A wave of organizing service workers has swept through Pittsburgh and the country during the last few years. Many of its leaders say the drastic economic upheaval imposed during the early pandemic months shed new light on long-hidden inequities within the service industry, creating an opening for needed change.
As Starbucks accuses National Labor Relations Board members of misconduct and calls for a halt to all union elections nationwide, organizers in Pittsburgh say two recent firings at local Starbucks shops align with a broader retaliatory strategy aimed at thwarting union efforts across the country.