On the picket line

Postal worker Tamara Mayorga-Wong was arrested Nov. 5 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Westhampton Beach, New York. Witnessing a man being abducted by masked ICE agents, she asked to see a proper warrant for their action. The ICE thugs were acting without proper warrants, so she attempted to free the illegally held man by opening the back door of the vehicle holding him. He briefly escaped before he was recaptured. 

After 57-year-old Mayorga-Wong returned to the post office parking lot, she was forcibly detained by the ICE agents and arrested — all while wearing her U.S. Postal Service uniform that clearly identified her as a federal worker. Protecting her community was the only thing on her mind, but she is charged with “obstructing a federal proceeding.” Following a court appearance Nov. 20, Mayorga-Wong was released on a $50,000 bond and was restricted from traveling. 

Community members were vocal in support of her actions and decried her arrest. A GoFundMe account to defray legal costs quickly accumulated over $14,000 from 184 donors. Mayorga-Wong, as of this writing, has not been fired by USPS. It is not clear if she has the support of her union’s leadership.

Coffee chain workers vs. Nestlé

Workers of the Blue Bottle Independent Union (BBIU) are planning a January launch for a major campaign to battle Nestlé over Unfair Labor Practices. The workers won union representation elections conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with a 90% majority at six greater Boston area locations in 2024 and three California Bay Area locations in 2025. Nestlé has a majority share in Blue Bottle.

According to the union website, workers belong to “an independent, rank-and-file led union fighting for living wages, consistent schedules, democratic control of the workplace and protection from harassment!” (bluebottleunion.org)

Blue Bottle is a coffee roaster with cafe locations in major cities across the U.S. and Japan. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Oakland, California. In 2017 Nestlé acquired a 68% share in the company, valued at $700 million. 

Workers in Boston Blue Bottle cafes staged a four-day strike over the “Thanksgiving” holiday weekend to protest Nestlé’s union-busting tactics, including stalling negotiations and firing union organizers. On the final day of the strike, Nestlé announced it was considering selling its shares in the chain.

Union-busting restaurant chain faces ULP charges

The NLRB has issued an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) complaint against Stephen Starr, a restaurant owner based in Philadelphia who has built a culinary empire, Starr Restaurant Group. Starr operates over 30 restaurants across the U.S. and overseas. 

The complaint centers around Starr’s conduct at St. Anselm Tavern, located in Washington, D.C., where workers became members of UNITE HERE Local 25 after the union won an election in early 2025. At two other Starr-owned Washington restaurants, the union did not win the NLRB-supervised elections.

The ULP cites multiple instances of using union busting tactics by Starr and a St. Anselm supervisor, including making promises of increasing benefits if workers voted against unionizing, providing workers with false information regarding unions and threatening workers with loss of wages if they voted in favor of a union.