Posts tagged unionizing
Starbucks anti-unionization case brought by NLRB narrowed by US appeals court
September 9, 2026 // Circuit Judge Stephen Higginson said statements about the hiring portal and store hours were not "threats of reprisal" because a hiring pause didn't appear to imperil employees' job security, while understaffing might have justified shorter hours. He also said store manager Carmella Neri's statements that she knew about unionization discussions and that employees should keep in mind the impact of a successful vote were not coercive, saying the statements were not "out of the ordinary."
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.
After financial troubles and firings, MASTERS Program staff starts union
August 14, 2026 // Nugent is in her fourth year at the school, but the effort began in just her second semester there, when she started working to bring in the state’s other teachers’ union, the National Education Association of New Mexico — “because Northern New Mexico schools are supposed to use NEA,” she said. But after a few Santa Fe local leadership positions switched around within NEA and a “poor meeting of about two hours that wasted teachers’ time,” she said, the partnership fell through. She was ultimately told the union “did not want to bother with unionizing small charter schools because it wasn’t profitable.” NEA New Mexico President Bethany Jarrell disputed that characterization.
Now eligible for a union, legislative staffers are organizing across California
July 9, 2026 // The organizing campaign is still in its early stages: District staffers in the Bay Area are having one-on-one conversations with their colleagues in Southern California district offices; Capitol-based staffers are discussing priorities for the would-be union, and organizers are weighing options about which union they might eventually join.
KU pharmacy techs narrowly lose union election, claim some votes weren’t counted
May 26, 2026 // “Disliking the results of an election objectively administered by an impartial state agency should not lead to baseless claims by the IAM Union intended to misinform employees and the public,” the health system’s written statement said in part. The larger bargaining unit, which includes the health system’s 39th Street main campus, voted 19-20 against unionizing. The unit had 105 eligible voters. Two ballots were voided. The second bargaining unit, including a specialty pharmacy in the Southlake Business Park in Lenexa, voted 9-10 against unionizing. That unit had 43 eligible voters.
Matt Hardy explains how pro wrestlers unionizing could put smaller companies out of business
May 19, 2026 // Hardy would go on to say that getting unionization would be great for the performers at bigger companies, as it could also mean that the independent contractor status at smaller promotions might have to TRULY be independent contractor deals: “As far as being able to have some sort of unionization, where there was some sort of control and people were regulated, that would be great. The smaller companies, I feel like they would have to kind of carve out their own niche where you would have to be independent contractors, but you would truly be independent contractors. I feel like myself and Jeff, we are like the epitome of independent contractors right now at TNA. As long as we do their TV dates, we’re all good. We can do whatever we want.”
Local orchestra members one step closer to unionizing
April 25, 2026 // The group decided to unionize under the American Federation of Musicians in the spring of 2024. However, their status has not been formally recognized by TCVO’s board of directors.
Teamsters Secure UPS Buyout Cap; NLRB Calls Amazon to the Bargaining Table
April 9, 2026 // Under the Driver Choice Program (DCP), UPS employees can opt to receive a $150,000 payment to accept early retirement from the company. The severance package would also include retirement benefits earned over their tenure, including pension and healthcare... The NLRB and Amazon have had an ongoing feud as unionization efforts across the company have popped up. In a separate complaint filed in September 2024, the Seattle-based Big Tech firm alleged that the NLRB improperly influenced the 2022 Staten Island election, and said the board’s structure was unconstitutional. That suit is still pending.
Op-ed: Local control in jeopardy if Virginia mandates collective bargaining
March 29, 2026 // Virginia used to prohibit collective bargaining for state and local employees. In 2021, Democrats changed the law to allow local governments to engage in collective bargaining. Fewer than 20 jurisdictions have chosen to do so, and it hasn’t gone well where it’s been tried. That’s why unions made this bill their top priority during the legislative session. It requires collective bargaining for wages, benefits and working conditions for state and local government employees.
Build-A-Bear workers fired for unionizing in St. Louis, dispute claims
March 1, 2026 // The company has said the employees were terminated for “fraudulent activity related to improper use of customer rewards and Bonus Club Reward Certificates,” not for union activity. In a public statement, Build-A-Bear said all individuals terminated acknowledged understanding company policies and that many admitted to violating them. The company said it applies its policies consistently and will present its case through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) process.