Several large businesses—perhaps most notably Amazon and Starbucks—continue to receive attention for employee union activity and their response. For instance, Wisconsin Starbucks organizer, Kolton Gosnell, claimed to be fired after a union vote. More recently, Starbucks indicated that, while it intends to reimburse employee abortion travel expenses, it “could not make promises of guarantees about any benefits” for unionized stores. The National Labor Relations Board has recently asked the US District Court in Buffalo to force Starbucks to stop anti-union activity.
Business Takeaway: It is still not entirely clear whether, when, and how the pro-union wave will affect various regions or industries; however, it is certainly more prevalent (and among more diverse and prominent businesses) than in years past. Per the National Labor Relations Board, 2022 fiscal year election petitions are up 58% (already exceeding all 2021 filings), most recently including eight House of Representatives offices. What are you experiencing and hearing?