Successful Campaigns

In September 2017, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) found that Ryan Lee is guilty of first degree violation of wage theft and retaliation. For two years, Ryan Lee will be required to collaborate with OLS to check for lawful employee treatment; review documentation; submit financial statements twice/year. Within six months, the owner is required to attend Management Training with the Business Liaison at OLS. Future employees will be notified of their rights through mandated labor standards posters. This agreement is approved for public disclosure.

UPDATE: After thousands of customers and employees joined this campaign, KEEN Footwear announced in November 2015 that it will now provide four weeks of paid parental leave to all new parents -- including moms, dads and parents of adopted children. That’s a big improvement from only six weeks of short term disability at 60% just for new moms. This additional paid leave means that many workers will be able to spend more time caring for their families. Thank you to all who have joined the campaign! At the same time, KEEN is a company that wants to stay competitive and can do more. We asked the company to provide eight weeks of paid leave because many of KEEN’s competitors offer at least that much. Even city employees in Portland, where KEEN is headquartered, now receive more paid parental leave than KEEN will offer. Please continue to join the campaign to show support for an even more generous policy!

We are pleased to announce that the #Matchbox5 have reached a settlement with Matchbox to resolve their claim that Matchbox fired them in retaliation for defending their rights at work. In addition to a monetary settlement, as part of the settlement through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Matchbox will post bilingual notices of their workers’ rights to organize and take collective action to improve working conditions at both their Chinatown and Pentagon City locations for the next 60 days. Find out all the details here: http://www.mlovdc.org/blog/when-we-organize-we-win-matchbox5-reach-settlement-with-company-for-unjust-firings

Uber announced on June 20, 2017 that it will be making in-app tipping available to all U.S. drivers by the end of July 2017. Read the announcement here: https://pages.et.uber.com/180-days/

Friends, thanks to your unwavering support, we saved the Metropolitan Opera! Final union agreements were reached on August 21st while staying true to our message: We tightened our belts, and the Met Opera management cut up their credit cards. We are proud of IATSE members for their bravery in the face of potential lockout – and we are also humbled by your immense support for the Save the Met Opera campaign. Thank you! The 2014-2015 season kicks off on September 22nd with a new production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and will include 221 performances of 26 operas in six new productions and 18 revivals. Learn more about the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the union behind the scenes of the Met Opera, by visiting our website (www.iatse.net), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/iatse), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/iatse).

Chittenden County bus drivers and the Green Mountain Transit Board of Commissioners reached a new collective bargaining agreement with a five-year contract starting July 1. The contract gives drivers a 14% pay increase spread over the five years. Thanks to all who supported the bus drivers!

As of today, Tupelo Honey Cafe has raised the wages of support staff in their downtown Asheville, Raleigh and Virginia Beach locations back to $5.15 per hour. I’m incredibly proud of the success of this campaign and more than ever, I am convinced of the power working people have when they stand up and work together to demand more. When it comes to workers’ rights, I believe we have to take power and create voice – those things are not handed to us. Food service activism is on the rise, though addressing workplace conditions within the restaurant industry is a fairly new phenomenon. My hope is that our small victory is one of thousands of small victories that ultimately will change the way workers view their ability to speak up and shape their working conditions. -- Alia Todd

Skechers has officially updated its dress code to allow tattoos. We are now able to show tattoos as long as they aren't on our hands or neck.

We did it! In January 2016, Apple employees got Martin Luther King day off for the first time. Here's the full story: http://fortune.com/2016/01/19/apple-mlk-day/

After this petition launched, Enterprise surveyed staff on a potential dress code change. In 2016, it changed its dress code to allow beards.