Unfortunately, divisive national politics have come to the front door of the restaurant and retail industry again this week with the tragedies in Dayton, El Paso and Mississippi. How those companies respond will be under tremendous scrutiny and draw severe criticism no matter what they do or say or don’t do or say. We’ll take a look at the terrible choices companies face when events like these unfold in their business. And companies are increasingly competing for the best employees by bolstering benefit packages with many embracing tuition assistance and even some outright picking up the entire tab for a four-year education. We’ll take a look at what that’s doing to the employee marketplace and what political implications it could have. And the industry finds itself in another minimum wage conversation in New York, this time over conflicting data on the impacts of the city’s high minimum wage. We’ll try to sort out what all that means. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The labor platforms of the Democratic candidates are beginning to take shape. But to what end? Are they really trying to taut policies that could actually become law down the road or are they merely trying to curry favor - and support - from the powerful labor community in the short term. We’ll take a look at that. And Walmart won a huge victory last week at the NLRB that validated their decision to fire workers who were participating in unofficial Intermittent strikes. We’ll talk about what that means for other companies - especially QSRs, who are in labor’s sights. And the Pew Research Center released a major study this week regarding voter attitudes toward a $15/hr minimum wage. Despite a major partisan split on the issue, the results may make certain lawmakers feel some additional heat on the issue. We will kick that around as well. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The little big burger that could. And the union that couldn’t. Little Big Burger won their high-profile union election this week, giving a big loss to the international Workers of the World local that was trying to organize the chain. We’ll discuss what this means to the broader labor movement and what other brands can learn from the tactics employed by the company to repel the union. And Coke and Pepsi have set a new course in the packaging conversation and parted ways with one of their key trade association allies. We’ll take a look at why they went down this path, what impact it has on the issue, and what that means politically for restaurant and retail brands going forward. And the labor community is beginning to coalesce around a new bogeyman - private equity - and the effect it has on business models, workers protections and other issues. While focused now in the retail space, could restaurants be far behind? We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The entry-level business model is under another high-profile attack this week as longtime progressive activist Abigail Disney has jumped into the fray calling into question the business practices of the company that bears her name. We’ll discuss the company’s response and what impact it may have on the broader issue. And Subway is in the news this week and it’s not good. It’s not their business model under attack but their way of doing business - especially when it comes to the treatment of their franchisees. We’ll take a look at how all that fits into the broader narrative of the franchise business model. And the looming ICE raids that the President has been chortling about for weeks seems to have underwhelmed. Even major national brands are pushing back on it. We’ll visit that issue and see how brands are reacting. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

House Democrats plan to hold a vote on a $15/hr minimum wage the details of which will set a new marker in the national conversation and may impact the election prospects of some members in 2020. We'll talk with Matt Haller of the International Franchise Association to learn more. And, this week another strike. This time it’s at Amazon. The team will discuss why the labor work stoppage is back in vogue after a long hiatus. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Obamacare may be defunct at the federal level but that’s not stopping states from picking up where the feds left off. California is the latest, and certainly the largest, state to implement a state-level health care mandate. However, it’s unlikely to be the last. In other news, it was recently announced that Amazon for the first time is self-performing the majority of its delivery, which could have wide-ranging impacts in the delivery space. And, finally in our Paul Revere segment we’ll discuss Facebook’s announcement that they’re jumping into the cryptocurrency game.

The war on packaging is heating up and California is poised to set a new marker that may chance the entire lifecycle of the issue. In an age of increasing delivery demands by consumers, operators are finding themselves in a very difficult position. We discuss that with Shannon Crawford, the Director of State Government Affairs for the Plastics Industry Association. And the online retailer Wayfair had a tough week with many of their employees protesting some of the company’s potentially politically-sensitive business engagements. Their response did themselves no favor but may have done a big one for other companies unfortunately demonstrating what not to do in a crisis. We’ll take a deep dive into that. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Apprenticeships and workforce development are getting big headlines these days not just from policy makers but from the private sector as well - and none more so than the restaurant and hospitality sector. Rob Gifford from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation joins us to talk about the industry’s leadership in this space. And the President officially launched his reelection campaign this week and he erased any doubt - as if any existed - that immigration enforcement will be the foundational building block of his campaign. What does that mean for operators in the short run and the industry in the long run. We’ll take a look at that. And the biggest industry union vote in a generation is getting closer out on the West Coast. We’ll bring you up to speed on the state of play out there. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The overtime issue is back in the news at both the federal and state level. We’ll take a look at what employers should expect going forward and how the industry is reacting. And the restaurant industry is playing a much more prominent role in the presidential nomination process than it could ever imagine. We thought with notable restaurateurs in the mix, it could potentially be a great opportunity to highlight the model. Then came the beatdown against McDonald’s and the industry. We’ll discuss how that is playing out. And a big week in the delivery space with Amazon tapping out of the octagon and suspending their delivery operations. If Jeff Bezos can’t make money at it, it shows how hard the delivery road is for operators. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

A West Coast burger chain has stolen the playbook of a local union and has petitioned the NLRB to HOLD an election - literally asking for an election - and the union is crying foul. We’ll take a deep dive into that ironic turn of events and try to sort it all out. And Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the notorious “AOC”, was a celebrity bartender last week in her Queens, New York district to draw attention to the plight of restaurant and service industry workers. We’ll discuss how that event was covered and what it means for the industry. And the industry is starting to feel the effects of the ongoing trade war we are having with - well everybody at this point. With another round of tariffs pending, we will be joined once again by Hun Quach, the Vice President of International Trade for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, who will help us understand the impact on the industry and what operators need to know. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.