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Employees at a North Carolina mining facility asked the National Labor Relations Board to overturn a regional decision blocking a vote to remove their union, arguing current NLRB policy allows unions to delay elections by filing unresolved labor charges. The case could prompt the board to reconsider its “blocking charge” policy, which critics say undermines workers’ ability to freely choose whether they want union representation.

Unionized Starbucks baristas extended a months-long strike by calling on customers to delete the company’s mobile app as a show of solidarity while negotiations for a first contract remain stalled. Starbucks Workers United says workers are demanding livable wages, stable schedules, and an end to union-busting, while the company downplayed the strike’s impact and said it remains open to bargaining.

Workers at two suburban Chicago high schools successfully removed SEIU Local 73 as their bargaining representative after a majority petitioned for a decertification vote. Before the National Labor Relations Board could hold the election, union officials withdrew their claim to represent the workers, effectively ending the union’s role and freeing employees from mandatory union fees under Illinois law.

Multiple unions representing federal workers sued the Trump administration seeking to block planned cuts of more than 10,000 jobs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, arguing the layoffs are unlawful and were not approved by Congress. The unions say FEMA plans to stop renewing temporary and on-call disaster response contracts, which could undermine emergency preparedness, and that the cuts violate a recent law barring federal layoffs through late January. The lawsuit is part of broader legal efforts to challenge mass layoffs across the federal government.

The United Steelworkers union agreed to a rolling 24-hour contract extension with Marathon Petroleum, temporarily averting a strike by roughly 30,000 refinery and chemical plant workers across the U.S. The union has rejected at least five company proposals so far, including a latest offer featuring a 14% wage increase over four years, with key sticking points remaining over cost-of-living adjustments, healthcare costs, safety standards, and limits on the use of artificial intelligence in plants. Marathon is the lead negotiator for a national pattern agreement covering two-thirds of U.S. refining capacity.

A group of short-term call centre staff at Australia’s Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) are being replaced by a third-party contractor after hitting the maximum allowable tenure for temporary contracts, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from unions. The Community and Public Sector Union warns outsourcing experienced staff undermines service quality for vulnerable people seeking government assistance and contradicts government pledges to bring core work back in-house. DEWR says limited use of labour hire is permitted legally and that contracted staff receive comparable pay and training, but workers and union representatives argue the change risks longer wait times and loss of expertise.

In the United States, multiple unions have filed a lawsuit to block planned staffing cuts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), arguing the layoffs violate a law passed to prohibit federal job losses tied to the recent government shutdown. Unions say the cuts were not approved by Congress and challenge the administration’s broader approach to reshaping federal workforce policy. The legal action highlights increasing labor–management conflicts over federal employment security amid budget battles.

The CGT union representing workers at LVMH’s champagne divisions, including Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, announced a new strike planned for Feb. 3, 2026. This follows earlier walkouts in January and December, with employees demanding compensation they say was lost from year-end bonus payouts. The dispute underscores ongoing tensions between luxury conglomerates and labor groups over pay and benefits.

The German trade union Verdi has called a near-nationwide strike for Monday, urging around 100,000 bus and commuter rail workers to walk out amid stalled contract talks with municipal and state employers. The action could effectively bring public transportation systems to a standstill, as workers press for shorter hours, longer breaks and improved pay for unsocial shifts. Authorities and unions continue negotiations but have yet to reach an agreement.

Announcing plans to cut 16,000 jobs globally, Amazon follows a similar reduction of 14,000 roles just three months earlier. The company said the cuts are part of an effort to streamline management and reduce internal complexity, while continuing to hire in strategic areas. Most positions affected are expected to be in the United States, with a smaller number of corporate roles impacted in the UK.