Posts tagged retaliation
First Starbucks in Oregon to unionize is being shuttered
September 27, 2026 // A Starbucks representative told KLCC that the Willamette Street store will close on Saturday, Sept. 26. She said the closure wasn’t retaliatory for unionizing, but was instead based on “an objective evaluation” of customer experience and financial performance as outlined in a letter sent by Mike Grams, Starbucks’ chief operating officer. “We’re accelerating our pace toward completing 1,500 coffeehouse uplifts, and Green Apron Service has become our defining standard,” Gram’s letter states. “Our Back to Starbucks strategy is working
Ex-Teamsters President Wins Case Against Teamsters’ Retaliation, Union Threats for Filing Federal Charges
September 21, 2026 // Andrew Davis, an employee of United Parcel Service (UPS), has prevailed in his dispute with Teamsters Local 983, after union bosses settled Davis’ National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) case against them. An NLRB investigation, initiated by an Unfair Labor Practice charge filed by Davis, found that union officials engaged in illegal threats and retaliation against him after he resigned his union membership and informed coworkers of their legal right to do the same.
Nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Chicago’s south suburbs strike against Prime Healthcare
September 16, 2026 // A Prime Healthcare spokesperson also said the strike and pickets on Tuesday will not disrupt patient care. Nurses at hospitals in Nevada and California were also set to hold sympathy strikes to support the one happening in Olympia Fields. In total, nearly 3,000 hospital workers were on strike or picketing Tuesday.
Clashes Cloud Shawn Fain’s Re-election Bid at U.A.W.
August 31, 2026 // At a February 2024 meeting, the board voted to curtail the responsibilities of Margaret Mock, the union’s secretary-treasurer, after Mr. Fain accused her of obstructing the union’s work. Ms. Mock said Mr. Fain was retaliating against her for refusing to authorize some expenses. In May 2024, Mr. Fain removed Rich Boyer, a vice president, from oversight of relations with Stellantis, saying Mr. Boyer had made unauthorized concessions in negotiations. Mr. Boyer said Mr. Fain was retaliating against him for declining to intervene in a workers’ compensation claim by the sister of Mr. Fain’s fiancée, or to approve a cash bonus that would have benefited his fiancée. Mr. Boyer and Ms. Mock had supported Mr. Fain’s first run to lead the union. This year, Mr. Boyer is among five candidates running to replace Mr. Fain, with Ms. Mock on his slate.
Chicago History Museum workers ratify first union contract
August 28, 2026 // In May, the National Labor Relations Board issued a rare formal complaint, alleging that under the museum’s previous president, Donald Lassere, management retaliated against employees who voted to unionize in 2025. Shortly after that vote, four employees were fired, while others were disciplined or threatened with termination, according to the NLRB. The board found the museum violated federal labor laws.
Alleging illegal retaliation, union wins temporary halt to closure of St. Albans dairy plant
August 19, 2026 // A federal judge granted an order to stop Dairy Farmers of America from closing the plant, which had been set to shut down on Monday. The dispute goes to court Thursday.
Ex-NFLPA lawyer settles lawsuit with union over alleged retaliation
August 18, 2026 // McPhee was fired less than two weeks after filing her federal lawsuit, which accused former union executive director Lloyd Howell Jr., lead counsel Tom DePaso and Matt Curtin, president of union licensing arm NFL Players Inc., of illegal misconduct, sex discrimination, breach of fiduciary duty and retaliation. Last July, Howell resigned as ESPN prepared to report that he had used union funds to pay for a car service from a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport to a Miami strip club and had sought union reimbursement for a visit to an Atlanta strip club accompanied by a pair of union employees.
DOJ Probe Stands to Undercut UAW Election, Organizing Goals
July 22, 2026 // The investigation is something anti-union advocates could cite as evidence that the UAW won’t be a good steward of union resources, particularly in the south where there is already a more hostile environment for organized labor. Organizing southern auto plants has been a chief goal for Fain and the UAW as it battles falling membership. Current numbers stand at about 400,000, down from a peak of about 1.5 million in the 1970s.
Shawn Fain decries DOJ investigation over allegations he abused his office
July 14, 2026 // After UAW Vice President Rich Boyer accused Fain of using his position to seek favors for his fiancée and her sister, and of retaliating and making false accusations against him, the DOJ launched an investigation into the union leader, according to internal communications obtained by Bloomberg. Fain has also claimed the investigation is motivated by retaliation against his anti-corporate stance and hinted that the timing, coming right before a union election, is no coincidence. Boyer is running for the top position.
It Was the First Unionized Apple Store in the U.S. Apple Just Closed It.
June 23, 2026 // The closure was announced in April, and Apple also shuttered two nonunionized stores on Saturday. The union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, noted in filings to the National Labor Relations Board that employees in the nonunion stores had been given the option to take similar positions at nearby stores. But Apple required the Towson workers to apply for jobs the way typical applicants would, without an easy transfer to another location.