Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Steven Greenhouse

US labor leaders say underfunding at federal agency has ‘reached crisis stage’

A crowd of people march down a city street holding red signs. The large banner being held by three people in front of the pack reads 'Unionize Starbucks & Amazon'.
People march in Seattle, Washington, on 23 April. A surge of union activity has left labor leaders concerned that the underfunded federal agency can’t keep up. Photograph: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images

Labor leaders in the US are worried that the federal agency that oversees unionization efforts is approaching a “true crisis” as it struggles with a decade of underfunding and a huge surge in union activity.

Last year saw a 58% jump in the number of union elections as union drives spread at companies including Amazon, Apple, Starbucks and other companies. Some labor leaders say they are worried that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has become so understaffed that it will have a hard time investigating the flood of allegations that Starbucks has violated America’s labor laws hundreds of times in its efforts to crush a historic unionization drive.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.