Episode 125: Burger Chain Defeats Union in Precedent-Setting Election

The little big burger that could. And the union that couldn’t. Little Big Burger won their high-profile union election this week, giving a big loss to the international Workers of the World local that was trying to organize the chain. We’ll discuss what this means to the broader labor movement and what other brands can learn from the tactics employed by the company to repel the union. And Coke and Pepsi have set a new course in the packaging conversation and parted ways with one of their key trade association allies. We’ll take a look at why they went down this path, what impact it has on the issue, and what that means politically for restaurant and retail brands going forward. And the labor community is beginning to coalesce around a new bogeyman - private equity - and the effect it has on business models, workers protections and other issues. While focused now in the retail space, could restaurants be far behind? We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.