Latest news with #UnfairLaborPractice
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
The Friday Checkout: Amazon taps Whole Foods leadership for grocery growth
When Amazon purchased Whole Foods Market back in 2017, it was a safe assumption that the specialty grocer's image would morph to reflect Amazon's business. And for a time, that was the direction things were going: Whole Foods' pricing has gotten more competitive, Amazon Prime serves as a loyalty program of sorts, and the grocer now touts more high-tech payment options, including palm-scanning payment. There was even a stint with Just Walk Out frictionless checkout. Now, however, the tables are turning - Amazon seemingly wants to be more like Whole Foods. Amazon has spent years finding its footing in an attempt to get its own grocery empire off the ground - particularly with its traditional grocery chain Amazon Fresh - but nothing has wowed the industry or shoppers. And while Amazon Fresh hasn't indicated that it plans to become a specialty grocer, it is at long last leaning into Whole Foods' leadership to chart a better course. Though Amazon established a single grocery entity back in 2022, Whole Foods and Amazon's supermarket operations still ran fairly separately. This separation was fine for Whole Foods' growth, but Amazon continued to play whack-a-mole with store openings and closures for Amazon Fresh. This week, Amazon unveiled a restructured leadership team for its Worldwide Grocery division that includes top executives from Whole Foods Market. This internal shift comes less than six months after Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel stepped in to helm both Whole Foods and Amazon's grocery business as vice president for worldwide grocery stores. It seems Amazon is finally recognizing that Whole Foods is an asset not just as a specialty banner, but also as a key guide to Amazon's grocery ambitions. With Amazon Fresh treading water for so long, it's odd Amazon didn't call in Whole Foods for an assist years ago. In case you missed it Thousands of grocery workers across three states threaten to strike This week, 45,000 unionized grocery workers in Southern California authorized an Unfair Labor Practice strike against Kroger and Albertsons, according to a United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 announcement. Safeway workers in Colorado and employees at Kroger and Albertsons' banners in Washington state have already voted in favor of authorizing a strike. The strike threats come as three local unions under the UFCW are separately negotiating contracts with the grocers. "A summer strike would disrupt the busiest season for two of America's largest grocery chains," UFCW 770 said. Costco pumps up its higher-cost membership The club retailer is looking to make its Executive Membership, which costs twice as much as its other two membership options, more attractive. Costco's Executive members in the U.S. and Canada will get a $10 monthly credit towards a same-day delivery order fulfilled by Instacart, starting June 30, according to a Wednesday announcement. Costco confirmed to USA Today this week that its clubs will open an hour early for its Executive members, starting June 30. While accounting for less than half of Costco's members, Executive members make up 73% of the retailer's sales, according to Costco data cited by CNBC, which noted that Costco raised the price of its Executive and Gold Star memberships last year. T&T Supermarkets zips ahead with U.S. expansion After debuting stateside last winter in Bellevue, Washington, Canada's largest Asian grocery retailer is charging forward with its store growth plans in the U.S., announcing on Thursday that it plans to open a sixth store in the country. Coming to Chino Hills, California, the 61,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in fall 2026. The announcement comes just a few months after T&T unveiled plans for its first location in Southern California, which is expected to debut in Irvine next year. The retailer also has stores planned for San Francisco; San Jose, California; and Lynwood, Washington. Impulse find Latest spin-off from the Chantilly Cake craze Chantilly Cake - vanilla cake with berry jam, fresh berries and whipped Chantilly cream - is all the rage, and Publix is the latest grocer to hop on the bandwagon. The Florida-based grocer has released a limited-edition Chantilly Cake ice cream "with white cake ice cream, berry swirls, and bits of almond-flavored cake," Food & Wine reported this week. The frozen treat is based on the Chantilly Cake Publix carries in its bakery department, Lindsey Willis, media relations manager at Publix, told the publication. This isn't the first time a grocer has drawn inspiration from the fan-favorite cake. This spring, Whole Foods unveiled a Berry Chantilly Latte, which is available until July 1, Food & Wine reported. Copyright 2025 Industry Dive. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Albertsons, Pavilions, Vons, and Kroger workers set to strike in California
