The Weekly Download

“In less than a year, Schultz’s reputation as a can-do corporatist has been replaced by an image as one of this generation’s most committed opponents of unionization. In February, Schultz declined an invitation from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to appear before his Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. When Sanders responded by arranging a subpoena vote, Schultz caved and agreed to be grilled by the committee just days before his late March scheduled retirement; on March 20, Starbucks announced Schultz had left early. That made the appearance a fitting last act, if not one he would have chosen.”

“Workers from Sun Country airlines are exposing what union-busting and retaliation looks like in practice. Sun Country Airlines, based out of Minneapolis, MN, is an ultra-low-cost passenger and cargo airline and the 11th largest in the United States. In 2022, the airline’s mechanics voted to unionize with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) and were soon followed by the ramp agents who manage the “grunt work of the Tarmac.” Ramp agents transfer cargo, direct taxiing aircraft, deice planes, refuel, and maintain safety in all kinds of outdoor weather conditions. At Sun Country airlines, they do all this despite OSHA violations, long hours, inadequate pay, understaffing, and a lack of benefits.”

“On March 1, Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) “idled” the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois—putting 1,350 people out of work indefinitely, with the threat hanging over them that the plant might stay closed forever.”

“Wells Fargo & Co. leaders are privately expressing increased concern that a years-long effort to unionize the bank’s employees could soon start notching victories — and have made plans to spend millions addressing the “pain points” that can fuel organizing efforts.”

“Five days of paid leave a year is now the law in Illinois, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill long championed by Illinois Democrats.”

“While the labor market implications of mergers have been historically ignored as “out of market” effects, recent actions by the Department of Justice (DOJ) place buyer market power (i.e., monopsony) at the forefront of antitrust policy. We develop a theory of multi-plant ownership and monopsony to help guide this new policy focus.”

“In an effort spearheaded by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), California, Colorado, New York, New Jersey and other states have tied labor peace agreements (LPAs) to the legalization and regulation of the cannabis industry. These states have enacted legislation that requires a signed LPA contract between an employer and a union before a business may receive a license from the state’s cannabis regulatory agency. Now, with similar requirements included in bills working their way through both its state House and Senate, Massachusetts could be next.”

“The latest inflation and real earnings data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics contains some good news for workers.  Real average hourly earnings --- essentially, workers' hourly pay reduced by the amount of inflation, on average --- increased for the first time in 2023 and for the third time in the last six months. More simply, workers' pay increased faster than consumer prices in March 2023.”

"The latest release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median weekly earnings of America's full-time wage and salary workers rose by 6.1% over the course of the last year. That's faster growth than we have seen in the Consumer Price Index, one important inflation measure. The CPI rose by 5.8% over the last year. This headline real earnings result is consistent with other recent BLS data releases showing that workers' bargaining power in the labor market is producing real wage gains as elevated inflation returns to more sustainable and traditional levels.”

“Writers for the U.S. film and television industries have given their unions the green light to declare a strike if they can’t reach a satisfactory deal on a new contract with the major studios. On Monday the two affiliated unions, the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East, released the results of a strike authorization vote held among their members amid contract talks. Nearly 98% voted in favor of authorizing a work stoppage, and nearly 80% of eligible members participated in the vote — figures that the unions said were record highs.”

“Rutgers University’s historic academic-worker strike is suspended after unions reached a tentative contract deal with school officials, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said on Saturday.”

“In March, Service Employees Union (SEIU) Local 99 won important victories after a three-day strike and months of negotiations with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Union members voted overwhelmingly to approve a new contract on April 8.”

“One day into a strike at Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages in Philadelphia, a union representative says trucks are standing still, and they’re not sure yet when negotiations will restart. The Teamsters at Liberty Coca-Cola’s production center in the Juniata Park neighborhood got their last contract five years ago, not long after the company’s ownership changed. It expired on Saturday for the 414 workers.”

“Before the recent mass shootings, Louisville, Ky., was best known for bourbon, baseball bats, and horse racing. The races can sometimes surprise you. Just last year, an unknown horse named Rich Strike—with the second-longest odds against him in the Kentucky Derby’s entire 147-year history—finished ahead of an elite field. In another upset, in this right-to-work state where only 7.9 percent of the workforce are covered by union contracts, the members of Local 1447 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) beat back racist divide-and-conquer proposals by management last November to win a great contract. But their victory relied on method—not luck.”

“National negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters union, which represents the workers, begin on April 17. At that point, we can expect to see media coverage start to trickle in, and eventually reach a fever pitch, should bargaining break down and the Teamsters call a strike—something union leadership has explicitly said they’re willing to do. Corporate media will have an outsized hand in shaping the narrative of this unprecedented moment, which presents the broader labor movement a catalyst for revival. So, four months out from the end of the bargaining agreement and a potential strike, it’s worth asking: What should we expect from establishment reporting? What have we seen in the past, and what have we seen so far this time?”

“SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have agreed to begin formal contract negotiations on June 7. The guild’s current contract expires June 30. In a joint statement, they said that they are ‘approaching this process as an opportunity to engage in thoughtful and interactive conversations that result in a mutually-beneficial deal.’”

“Contract negotiations between UPS and its massive unionized workforce are set to begin Monday in Washington, D.C. Why it matters: It's the largest private-sector union contract in North America representing about 340,000 members.”

“Student workers across California State University campuses filed Monday with the state to form a union, saying it would help them advocate for better pay and working conditions. ‘With a union, we’ll be able to hold the university accountable for how it treats students,’ said Grayce Honsa, a student and resident adviser at San Diego State University. The students looking to unionize serve as residential advisers, run mentorship programs, manage student radio stations and perform other jobs across the system’s 23 campuses. Many students are paid the minimum wage of $15.50 an hour, and in some cases, they are paid less depending on their level of experience, said Mike Roth, a spokesperson for the Service Employees International Union California."

“A recent poll shows that public support for labor organizing is the highest it's been in decades. But union membership is at an all-time low. Will Gen Z bridge that gap?”

“Less than two years after Starbucks workers went public with their union campaign, the union has now won its 300th store, marking a major milestone in the campaign that is now helping to inspire a new generation of union activists. On Friday, the 7th and K store in Sacramento, California, voted to unionize in a landslide win of 11 to 2, becoming the 300th Starbucks location in the U.S.”

“Today, staff at the ACLU of Kentucky, ACLU of Louisiana, and ACLU of Mississippi joined over a hundred fellow ACLU workers in organizing a union. Collectively known as ACLU Southern Affiliates United, workers at the three ACLU affiliates have organized with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild (WBNG) and are requesting joint recognition from their employer. Their announcement follows ACLU-D.C. Staff United, who just last week requested recognition of their union with WBNG.”

“Ninety years ago this May, eighteen-year-old food worker Carrie Smith marched onto the shop floor of a nut processing factory in St Louis and initiated one of the most successful labor actions of the Great Depression. ‘The heavy stuff is here,’ Smith said, observing the urgency and decisiveness of the moment upon them. ‘Get your hats and let’s go.’”