Currently, Americans view labor unions more favorably than they have in decades, leading to an increase in union activity. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reported that for the first six months of fiscal year 2022 (October 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022), labor unions filed 57 percent more representation petitions than they did during the same period a year earlier. According to a National Public Radio analysis, the accommodations and food services industry makes up nearly 28 percent of new union election petitions (a huge jump from the fewer than 4 percent of union election petitions coming from the industry a decade ago). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, unionization among employees within the food and beverage industry was relatively low. However, many of these employees were deemed essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and were required to continue working as the virus spread. As a result, employees in the industry began to demand higher pay and better working conditions.