Strikes only happen when companies push workers past the point of no return. No worker wants to give up a paycheck in order to get the raise and benefits they feel they deserve. In many cases, even when management and labor negotiate a favorable deal, the money lost during a strike remains lost forever. Workers, however, have very little leverage with management when it comes to negotiating fair wages. In many cases, bosses consider workers replaceable and don't take worker demands seriously. In many part of American history, workers could not strike without fear of being replaced. Now, with retail jobs plentiful enough that both Walmart and Target pay their workers over $15 per hour, labor has more leverage. Replacing tens of thousands of people in this market won't be easy, so a strike could cripple the business and do long-term damage. Hopefully, reality forces both sides to come to the table before a work stoppage takes place. Nearly 45,000 Albertsons, Pavilions, Vons, and Kroger (Ralphs) workers have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike. They have not walked off the job yet, but the threat to their employers has become very real. UFCW Local 324 represents the impacted workers, and the union has a simple description of its goals. "The mission of UFCW Local 324 is to improve the lives of working families and to bring economic justice to the workplace. The UFCW is one union with one voice. We are committed to changing the places where we work and the communities where we live so that all workers have the opportunity to reach the American Dream," it shared on its website. The union traces its history back to 1936. "The United Food and Commercial Workers union stands as the by-product of mergers between many other trades and professions whose members saw value in uniting in solidarity against an increasingly powerful array of corporate retailers," it added. Now, the union is ready to mobilize its workers to strike. It shared an update on its website. "These past two weeks, nearly 45,000 grocery workers across Southern California came together and overwhelmingly voted YES to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike against Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions for breaking the law by surveilling, interrogating, threatening, and retaliating against union members," it shared. "This vote is a powerful message to Kroger and Albertsons: We are fed up with their union-busting tactics and unlawful behavior that disrespects workers, silences our voices, and stalls progress at the bargaining table." While those are serious charges, the core of the dispute between the workers and management is wages and working conditions. "For four months, we've negotiated with Kroger and Albertsons, offering solutions to the staff shortage crisis that hurts store operations, working conditions, and customer service. The companies have dismissed our proposals and claimed that our concerns were 'anecdotal', downplaying the real challenges we and our customers face daily," the union shared in an update to members. UFCW Local 324 believes it has acted in good faith and that management has not. "We're at the breaking point. We are disrespected, overworked, and undervalued by Kroger and Albertsons. We're tired of asking these corporations to invest in their workers and customers, only to see no results. We're tired of asking the companies to respect our labor rights and seeing our co-workers intimidated," it added. Kroger, which owns Ralphs, shared a statement with KTLA. "Our current offer reflects that commitment, including market-leading wage increases for associates over the life of the agreement, and continued investment in industry-leading healthcare and a pension…These are benefits that many non-union competitors do not offer," a portion of the statement reads. The union has not set a strike date. Negotiations are expected to resume on June 25. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Engadget
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
SAG-AFTRA says Fortnite's AI Darth Vader voice violates fair labor practices
SAG-AFTRA, the labor union representing performers in film, television and interactive media, has submitted an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) filing against Epic Games for using an AI-generated version of Darth Vader's voice in the current season of Fortnite . Disney and Epic first announced on May 16 that Fortnite would feature a take on the character using an AI-generated version of James Earl Jones' voice. The issue in SAG-AFTRA's eyes is that the union is currently on strike while it negotiates a new contract with video game companies, and using an AI-generated voice represents Epic refusing to "bargain in good faith." The AI-powered version of Darth Vader is interactive, but that doesn't change the fact that the video game version of Darth Vader has frequently been played by actors other than Jones. Disney got permission from Jones and his family to use AI to replicate his voice for film and TV in 2022, so there is precedent for an AI performance of this kind. After Jones' death in September 2024, the AI route technically became the only way to use Darth Vader's "original voice," other than reusing clips of past performances. Unless of course Epic or Disney wanted to pay another actor to play Darth Vader, which would require coming to an agreement on a new contract for video game performers. ULP filings are reviewed by the National Labor Review Board and can lead to hearings and injunctive relief (a court ordering Epic to remove Darth Vader from the game until a settlement is reached, for example). They are also often used as a way for unions to provoke companies to come back to the bargaining table or respond with a more realistic offer. SAG-AFTRA's Interactive Media Strike has been ongoing since July 26, 2024. SAG-AFTRA members originally voted in favor of a strike in September 2023 for better wages and AI protections. Engadget has reached out to both Disney and Epic for comment on SAG-AFTRA's ULP filing. We'll update this article if we hear back.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
