February 1, 2023
so open letter Last week, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said that California’s bill related to conditions for fast food workers “is almost in line with the request that organized workers have a firm grip on many of the state’s legislators.” It is entirely due to this,” he said.
Erlinger said the impetus for the bill wasYears of labor, and hundreds of millions of dollars’ of organized labor, lose. He saidThe U.S. unionization rate will shrink to 10.1% in 2022, a record low.
“Simply put, organized labor has not succeeded in getting through the front door. select Whether they want a union,” he wrote. “That’s why we called for a backdoor. We urged lawmakers in Sacramento to introduce, pass, and sign bad policies that hurt small businesses, workers, and consumers.”
action, AB257, It could raise the minimum wage for fast food workers to $22. But the bigger change is the planned establishment of a 10-member national council. To negotiate wages, hours and working conditions for non-union fast food workers in California, potentially Set a US-wide precedent for negotiating workplace standards.
Proponents say the challenges for workers during the pandemic are Independent Council.
California’s secretary of state, after strong opposition from fast food restaurants and business groups, said last week A petition to stop enforcing the law has gathered enough signatures to qualify to vote in the state’s 2024 general election ballot.
Despite stagnating membership growth, organizations such as Starbucks, Amazon and Apple are organizing.Ah Gallup poll A survey last August found that 71% of Americans approve of unions, up 7% from pre-pandemic and the highest rating since 1965.
recently harvard business review Sharon Block, executive director of the work and work-life program at Harvard Law School, said the past adversarial unionization approach should be reconsidered given the strained labor market and organizational efforts. said there is. she wrote: Conversely, companies that take steps such as voluntary endorsements, partnering to create the best conditions for fair campaigns, and respecting employee decisions can maintain good relationships with their employees. “
Discussion question: Has public perception changed to the point that retailers need to be more open to working with unions? Do you think it has the potential to bring greater rewards to members?
“While I would encourage all companies to adopt this model, I do not believe that U.S. management is adopting this model.”
