comes on the one day each year that Starbucks gives away reusable, red, holiday-themed cups to customers with coffee purchases. The workers say they are underpaid and don't have consistent schedules. They are also protesting firings, store closures and other actions they say are illegal retaliation by Starbucks against them for unionizing. The union handed out its own version of the red cups, but with its Starbucks Workers United design.

☆ Starbucks union to strike at more than 100 locations on Red Cup Day, one of the chain’s busiest days of the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Workers at more than 100 unionized Starbucks locations plan to strike on Thursday, one of the chain’s biggest sales days of the year. The giveaway on the coffee chain’s Red Cup Day has become a must-have for collectors, and this year’s event marks its 25th anniversary. It’s the largest collective action Starbucks Workers United has taken so far in its organizing push over the past year. Over the past 12 months, roughly 260 company-owned Starbucks locations have voted to unionize under Workers United, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union. But Starbucks Workers United contend the company hasn’t been bargaining in good faith.

☆ Starbucks U.S. workers at 100 stores plan one-day walkout
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Hilary Russ | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Workers at more than 100 U.S. company-owned Starbucks locations plan to strike for one day on Thursday to protest what they say is illegal retaliation against their union organizing. The walkout comes on the one day each year that Starbucks gives away reusable, red, holiday-themed cups to customers with coffee purchases. The workers say they are underpaid and don't have consistent schedules. They are also protesting firings, store closures and other actions that they say are illegal retaliation by Starbucks against them for unionizing. After they walk off the job on Thursday, the unionized employees plan to hand out their own version of the red cups - but with their Starbucks Workers United design.

☆ SpaceX fired 9 employees who organized an open letter describing Elon Musk's tweeting as a 'distraction and embarrassment,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SpaceX fired nine employees who shared an open letter in June, criticizing Elon Musk, per the NYT. Musk has recently fired Twitter employees for openly criticizing him on the platform. It's now understood that nine SpaceX employees were fired over the letter, The Times reported on Thursday, citing workers and lawyers. Two SpaceX employees told the newspaper that the company held a meeting for 20 engineers the day after the firings. "SpaceX is Elon and Elon is SpaceX," Edwards said, according to the two employees who spoke to The Times.

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Eight former employees of SpaceX have filed unfair labor practice charges with a U.S. labor board against the rocket maker, alleging they were let go for speaking up against founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk. Reuters reported in June that SpaceX fired at least five employees who were involved in drafting the letter, which called Musk a "distraction and embarrassment" to the company. The charges filed on Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board allege that SpaceX fired five employees the day after the letter was revealed, and four others in the two months after. While two of the employees filed charges on their own, attorneys filed charges on behalf of six others who are proceeding anonymously. read moreThe letter sent to SpaceX executives in June focused on a series of tweets Musk had made since 2020, many of which were sexually suggestive.

☆ Former SpaceX employees file labor complaints alleging retaliatory firings by Elon Musk's company
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former employees of SpaceX have filed federal complaints against the company, alleging Elon Musk's venture illegally fired them in response to the concerns they expressed, including about sexual misconduct allegations directed at the CEO. Eight complaints, filed on Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board, say the company conducted a "campaign of retaliation and intimidation" in response to employees who internally circulated an open letter to executives. The former employees allege that SpaceX violated the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 by firing them after they spoke up. The complaints also allege that SpaceX terminated four others in July and August "in retaliation" for either drafting or sharing the letter internally. The additional firings followed meetings and interviews with "dozens of employees" where SpaceX "falsely" said "the conversations were attorney-client privileged and could not be disclosed to anyone," according to the complaints.

☆ Starbucks union to strike at more than 100 locations on Red Cup Day, one of the chain's busiest days of the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's the largest collective action Starbucks Workers United has taken so far in its organizing push over the past year. On Thursday, organizers at 113 striking locations are planning to protest and distribute a version of the red cup featuring the Grinch's hand holding an ornament with the logo of the Starbucks union. Workers at more than 100 unionized Starbucks locations plan to strike on Thursday, one of the chain's biggest sales days of the year. Over the past 12 months, roughly 260 company-owned Starbucks locations have voted to unionize under Workers United, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union. But Starbucks Workers United contend the company hasn't been bargaining in good faith.

☆ About 2,000 Starbucks workers stage one-day strike at more than 100 stores
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —More than 2,000 employees at 112 Starbucks locations are set to go on a one-day strike Thursday, according to the union which has been organizing stores for the last year. The union says it is striking to protest the retaliation taken against union supporters nationwide. It’s not clear how many of the stores affected by Thursday’s action will be able to stay open during the strike. The union is calling its strike a “Red Cup Rebellion” and is handing out red Starbucks Workers United union cups to customers instead. The NLRB filing said that there had been a “number and pattern of Starbucks’ unfair labor practices … particularly discharges” against union supporters at it stores.

☆ Ford working to build its own parts for electric vehicles to offset job losses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – Ford Motor is attempting to build as many of its own parts as possible for its electric vehicles to offset an expected 40% reduction in workers needed to build such cars and trucks, CEO Jim Farley said Tuesday. In addition to making sense for the business, he said retaining the jobs and workforce is another reason Ford wants to build more parts in-house rather than purchasing them from suppliers. Ford is building twin lithium-ion battery plants in central Kentucky through a joint venture with South Korea-based SK Innovation, called BlueOvalSK, as well as a massive 3,600-acre campus in west Tennessee. Farley said the company would be "thrilled" to have union representation at its upcoming battery plants. The comments come as the United Auto Workers union is attempting to organize a joint-venture battery plant between General Motors and LG Energy Solution in Ohio.

"Protected activities" are actions that workers can take without fear of employer retaliation under U.S. labor law. Musk in a series of tweets on Friday said Twitter workers who were laid off were offered 90 days of severance pay, which could satisfy Twitter's obligations under the notice laws. Cornet in the complaint said that late last month, amid rumors of mass layoffs at Twitter, he developed a Google Chrome extension to allow employees to download emails from their Twitter accounts. That would ensure workers could save important documents such as statements reflecting their stock in Twitter, performance reviews, and other human resource documents, he said. Cornet says he was fired on the same day that he published the extension and posted a link to it on an internal Twitter messaging channel.

☆ Union vs. Union Dispute Stalls West Coast Port Labor Talks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

A dispute between two unions over which workers get certain jobs at a cargo-handling terminal at the Port of Seattle is holding up labor talks between West Coast dockworkers and their employers. West Coast port labor talks are often fraught. Importers are already diverting some goods to Gulf Coast and East Coast ports because of the risk of labor strife. The port talks are taking place against a backdrop of global freight labor unrest. West Coast dockworkers have been working without a contract since the most recent labor agreement expired in early July.

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