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What I’ve Been Reading This Week: Labor Law Edition


I think one of the major developments over the past few weeks has been the looming strike by the railroad workers & the recent update that it was narrowly avoided.  I refer readers to the first article for more on this topic.  With that being said, there were a few other labor law developments I came across this week which warranted dedicating this post solely to labor law.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


With Rail Strike Averted, Biden Administration Shifts Focus

The Washington Post recently noted that following a rail strike being (narrowly) averted following Congress stepping in last week, the Biden Administration has started to take steps to shore up support among labor unions.  As the article notes, some union workers are upset with being forced to accept a new deal that did not provide additional paid leave (something that was a point of contention in the new bargaining agreement.)  Consequently, these workers have cast a suspicious eye on the Biden Administration for strong arming Congress into taking action to avoid a strike.  Can the hard feelings be soothed over here?  Time will tell, but with an administration that needs the support of organized labor, mending fences is vital. 


St. Louis Area Apple Workers Push Back on Unionization

Workers at a St. Louis area Apple store have voiced their displeasure with an attempted unionization of their store, with 66 of 90 workers voting against being represented by the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers union.  This is a somewhat notable development with workers at the store stating they do not wish to be represented by the union nor do they have any desire to work with the union in the future.  To call this a bit of a deflating moment for unionization efforts at Apple is an understatement.


Canada Area Starbucks Follow Lead of Their U.S. Counterparts in Unionization Efforts

Ah yes, our friends to the north…Canada.  Rosa Saba wrote a recent article and touched on the ongoing unionization efforts at various Starbucks locations throughout Canada.  As the article notes, there are six unionized locations across Canada with several other locations possible close behind.  I refer readers to the article for a breakdown of how these unionization efforts are progressing north of the border.

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