Posts tagged Seattle
Seattle’s gig worker law was supposed to boost pay. It did at first, until orders dropped
February 17, 2026 // Things slowed down. Orders weren’t coming in; they still aren’t coming in like they used to. One worker told me she can be logged on for hours without receiving an order. Customers still want the convenience, but many balked at the fees that the apps tacked on after the new law. The companies say the fees are necessary. That pattern is consistent with a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research —wages were higher in the first few months and then dropped. The study also found that months later, drivers have more unpaid idle time, and drive longer distances between orders.
After Nearly Three Months, NYC Starbucks Workers Quietly End Strike
February 9, 2026 // Starbucks workers at 10 unionized New York City stores quietly returned to work on Thursday, ending their nearly three-month strike after failing to force management back to the bargaining table for a first contract. Workers in more than 85 cities nationwide have walked off the job since Nov. 13 in what the union called a “Red Cup Rebellion,” to protest the company’s alleged refusal to finalize a collective bargaining agreement with their union, Starbucks Workers United.
Majority of Starbucks’ striking baristas are returning to work
December 30, 2025 // At the end of last week, the union informed us that partners at 166 of the 215 coffeehouses on their strike list would like to unconditionally return to work, meaning they are ready to return under the current terms of their employment," Kelly wrote. While some employees will resume their roles, about 25% will continue to strike, the union said, adding that the timeline for the strike is open-ended, with a number of workers ready to join the picket line in January if progress hasn't been made. Read more at: https://www.mahoningmatters.com/news/business/article313938985.html#storylink=cpy
Pro-union flyers appear in Starbucks headquarters as some corporate staff quietly support barista strikes
November 18, 2025 // Employees say the flyers have appeared in hallways and bathroom stalls across the Seattle building this week, while some corporate workers whisper support for the baristas on strike. The flyers first appeared just days before baristas launched a nationwide strike at dozens of stores in 40 cities to pressure the company to finalize their first union contract. The strike, which is the unionized baristas' fourth work stoppage in two years — and their third since Brian Niccol became CEO in September 2024 — began on Red Cup Day, an annual promotional event that offers customers a free reusable cup with their purchase and generates significant sales for the company.
Washington’s State Capital Just Voted Against Increasing the Minimum Wage, Unemployment
November 6, 2025 // Yes For Olympia Workers, whose top five donors are all unions, described the longer phase-in for medium employers as minimizing "the risk and costs to…small businesses." Olympians didn't buy it—and with good reason: Setting phase-in schedules based on headcount would have discouraged smaller businesses from hiring more workers. If the proposition had passed, a medium-sized firm with 500 employees could only justify hiring another employee if he were worth more than $2 million to the company—the combined yearly cost of his $20 per hour wage and the additional $2 per hour paid to the other 500 employees.
Starbucks workers union planning pickets, rallies through Nov. 2. See in which states
October 27, 2025 // Starbucks, for its part, says it is willing to bargain with the union, which the company says represents about 9,500 of its "partners," or employees. "Workers United only represents around 4% of our partners but chose to walk away from the bargaining table. If they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk," corporate spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks already offers the best job in retail including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners," Anderson said. "We’re investing over $500 million to put more partners in stores during busy times. The facts show people like working at Starbucks. Partner engagement is up, turnover is nearly half the industry average, and we get more than 1 million job applications a year.”
The 15 Most Unionized Places in America
October 16, 2025 // To determine the most unionized locations in the U.S., researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed data from UnionStats.com and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The researchers ranked metropolitan statistical areas according to total union members as a percentage of total employment. In addition to union membership, the researchers also included statistics on union representation, which is the share of workers whose terms of work are collectively negotiated (whether or not they are union members). Only metropolitan statistical areas with available data were included in the analysis.
Union workers react to federal mediator joining talks with Boeing
September 30, 2025 // “The last offer we had from the union, they had a federal mediator and we seemed to get a worse offer,” Martin said. “If they can point Boeing in the right direction, aside from last time, it still didn’t seem to do a good thing for the union.” Union members say contracts at other Boeing plants — especially in places like Seattle — come with better pay and stronger benefits. “No one cares about this ratification bonus that they’re pushing so hard on everyone. We want better pay for all of our members. The ratification bonus is a right now solution and I think most of us are thinking about our futures,” said another Boeing worker on strike.
Union floats offer to end six-week Boeing Defense strike
September 17, 2025 // IAM proposes contract with better bonuses, retirement contributions Boeing calls proposal a 'waste of time' that will prolong strike Boeing says it plans to replace striking machinists with new hires
Labor Day 2025: More protests than parades and picnics
August 20, 2025 // But the biggest blowout, organizers hope, is going to be on Labor Day itself. Local events can be found at MayDayStrong.org. There is also a toolkit for event hosts and organizers to coordinate their actions. The organizers hope to exceed the estimated five million people who hit the streets on No Kings Day back in April. The key demands at all the protests will be: “stop the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration, protect and defend Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs for working people,” plus “fully funded schools, and healthcare and housing for all.” Marchers will also demand the Trump regime “stop the attacks on immigrants, Black, indigenous, trans people, and all our communities and invest in people, not wars.”