About 55,000 Los Angeles County workers go on strike, pausing some services
Tens of thousands of people who work for Los Angeles County went on strike Monday night, consequently disrupting some public services. The members of labor union SEIU 721 walked off their jobs after 7 p.m. Monday in an effort to negotiate for a new and fair contract with the county. Promising not to impact law enforcement and first responder services, this strike could, however, pause services ranging from parks and libraries to healthcare and social work. The union represents frontline workers, hundreds of whom were seen joining a picket line outside LA General Medical Center on Monday night – the first of the two-day strike. 'We are in the business of healthcare. We would never leave our patients in danger walking out,' Kelly Zhou, a nurse anesthetist, told KTLA's Carlos Saucedo. 'We gave 10 days' notice – this is the last resort.' SEIU 721 claims the county has repeatedly violated labor laws and failed to bargain in good faith on cost-of-living increases and health insurance. 'We've had to file 44 unfair labor practice charges against them,' said David Green, president and executive director of SEIU 721. 'It includes everything from not giving a fair deal at the table, not bargaining in good faith, health and safety issues.' According to the union's website, this Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike will directly impact more than 55,000 employees represented by SEIU 721 as well as nearly 10 million county residents. 'Also, we're talking about filling vacancies, there are 12 thousand vacancies in LA county right now,' added Green, 'And a huge amount of outsourcing, almost 7.8 billion in outsourcing. So these are all things we're talking about at the bargaining table.' The strike will close libraries and some healthcare clinics, and wildfire beach debris cleanup could also be affected. The union's contract expired at the end of March with no resolution in sight. 'All the healthcare providers are stressed and stretched thin, yet they're spending billions of dollars on contracting out,' said Zhou. 'I am open to creative solutions, but the bottom line is simple: we must not write checks that cannot be cashed,' Kathryn Barger, chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. 'Fiscal responsibility must guide our negotiations to both ensure the long-term stability of the County's services and operations and protect County jobs. Neither should be sacrificed.' For more information on closures, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Non-tenure track faculty with UIS authorize strike
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — After two days of voting, members of the University of Illinois-Springfield Instructors United (UISIU) announced Wednesday that they voted to authorize a strike. Although this does not guarantee that the UISIU members will strike, it gives the bargaining team the authority to call one if a fair agreement is not reached. New program saves Illinois public college students thousands of dollars 'The results of our strike authorization vote say it all: Our members have had enough, and time is running out. Chancellor Gooch and her team must finally take these negotiations seriously and show they value our work. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to strike,' Scott Fenton, UIS English instructor, said. Fenton said that despite a year of bargaining, they have not made much progress with the university. 'We have been bargaining for a full year and have yet to see any substantive movement on critical issues, including reasonable workloads and improved job security. Last fall, we were forced to demand federal mediation and file Unfair Labor Practice charges to pressure this administration to bargain in good faith, as required by law,' Fenton said. 'Still the chancellor and her team refuse to make meaningful proposals or demonstrate respect for our members.' According to a statement from a University of Illinois-Springfield spokesperson, the university will work to create an agreement that supports the campus as a whole. UIS is aware that the non-tenure track faculty union has voted to authorize a strike. The university is committed to negotiating a fair and fiscally responsible collective bargaining agreement that supports the needs of the entire campus community. UIS has reached tentative agreements on several issues, with additional mediation sessions scheduled. UIS Spokesperson Advocates, Central Illinois lawmakers call for more protections for Mahomet Aquifer Before calling a strike, the union is required to file a 10-day notice of intent with Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB). John Miller, president of the University of Professionals of Illinois, shared a statement on the UISIU's members decision to strike. Higher education professionals are being forced to fight for job security and respect all across the country, but it is sad to see that the outstanding professionals in our prized University of Illinois system must do the same. Students deserve the best. They can only get that when their educators have the time and working conditions necessary to provide high-quality instruction. Chancellor Gooch must prioritize student needs and avoid a strike by reaching a fair agreement with faculty immediately. John Miller The UISIU represents 40 full time, non-tenure track (NTT) faculty at the University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS). They organized in January of last year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
