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Labor Relations / Unions

Starbucks to pay $38.9 million for NYC labor violations

12/08/2025
In a case that illustrates how much even minor wage-and-hour violations can rack up huge bills, Starbucks cafés in New York City will pay over $38.9 million to workers shorted on pay or otherwise harmed by poor wage-and-hour practices.

New year brings new employment laws

11/24/2025
It’s that time of year—2025 will soon appear in the rearview mirror, and when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, new state laws will go into effect. Here’s a summary of some of those laws that may impact your operations.

Baristas strike while federal court upholds Starbucks ULP charge

11/24/2025
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a barista involved in one of the earliest attempts to organize won a challenge to her firing. That may force Starbucks to rethink its efforts to fight union organizing by essentially punishing the workers involved.

Republican HELP Committee members propose new labor laws

11/17/2025
The proposed bills include one that would make it harder to file unfair labor charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Another would punish unions for trying to organize undocumented immigrants. Here’s a summary of the proposals.

Senate HELP Committee holds hearing on the future of labor

11/03/2025
Chair Bill Cassidy noted that it has been almost a century since the passage of major labor laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act, and since then, much has changed in the workplace.

Congress weighs two labor bills with big impact for employers

10/27/2025
One bill would make it faster for labor unions to reach the first collective bargaining agreement after a union election, and the other would make it harder to organize.

NLRB nominees move forward, which could spark labor law shifts

10/20/2025
On tap are reversals of several key cases that limit the use of captive-audience meetings by employers, changes that make it easier to pass handbook rules and removing extensive remedies for employees whose employers commit unfair labor practices.

States try to seize control of private-sector labor relations, NLRB sues

09/22/2025
Because the Trump administration fired NLRB Commissioner Gwynne Wilcox shortly after his inauguration, the agency now lacks a quorum and can’t conduct business or make precedential decisions. Some states have stepped in with their own new labor rules for private-sector employers. That may complicate things tremendously for private-sector employers.

NLRB to states: Don’t enact bills assuming board can’t enforce NLRA

08/25/2025
The National Labor Relations Board’s lead attorney is pushing back against pending legislation in California, Massachusetts and New York that would allow state agencies to adjudicate private-sector union disputes and supervise union elections if the NLRB continues to operate without a quorum.

5th Circuit freezes 3 cases while courts consider NLRB’s constitutional status

08/25/2025
A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Aug. 19 said court orders barring the NLRB from pursuing unfair labor practices cases against SpaceX and two other companies should remain in place while their constitutional challenges are being litigated.