Union Election Petitions Soar

​Union election petitions rose 58 percent between Oct. 1, 2021, and June 30, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). We've gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other outlets.

Nearly 2,000 Petitions Filed

Union representation petitions filed at the NLRB rose to 1,892 from 1,197 during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2022. By the end of May, petitions filed in fiscal year 2022 had exceeded all fiscal year 2021 petitions. A representation petition is filed with an NLRB field office to have the agency conduct an election to determine if employees want to be represented by labor.

(NLRB)

Is Labor on the Verge of a Resurgence?

After decades of declining union membership, unions might be on the verge of a resurgence. Employees have recently organized unions at Amazon, Apple, Starbucks and elsewhere. Applications for union elections are on pace this year to reach their highest level in a decade.

(The New York Times)

Rhodes Scholar's Role in Unionizing Starbucks

A Rhodes scholar helped lead the movement to organize a Starbucks in Buffalo, N.Y., participating in efforts to organize the first Starbucks store in the U.S. to unionize.

(The Washington Post)

Is Upturn for Labor Real?

Despite the recent statistics, some analysts point to data that union membership is continuing to decline. Union membership is now at the lowest level on record, they say, driven by more states passing right-to-work laws.

(Mackinac Center for Public Policy)

Unionization in Staten Island Challenged

After a grassroots union's victory over Amazon during a vote in Staten Island, N.Y., tough decisions lie ahead for the company, including how it would respond to the conditions that allegedly led to the unionization vote. Safety, higher wages, more paid breaks and more vacation all were at issue. The company has challenged the vote, maintaining that union leaders bribed workers to vote for the union and harassed those who didn't support labor.

(SHRM Online) and (CNBC)