Here are the highlights of what you missed if you weren’t on our April Labor Community Briefing call. Want the full analysis, the data behind the headlines, and the chance to ask questions in real time? Join us on the next call.

The JBS/Swift meatpacking strike in Colorado ended with a contract—but the numbers tell a hard story. UFCW Local 7 eliminated the pension plan in exchange for short-term economic gains, and what workers got for a 40-year first in meatpacking was thin: $0.10 per hour more than the company's pre-strike offer.

The Lamb Weston decertification campaign in Pocatello, Idaho is getting attention—and the name driving it is Kira Judon. The campaign illustrates how worker-led decertification efforts are being organized and what makes them succeed or stall. We covered the mechanics of the Lamb Weston situation and what practitioners should understand about the decert landscape right now.

Maryland passed a captive audience ban, adding another state to a growing list—and this one comes with draconian fines for employers who run afoul of it. We discussed the prospect of NLRB preemption—and what the data actually shows about how these laws are affecting union win rates. The impact is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. The group also flagged a question for a future session: what other state-level captive audience bills are currently pending?

Three active disputes drew significant discussion on the call.

UPS Driver Choice Program: The Teamsters settled their dispute over UPS’s Driver Choice Program, capping voluntary buyouts at $7,500 and blocking any further buyout programs through 2028. It looks like a win on paper—but it may not be. By eliminating the voluntary exit option, the Teamsters may have inadvertently set the stage for involuntary layoffs instead, leaving workers with fewer options and the union with less leverage than it had before.

Starbucks bargaining resumes: Starbucks is already facing ULP charges and accusations of regressive bargaining—a notable development given the restart of negotiations earlier this month.

Board nominee status was on the agenda, along with updates from the NLRB slide covering recent decisions. Ex-Cell-O and a situation involving St. John’s College were among the case developments reviewed. We also covered what the OLMS’s new data visualization tool offers practitioners—it’s a genuinely useful resource, particularly for in-campaign research on union financial reporting.

•  Southern Workers Assembly blitz update—members requested a follow-up on where the organizing blitz campaigns are heading next

•  Aerospace sector contract activity: major agreement expiring mid-year, will provide an update

•  Pending captive audience legislation—what other states are currently moving bills?