The Working Lunch

Well it was a rock’em sock’em first week for the Trump Administration as countless executive orders, pardons and personnel changes have been executed in only the first four days. At the forefront of all this is the White House’s determination to begin large-scale immigration raids any day now. We’ll take a look at this fundamental threat to the industries’ workforce, what

The portable benefits issue is back in the news as DoorDash strikes another agreement - this time with the state of Georgia - to pilot a portable benefits program for its drivers. There is growing consensus within liberal and conservative circles that portable benefits regumes are here to stay and a plausible solution for millions of gig economy workers without traditional benefits

After a nearly 20-year separation, the SEIU and the AFL-CIO have kissed and made and now are back on the same team, joining forces just before a potentially union-hostile administration takes office. We’ll discuss the volatile history of the two organizations, why they reunited, and what it could mean for the industry. And this week, the U.S. Surgeon General called for expanded w

Starbucks is back in the news this week as their Workers United union has voted to authorize a national strike at any moment. What’s going on behind the scenes? Is this a bargaining ploy as both slides sit down at the negotiating table this week or is it for real? We’ll discuss. And we are joined by Maggie Gentile, a partner at Food Directions and a consultant to the National R

It was a tough week for the National Labor Relations Board with the Senate failing to confirm Pres. Biden’s nominations to the Board. This clears the decks for the incoming Trump Admnistration to remake the Board much quicker than anticipated. And just down the street, the agency lost a major court battle that could dramatically alter the roles - and tenure - of Administrative La

We have a conversation with Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs for the Oregon Restaurant Association, about Oregan Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer and his team’s working relationship with the new Cabinet member. What has been her record in Congress? What are her priorities? And what’s her relationship with the Teamsters? We’ll get the view from back home in Oregon. And then

In yet another surprise appointment, President-Elect Trump has nominated an outgoing member of Congress, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, to run the Labor Department. Ironically, she is one of a small handful of Republicans to vote for the PRO Act, organized labor’s signature piece of legislation in years. To say the least, the nomination is causing significant consternation i

The President-elect has been shocking allies and foes alike with his nominations for cabinet posts. While some will have more impact on the industry than others, the nomination of Robert F Kennedy, Jr will likely cause shock waves up and down the food supply as he goes after processed food, sodium, sugar and other additives. It’s going to be a wild ride. And we are joined by Davi

It’s finally over. In a surprise for most, Republicans have a huge night sweeping Donald Trump back into the White House. We’ll discuss what happened this week both at the federal level as well as in the states and take a look at what the industry can expect going forward. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Well, the election is finally here and it can’t come fast enough. While we don’t know the outcome yet, we do know that it will be razor-close and legally contested. To help us sort it out, we’re joined by our good friend Sean Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Public Policy for the National Restaurant Assocation, who will help us get it all sorted out. We’ll talk about t