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New data show annual labor-cost growth in the euro zone slowed to 3.1% in the second quarter, down from 3.3% in the previous quarter and substantially below the increases seen during the 2022–23 inflation crisis. European Central Bank data also indicate that negotiated wage growth is expected to remain relatively moderate, at roughly 2.6%–2.8% into early 2027. Policymakers have been watching collective bargaining closely for signs that higher energy costs could lead unions to seek larger wage increases.

Eligible full-time U.S. operations employees at Amazon will receive a $1 hourly raise, bringing the company's minimum hourly base pay for those workers to $20. The increase applies to frontline operations employees and comes as large employers continue competing over compensation and retention in warehouse and logistics work. The change is particularly relevant to labor relations because Amazon has faced sustained organizing efforts among its U.S. workforce, making wages and working conditions central issues in its relationship with employees.

As Unilever moves forward with its $65 billion food-business merger with McCormick, an international union federation is pushing the company to extend a two-year employment guarantee beyond Europe and Britain. The International Union of Food Workers, which represents Unilever employees across roughly two dozen countries, says the company has declined to negotiate a single global agreement and instead wants unions outside Europe to bargain locally or regionally. The union argues that workers in Asia, Africa, and the Americas should receive the same protections already secured by European employees. The dispute highlights how multinational restructuring can produce different employment protections for workers depending on where they are located.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey called on Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian to remain neutral as flight attendants continue efforts to unionize. The senators accused management of using messaging that could discourage organizing, including allegedly suggesting that unionization could threaten employees’ future pay and benefits. Delta denied interfering with the campaign, saying it supports employees’ right to decide whether they want union representation and maintains a non-interference policy. The dispute is part of a broader organizing campaign involving Delta flight attendants, fleet service workers, and technicians that has been underway since 2022.

After rejecting an earlier contract offer in August, roughly 17,000 Boeing engineers and technical workers represented by SPEEA reached a tentative four-year agreement with the company. The new proposal provides a 10% wage increase in October, followed by 4% annual raises plus merit-based increases through 2030, while also addressing work-from-home policies and overtime limits. Union negotiators said the deal does not meet every demand but represents meaningful progress on compensation and working conditions. Members must still ratify the agreement, and a strike remains possible if a contract is not finalized before the current deal expires on October 6.

A federal appeals court declined to enforce most of an NLRB ruling that found Starbucks had illegally retaliated against workers involved in union organizing at a Wichita, Kansas, store. The court rejected claims involving reduced hours, a hiring pause, and managers’ comments about organizing, finding that most did not amount to unlawful threats or coercion. However, it upheld a finding that management illegally threatened a pregnant employee with the potential loss of maternity benefits if workers unionized. The decision represents another legal victory for the coffee chain amid continuing labor disputes, as workers at more than 700 Starbucks locations have voted to unionize.

Contract negotiations between Stellantis and Unifor, the Canadian union representing its workers, have stalled over the potential sale of the company's idled Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario. Stellantis has signed a memorandum of understanding with defense manufacturer Roshel to explore a sale, while the union is concerned about the future of manufacturing jobs and the company's commitments to Canadian operations. The plant had previously been expected to produce Jeep Compass vehicles, but that production was shifted to Illinois. The dispute demonstrates how corporate relocation decisions, government investment, and job security can become central issues in collective bargaining.

Germany's IG Metall union is demanding that Volkswagen honor commitments made in a 2024 labor agreement as the automaker pursues another major restructuring. That agreement included plans for 35,000 job reductions, wage concessions, and guarantees related to jobs and investment, but union leaders now fear the company's turnaround strategy could threaten as many as 100,000 positions and four factories. IG Metall has invoked a clause in the agreement to request renewed discussions with management. The conflict highlights how unions use existing collective agreements to hold employers accountable during restructuring and protect employment security.

Despite announcing record bonuses worth between 35 and 68 months of pay for its Taiwan-based employees, Micron Technology is still facing a labor dispute. Unions representing roughly two-thirds of the company's 15,000 Taiwan employees are demanding a new bonus system tied to 15% of operating profits. Workers are reportedly comparing Micron's compensation structure with those of rival semiconductor companies, including Samsung and SK Hynix. The dispute illustrates how compensation systems, profit-sharing, and worker expectations can remain contentious even when a company is performing exceptionally well.

Senate Republicans led by Bill Cassidy are pushing Congress to review the century-old congressional charter held by the National Education Association, arguing the union's ties to left-leaning curriculum groups and its financial conduct warrant reconsideration. The American Federation of Teachers was also singled out for its involvement in political protests and boycotts, suggesting the pressure campaign extends beyond one union. At its core, the fight is over how much political and ideological activity a labor organization representing millions of dues-paying educators can engage in without jeopardizing its institutional standing and federal recognition. If lawmakers act on the report, it could set a precedent for using union political conduct as grounds to strip organized labor of long-held legal protections.