Episode 232: Introducing Starbucks’ New Business Partner in Buffalo: The SEIU

Well, the votes are in and we now have the first union organized Starbucks in the United States. We also have a unit that rejected the union and the decision on the third unit is still up in the air. We will do a deep dive into what happened this week, what’s next for Starbucks, and more importantly, what’s next for the industry. And McDonald’s made news this week announcing a quarter billion dollar investment over the next five years as part of a global effort to increase the diversity of the company’s base of owner-operators. We’ll discuss the whys and the wherefores of that move and McDonald’s record in that space. And Amazon is getting a lot of press the last few weeks as folks are finally realizing that one company - yes Amazon - is literally setting the wage and benefit marketplace in the entry-level employment space. We’ll discuss the ramifications for all employers in the restaurant and retail space. We’ll discuss those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.