Labor and Policy

  • A photo of Starbucks workers participating in a strike in Nottingham, Maryland, Nov. 17, 2022
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    Permission granted by Aleah Bacetti
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    Starbucks unionization efforts

    Starbucks Workers United launches multi-day strike

    Beginning in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, the union will expand limited strikes until Christmas Eve, potentially impacting hundreds of stores.

    By • Dec. 20, 2024
  • The exterior of the FTC headquarters.
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    Neal McNeil via Getty Images
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    FTC excludes restaurants from junk fee rule

    In another regulatory victory for restaurants, the Federal Trade Commission backtracked on including restaurant fees in its price transparency rule.

    By • Dec. 19, 2024
  • A food delivery worker is shown on a scooter
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    Spencer Platt / Staff via Getty Images
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    Grubhub to pay $25M in FTC settlement

    The Federal Trade Commission and the Illinois Attorney General alleged the company deceived customers with junk fees and added restaurants to the platform without permission.

    By • Dec. 18, 2024
  • A table set with strike materials for Starbucks Workers United's Nov. 17 national strike.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Starbucks unionization efforts

    Starbucks Workers United members vote to authorize strike

    While bargaining has progressed, the union said the company hasn’t presented a comprehensive economic framework.

    By • Dec. 17, 2024
  • A U.S. Department of Labor sign is see outside the agency.
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    Kate Tornone/Restaurant Dive
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    DOL withdraws tip credit rule

    The news comes months after the 5th Circuit vacated the U.S. Department of Labor’s effort to institute an “80/20” framework for dual-job workers.

    By Ryan Golden • Dec. 16, 2024
  • The Starbucks company logo on a glass door.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Starbucks increases parental leave

    Improving its benefits and reputation as an employer are key to the brand’s long-term turnaround, CEO Brian Niccol said.

    By • Dec. 16, 2024
  • A bike courier with a red delivery bag.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    DoorDash to require 150K workers to verify IDs weekly

    The delivery platform framed the more stringent verification policies as a way to improve consumer and merchant peace of mind.

    By • Dec. 13, 2024
  • A man is holding a tablet that is asking for tipping options
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    Sadi Maria via Getty Images
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    Base pay has grown for restaurant workers: report

    A steady rise in base wages has shrunk tips as a proportion of compensation, but the median tipped worker still gets $14.48 an hour in tips, per ADP.

    By • Dec. 10, 2024
  • An image of a Starbucks sign
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks scheduling tools crippled by Blue Yonder outage

    A ransomware attack against the software vendor has pushed the coffee chain to temporarily rely on manual scheduling to ensure workers are paid for hours.

    By • Nov. 26, 2024
  • Union members hold up a sign reading 'Wage Theft' with similar graphic design to a Waffle House sign behind them.
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    Courtesy of Union of Southern Service Workers
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    Waffle House claims NLRB process is unconstitutional

    The casual chain has faced union organizing activity for over a year, and now wants the court to weaken the agency tasked with regulating labor law.

    By • Nov. 22, 2024
  • A person walks toward the door of the U.S. Department of Labor building.
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    Kate Tornone/Restaurant Dive
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    $35K overtime salary threshold back in effect

    A federal judge ruled that the Department of Labor’s 2024 rule exceeded the agency’s authority and is unlawful.

    By Ginger Christ • Nov. 18, 2024
  • Chipotle, Stradmore, LaCroix, D&O law, portion size
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Chipotle defrauded investors with inconsistent meal sizes, says plaintiff seeking class action

    The case is an example of securities lawsuits run amok, a directors and officers liability law specialist says. 

    By Robert Freedman • Nov. 14, 2024
  • The National Labor Relations Board headquarters building on Half Street in Washington, D.C.
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    Ryan Golden/Restaurant Dive
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    Captive audience meetings are unlawful, NLRB says

    The meetings, a common strategy for employers during union drives, “have a reasonable tendency to interfere with and coerce employees” in the exercise of their rights, the Board decided.

