Amazon, Apple, Starbucks battling labor union resurgence

JIMMIE JOHNSON: THIS WAS THE FACE OF THE LABOR UNION MOVEMENT DURING ITS PEAK IN THE 1940’S AND 50’S.

AND, THIS IS IT NOW! (POINT TO PICTURE OR VIDEO ON GREEN SCREEN/THAT’S MY THOUGHT PROCESS HERE) MORE THAN 70-YEARS LATER, A NEW GENERATION OF WORKERS IS SPEARHEADING A NEW LABOR UNION MOVEMENT. LET ME EXPLAIN.

AMAZON, APPLE AND STARBUCKS… ARE JUST A FEW OF THE COMPANIES FEELING THE HEAT OF THE UNIONS… 

LET’S START WITH THE WORLD’S LARGEST ONLINE RETAILER. IN APRIL, WORKERS AT A STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK AMAZON WAREHOUSE BECAME THE FIRST TO UNIONIZE.

NATS: “pops champagne bottle”

JIMMIE: THE GRASSROOTS EFFORT LED BY CHRIS SMILES, A FORMER AMAZON EMPLOYEE. SMILES WAS FIRED IN 20-20 FOR LEADING A PROTEST OVER WORKING CONDITIONS. 

THE VICTORY BY THE AMAZON LABOR UNION WAS A MONUMENTAL WIN FOR A YOUNGER AND MORE OUTSPOKEN WORKFORCE. 

CHRIS SMILES: “We went for the top dog because we want every other industry, every other business to know that things have changed. We gone, we’re gone unionize and we’re not going to quit our jobs anymore.”

YET THE MOVEMENT IS STILL FULL STEAM. WHILE THE A-L-U GOT ITS FIRST UNION WIN, WORKERS FAILED TO UNIONIZE A SECOND WAREHOUSE IN MAY. 

AMAZON IS ALSO CHALLENGING THE FIRST VOTE IN COURT. 

DESPITE THE DEADLOCK, THE UNION MOVEMENT IS FULL STEAM AHEAD. 

ROGERS: “This is a reflection of the changing demographic of the workforce “

JIMMIE: DOCTOR SEAN EDMUND ROGERS IS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND AND HAS DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON LABOR FIGHTS. 

ROGERS: “You know, firms have had the upper hand for a long, long time, as I mentioned, labor union density has gone down in the United States for many decades, right from its peak in the 50s or so, until now.”

JIMMIE: FROM WAREHOUSE TO COFFEEHOUSE — DOZENS OF STARBUCKS BARISTAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE ALSO ELECTING TO FORM UNIONS. 

THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 30 UNIONIZED STARBUCKS IN THE COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO THE NON-PROFIT CALLED MORE PERFECT UNION.

AND, TECH GIANT APPLE IS REPORTEDLY RECKONING WITH AN ANTI-UNION FIGHT OF ITS OWN. STORES IN ATLANTA AND NEW YORK ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FILING PETITIONS TO HOLD UNION ELECTIONS.

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, UNION REPRESENTATION PETITIONS ARE UP 57-PERCENT IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE FISCAL YEAR 20-22 COMPARED TO 20-21. 

DOCTOR EDMUND ROGERS EXPECTS THE WORKFORCE WILL CONTINUE TO TREND TOWARDS ESTABLISHING UNIONS — AND SEES A FUTURE FOR NEW AGE ORGANIZERS AND THE OLD GUARD. 

ROGERS: ”I don’t necessarily think this, you know, gets rid of, or replaces or even supplants the work that unions have been doing for a long, long time, but it speaks to new opportunities.”

JIMMIE: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RESURGENCE OF LABOR UNIONS? 

CHIME IN ON THE CONVERSATION IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!