Posted on May 24, 2022
For Kansas City Starbucks workers, ‘lifesaving’ benefits are on the bargaining table
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Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 2
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."On the lawful side of being very anti-union’
While Starbucks’ alleged actions have been widely criticized, they’re not necessarily illegal.
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 provides protections for unionizing employees through Section 7 rights, which says among other things that companies cannot "threaten employees with adverse consequences" if they support a union or "promise employees benefits if they reject a union."
But according to Risa Lieberwitz, a professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University, the way the law is written and interpreted still allows companies to oppose union efforts.
“Employers use the weaknesses in the law as ways to engage in very vociferous anti-union campaigns that stay on the lawful side of being very anti-union,” Lieberwitz said. “They do it because they want to interrupt the momentum of employees unionizing, and they also do it because the law isn't strong enough to create disincentives to their engaging in those kinds of campaigns.”
In 2021, the Biden administration appointed a new general counsel to the NLRB, Jennifer Abruzzo. It’s been seen as an encouraging move for workers' rights and pro-union advocates across the country."...
..."On the lawful side of being very anti-union’
While Starbucks’ alleged actions have been widely criticized, they’re not necessarily illegal.
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 provides protections for unionizing employees through Section 7 rights, which says among other things that companies cannot "threaten employees with adverse consequences" if they support a union or "promise employees benefits if they reject a union."
But according to Risa Lieberwitz, a professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University, the way the law is written and interpreted still allows companies to oppose union efforts.
“Employers use the weaknesses in the law as ways to engage in very vociferous anti-union campaigns that stay on the lawful side of being very anti-union,” Lieberwitz said. “They do it because they want to interrupt the momentum of employees unionizing, and they also do it because the law isn't strong enough to create disincentives to their engaging in those kinds of campaigns.”
In 2021, the Biden administration appointed a new general counsel to the NLRB, Jennifer Abruzzo. It’s been seen as an encouraging move for workers' rights and pro-union advocates across the country."...
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