Dillon Dix was excited to compete this year in Starbucks’ North America Barista Championship, a company-wide contest in which the winner would receive a paid trip to Starbucks’ coffee farm in Costa Rica. But he found some disappointing news in the fine print about the contest: Unionized Starbucks stores are not eligible to participate. Dix … Read more
Friday’s huge jobs number showed that the labor market remains highly competitive, with wage increases outpacing expectations, and the retail industry third among those with net job gains. It’s no surprise then that the biggest retailer, Walmart, is increasing its efforts to attract and retain workers. But what’s interesting is a new carrot that it … Read more
Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images New government data shows a surprisingly strong job market for the month of January. But there are signs of weakness in the labor market, based on tens of thousands of workers who have been laid off since 2024 started. U.S. employers announced 82,307 job cuts in January, up from … Read more
Members of the United Auto Workers, or UAW, Local 230 and their supporters walk the picket line in front of the Chrysler Corporate Parts Division in Ontario, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images The American labor movement flourished in 2023. High-profile strikes by writers and actors against Hollywood … Read more
Despite brightening economic data — slowing inflation, low unemployment, and a seemingly nonexistent recession — the new year has started off with layoffs. So far in January, Citigroup announced it was cutting 10% of its workforce; within tech, Google cut hundreds of jobs across its engineering and hardware teams, while Amazon reduced headcount in its Prime, Twitch, Audible … Read more
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators asked Amazon on Wednesday to provide them with information regarding the company’s delivery network and its response to union organizing — the latest instance of lawmakers putting heat on the retail giant over its labor practices. In a letter, the lawmakers accused Amazon of using a subcontracting arrangement to … Read more
Scott Olson | Getty Images News | Getty Images There will be no fooling California fast-food workers come April 1. That’s the day they can honestly believe the minimum wage in the Golden State will jump to $20 an hour from $16, and only in that sector. The pay raise exclusive for that workforce, estimated … Read more
DETROIT, Mich. and TOLEDO, Ohio — Whether they are brand-new temps or 25-year veterans, the auto workers battling the “Big Three” in an unprecedented strike say they are fighting to restore their jobs to the gold-standard working-class careers they were in previous generations. Wages in the auto industry writ large have dropped nearly 20% since … Read more