    By Emilie Shumway • Nov. 13, 2024
  • An overhead view of fried chicken and sides.
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    Courtesy of Church's Texas Chicken
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    KFC sues Church’s Texas Chicken over ‘original recipe’ ads

    KFC claims Church’s use of the marketing phrase will deceive customers into thinking they are buying items from KFC.

    By • Nov. 13, 2024
  • A DoorDash delivery worker walks his bike along the road in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
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    hapabapa via Getty Images
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    DoorDash to pay $11.3M in Illinois tip settlement

    The settlement will fund payments to as many as 79,000 workers who completed deliveries on the app from 2017 to 2019.

    By • Nov. 12, 2024
  • A worker takes a bowl of processed avocados from a prototype of Vebu's Autocado.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Serve Robotics buys Autocado maker Vebu

    The acquisition of the Chipotle-backed equipment developer signals Serve’s interests are growing from the sidewalk to the kitchen.

    By • Nov. 7, 2024
  • Culver's restaurant exterior
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    Courtesy of Culver's
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    EEOC alleges Culver’s operators fired a transgender worker who complained about deadnaming

    Four workers, including the transgender worker who was the subject of the harassment, were fired a day after reporting the behavior to the general manager, EEOC alleged.

    By Ginger Christ • Nov. 4, 2024
  • A man takes orders at a Starbucks counter.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    How Starbucks plans to get back to being a coffeehouse

    The coffee giant thinks ceramic mugs, a coffee condiments bar and comfy chairs are a good start toward improving its in-store vibe.

    By • Nov. 1, 2024
  • 0: Hooters Girls train at the Hooters Restaurant inside the now-defunct Hooters Casino Hotel January 30, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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    Ethan Miller via Getty Images
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    Hooters’ alleged colorism costs $250,000 in EEOC case

    Following the layoff of about 43 employees in the Greensboro, North Carolina area in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hooters allegedly rehired workers who were predominantly White or had lighter skin.

    By Caroline Colvin • Oct. 25, 2024
  • The side view of a Pizza Hut restaurant can be seen, with promotional posters and banners on the windows and walls.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Pizza Hut franchisee to settle delivery drivers’ FLSA dispute for $4.75M

    The drivers alleged their actual payment fell below minimum wage due to unreimbursed gas costs, vehicle upkeep and more.

    By Emilie Shumway • Oct. 23, 2024
  • A McDonald's restaurant sign between trees. The sign reads, "McDonald's"
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s takes Quarter Pounders off the menu at a fifth of restaurants after E. coli outbreak

    The CDC said that 49 people fell ill after eating the burgers, but an analyst said comparisons to Chipotle’s past outbreaks were premature.

    By • Oct. 23, 2024
  • A young man wears a black hat and black apron smiles at the camera. There are three people blurred out in the background. They are standing behind a makeline.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle’s latest automation tool to help with hiring, recruitment

    Paradox, a conversational AI system, will manage administrative tasks and is expected to reduce the time to hire by 75%.

    By • Oct. 22, 2024
  • A photo illustration of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump shoulder to shoulder facing away from each other. The background is a purple wave with a grid gradient.
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    Photo illustration: Industry Dive; Joe Readle/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images

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    What could the 2024 election mean for restaurants?

    As the industry looks to bipartisan lobbying, organized labor hopes its electoral ground game will result in a labor-friendly Democratic administration.

    By • Oct. 22, 2024
  • Close up of African American voter with national flag in waiting line during US elections.
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    Drazen Zigic via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Serving the electorate: Restaurants and voters share common ground this election

    Inflation, the job market, economy, taxes and immigration reform are key issues impacting operators ahead of the election, writes the National Restaurant Association’s Michelle Korsmo.

    By Michelle Korsmo • Oct. 18, 2024
  • Two autonomous vehicles with Avride and Uber branding
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    Courtesy of Avride
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    Uber Eats to deliver with Avride robots in Austin

    The deal is the latest in a string of partnerships between the delivery giant and robotics developers, and includes sidewalk robots and robotaxis.

    By • Oct. 4, 2024