Editor’s note: On this Labor Day, 2026, workers all over the country are taking power into their own hands, organizing for unions and labor rights for all, and public support for unions is at an all-time high. As Matt Alley of BlueCollarWriter Labor Media writes, “Labor Day is a reminder of what happens when working people recognize their common interests and organize around them.” Videos in this story illustrate some of the many battles workers have won, and those that continue to be fought out today.
The Starbucks Union first began organizing in earnest in late 2021, scoring early wins that made headlines. By mid-2022, hundreds of stores had voted to unionize in a wave that caught Starbucks management flatfooted. But winning a union election and winning a contract are entirely different fights, and the company’s willingness to let time work against the union has been relentless. The two sides last held formal negotiations in December 2024. In the intervening 15 months, nothing was signed. Still!
Below are the selection of images and short reels:
But, first. Did you know that the Federal minimum wage has remained unchanged from its original $7.25 an hour in 2009 to today? This at a time when there are more billionaires in this country, including in the presidency, than ever in our history! See chart below.
You can read workers thoughts on the Federal minimum wage by clicking here.
What Unions Got Us. Click Here
“If You Like Weekends,
You Have Unions to Thank For That” – Click Here
Make America AI ready” Click Here.
Prison Labor is Continuation of Slavery. Click here:
MIT Graduate Student Union. Click Here.
Grad students organize for livable wages.
UAW Volkswagen Workers “Just Made History.” Click Here.
“Nurses” Click here.
READ THIS STORY BEFORE YOU GO!
Labor Day Is a Reminder:
Workers Are Supposed to Have Power
—By Matt Alley, BlueCollarWriter Labor Media
