COVID-19
Health & Safety – Honolulu, HI (both the city and the county) became the latest municipality to require employee vaccinations as well as a customer vaccination requirement for “restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, museums, arcades and other similar establishments.” In related news, a majority of U.S. employers are embracing vaccine mandates for workers, according to new survey data released this week. The survey conducted by a major multinational insurance firm found that over half of the employers surveyed (52 percent) said that by the fourth quarter of 2021, they could have one or more vaccine mandate requirements in the workplace. This ranges from requiring vaccinations for employees to access common areas (such as cafeterias) to requiring the vaccine for a subset of specific employees to requiring it for all employees. This is a major hike from the current 21 percent of firms that have some type of vaccine mandate in place for employees. The survey was conducted between Aug. 18 and 25 and respondents included nearly 1,000 U.S. employers that together employ nearly 10 million workers. Additionally, 29 percent of employers said they are planning or considering making vaccinations a requirement to gain access to the workplace, and some 21 percent are planning or considering vaccination as a condition of employment for all employees. More details.
Bojangles – The company says it will close all of its company-owned establishments for two days, portraying it as a chance to provide its thousands of employees a “well-deserved break.” In a statement, the chain encouraged its thousands of employees to use the closure on Aug. 30 and the upcoming one on Sept. 13 as an opportunity to “rest and recharge.” Employees will not get paid for those days off. More details.
Wages
PNC Bank – PNC Bank is the latest large U.S. financial services company to increase wages, raising its minimum wage to $18/hr while also giving higher-paid workers a bump in pay. The wage increase will apply to both PNC employees as well as those working for BBVA USA, which PNC acquired last year. Base-level PNC employees will see their wages increase from $15 to $18/hr, a 20 percent pay raise. The increase is more substantial at BBVA, which had an $11 minimum wage before PNC bought the bank. About 20,000 PNC and BBVA employees will see their base pay rise to $18/hr. More details.
Walgreens – Walgreens became the latest major company to increase its starting pay for workers to $15/hr amid a nationwide push among businesses to attract more employees. The company said in a statement that the wage increase would occur in phases starting in Oct., with the new starting pay expected to be fully implemented by Nov. 2022. Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Roz Brewer said that the pay increase is being viewed by company leaders as an essential investment in its workforce. More details.
Walmart – The company will increase its minimum wage to $12/hr and raise pay for hundreds of thousands of its U.S. store workers. It will give raises to more than 565,000 of its 1.6 million U.S. workers, targeting those who work at registers, in the food and household goods areas and who restock shelves. Those workers will receive at least a $1/hr raise starting Sept. 25, bringing their overall average wage to $16.40/hr for hourly workers. More details.
Labor Policy
West Hollywood, CA – The city is the latest to consider a targeted Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot program. The specifics are still being finalized, but for now, the city plans to give monthly unconditional $1,000 payments to at least 25 LGBT senior citizens. The pilot is slated to last 18 months and will likely begin by the end of this year if the city can identify a private funding partner. More details.
PRO ACT – A U.S. Conference of Mayors committee weighed in on the controversial labor legislation that is pending in Congress, throwing their support behind the union-backed bill.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Labor Activism
Starbucks – Workers at three Starbucks coffee shops in the Buffalo area filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) asking for a vote on union representation.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Delivery
New York, NY – The city council passed legislation that will permanently prohibit food delivery companies from charging more than 15 percent per delivery order and more than 5 percent for marketing and other fees. Additionally, the ordinance calls for a biennial review of the policy where caps could be raised, lowered, or removed. More details.
Packaging
California – The senate advanced house-approved legislation that mandates food packaging manufacturers use alternatives to PFA chemicals in their products.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe