In Buffalo, New York, newly unionized Starbucks workers walked off the job Wednesday, citing safety concerns amid staff and other shortages during the ongoing COVID surge. Starbucks Workers United said, “The company has again shown that they continue to put profits above people.”

In other labor news, a group of nurses’ unions and the AFL-CIO are demanding the federal government enact permanent rules to ensure workplace safety, some two years into the COVID pandemic. The group says all frontline health workers should be guaranteed “personal protective equipment, exposure notification, ventilation systems, and other lifesaving measures.” National Nurses United said, “Going to work should not mean putting your life and the lives of your loved ones in danger.”