Skip to main content

What I’ve Been Reading This Week


While I do want to lead things off with an update about unionization efforts at Starbucks (or more so the ramifications of those efforts), I do want to point readers to a development in Hawaii in regard to a possible mini wage hike currently working its way through the Legislature.  Without giving things away, today marks a seminal moment in the viability of that minimum wage legislation.

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



Last Friday, the Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) in Phoenix filed a lawsuit against Starbucks and moved to have three Starbucks employees reinstated.  The lawsuit alleged that these three employees these employees were unlawfully terminated (or forced to leave their positions) as a direct result of their organization efforts.  The lawsuit seeks to have an injunction issued to have these employees reinstated.  While Starbucks has denied any unlawful actions in regard to these three employees, no formal answer has yet been filed with the court.



Earlier today, it was announced that an East Village Starbucks in New York City had unionized with an 11 - 2 vote in favor of unionization.  While five additional ballots have been contested, the outcome of those ballots will not impact the result here.  As with any successful unionization, Starbucks Workers United will now negotiate a contract with Starbucks on behalf of this store’s employees.



As reported by Annalisa Burgos, today marks the day in which the Hawaii Legislature must agree upon the wording of minimum wage legislation or the bill will fall apart.  While there has been relatively widespread support for hiking the current statewide minimum wage rate of $10.10/hour, there has been some disagreement about the timeframe in which wages would raise.  Will a deal be reached and the legislation salvaged?  The clock is ticking…

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Vetoes Minimum Wage Hike

A few months ago, readers might remember that I pointed out that the New Jersey Legislature had voted to approve a minimum wage hike in the state .  Under the approved legislation, the minimum wage rate would rise to $10.10/hour in the next year and at least $15/hour over the next five.  (The current minimum wage rate in the state is $8.38/hour).  In that article, I had noted that the bill was then going to go before Governor Chris Christie for his approval or veto. As I had suggested previously, I thought that the Governor would likely veto the bill based upon his prior actions and comments on similar legislation.  Well, a few days ago, Governor Christie did just that and vetoed the bill on the grounds that it "would trigger an escalation of wages that will make doing business in New Jersey unfathomable."  Pointing to the increase in hourly minimum wage rates, the Governor referred to the bill as a "really radical increase."  (It is interesting to c...
Post a Comment
Read more