Workers United News

In a sign that federal labor officials are closely scrutinizing management behavior during union campaigns, the National Labor Relations Board said Friday that it had found merit in accusations that Amazon and Starbucks had violated labor law.

Federal labor officials filed a sweeping complaint Friday accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against pro-union employees.

Some local workers and labor union advocates see a growing opportunity amid a pandemic and a wave of resignations for increased power in workplaces across North Carolina, the country’s second-least labor organized state.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will host a White House meeting on Thursday with organizers from unions seeking to represent workers at Amazon.com, Starbucks and other employers.

The union representing Starbucks baristas is taking aim at the coffee giant’s interim chief executive, Howard Schultz, alleging his recent comments about an improved benefits plan amounted to illegal threats and had a “chilling effect” on impending union votes.

The NLRB reported that union election petitions were up 57% in the first half of the 2022 fiscal year, compared with the year before. Starbucks petitions account for nearly a quarter of all petitions filed since January.