Unionization: Everyone’s Doing It

Nurses rally at Ascension Seton Medical Center Nov. 17 (Photo by John Anderson)

It's been a lively year for the labor movement in Austin, with multiple organizing successes to its credit. Local Starbucks stores unionized in March, setting off a wave of efforts across different sectors. Workers at Via 313, the popular Detroit-style pizza chain, saw success in creating Restaurant Workers United despite union-busting tactics by management, including hiring an outside "HR consultant" and firing workers for organizing a petition around COVID safety. Other union victories came in the health care sector, with Ascension Seton on 38th Street becoming the largest private hospital to join National Nurses United, with roughly 800 nurses represented. They began negotiations in November with hospital management, looking to solve staffing gaps that have required nurses to work far outside their job descriptions. Integral Care, the county's largest mental health services provider, unionized in May after a yearlong effort and significant pushback from management, garnering pay increases across the board.

Every month or so a new union effort pops up, but not all have been successful. Drafthouse United, an effort by the Industrial Workers of the World to organize the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar flagship, started off with a bang in February, but fizzled after an employee was allegedly fired in response to a planned walkout in July. No other theatres joined the effort, Drafthouse has not voluntarily recognized the union, and Drafthouse United is not seeking a National Labor Relations Board-held election to require recognition; their social media has been silent since July. The lessons learned this year will shape organizing drives in 2023, with major employers like Tesla facing allegations of wage theft and safety violations.