Three notable work stoppages have captured headlines this summer: the Republic Services waste removal strike, Fenway Park vendors' picket and bar advocates walking off the job over a wage dispute.

Why it matters: Organized labor in Massachusetts and across the country is more willing to take direct action as the economy fluctuates and the cost of living puts pressure on workers.

Driving the news: Multiple unions are taking hardline positions on automation, wages and benefits, potentially influencing future negotiations regionwide.

• They've been spurred on by successful strikes last year that saw hotel workers win concessions from owners. The hotel workers' local, UNITE HERE Local 26, is the same union behind the Fenway Park action.

What they're saying: "Our union members have found courage, even at a time they know it's going to get worse," Greater Boston Labor Council president Darlene Lombos told Axios.

• Lombos said "there's something special about this moment in history," as economic pressure and federal policies make it harder for working people, yet unions are rallying to support strikes.
• Lombos said unions are finding "the courage and bravery to step out when we know that things are hard and are going to get harder."

Catch up quick: Waste collector Republic Services and the national Teamsters have been at a standoff over wages.

• That hit home July 1 when 450 local workers went on strike and disrupted normal trash collection for 14 municipalities and countless apartment buildings, restaurants and other businesses.

And there's history being made at Fenway Park, but it's not because of the Red Sox.

• For the first time in the park's 113-year history, concession and restaurant workers struck over the weekend during the Red Sox-Dodgers series before suspending the strike while still in negotiations.

Lawyers who defend indigent clients are demanding more pay from the state and walked off the job this summer, leading to hundreds of cases being dismissed because of the lack of representation.

The intrigue: Labor tensions are also allegedly at the heart of the Market Basket management fervor, with board members accusing ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas of supporting a worker revolt at his own company of 90-plus New England locations.

What's next: The waste collectors, Fenway vendors and bar advocates are all still in negotiations while their work stoppages continue.

• The strike bug might be spreading: Union nurses on Cape Cod authorized a three-day strike this week over wages, health benefits and workplace safety.

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We asked readers what they thought of World Cup games coming to Foxborough with tournament celebrations headquartered in Boston.

• 56.5% of you like the idea.
• 43.5% aren't on board.

Why it matters: Your responses show some sharp divisions over the MBTA's transportation capacity and what the economic impact of the World Cup could be.

What we're hearing: Enthusiastic supporters emphasized the global spotlight: "This is an opportunity for the Commonwealth and Boston to shine," one reader wrote.

• "We have the unique ability to show the world that we are a leader in sports, transit, innovation, and tourism all in one swing."

Reality check: Skeptics expressed capacity concerns.

• "The infrastructure is already maxed out and traffic is an experience in anarchy. I will be spending this period in Vermont. Hard pass,"
• "We experience so many traffic concerns during concerts. I am sure Boston and Foxboro will receive money from the World Cup and Walpole will be left out despite the fact we are greatly impacted," a reader from Foxborough's neighboring town wrote.

Zoom in: Some readers see potential upshots: "Brings people all over the world to experience our city. Plus it lights a (metaphorical) fire under MBTA's butt to get transit ready for the games."

The bottom line: Responses mirror classic mega-event debates — global prestige versus existing local constraints.

Share with a soccer fan or a nervous Walpole resident

🛒 Suspended Market Basket CEO Arthur T. Demoulas accused the company's board of trying to silence employees before a Sept. 3rd mediation session. (WCVB)

• The board recently fired two executives, Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon, alleging they planned work disruptions

🌿 More than 3,000 pages of documents are telling us all about the dysfunction at the Cannabis Control Commission as former Chair Shannon O'Brien fights her firing by Treasurer Deborah Goldberg. (SHNS)

• Internal emails show distrust and bickering among senior employees a the CCC.

🏊‍♀️ A federal judge dismissed Harvard from a Title IX lawsuit over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas's participation in a 2022 Ivy League competition. (Harvard Crimson)

• The judge ruled Harvard was following existing NCAA policies as the host venue.

Public TV and radio stations may find themselves with big holes in their budgets after Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funding.

Why it matters: Publicly available financial data collected by a former NPR staffer and shared with Axios shows that WGBH-TV's budget is 6.05% funded by CPB grants.

• The station's radio operations received 0.41% from CPB.
• WBUR received 4.32% from the grants.
• Provincetown's WOMR (15.31%) and Worcester's WICN (17.75%) will be the Massachusetts stations hurt worst by the cuts.

Driving the news: For hundreds of stations with available data, CPB grants made up about 10.3% of U.S. public TV stations' overall funding as of fiscal 2023, and 4.1% for radio stations.

• It's over 90% for KCUW in Pendleton, Oregon; KUHB in St. Paul, Alaska; and WVLS in Dunmore, West Virginia.

Between the lines: Public media stations in relatively populous, high-income cities like Boston tend to have better access to donors.

The latest: Many public TV and radio stations have recently been upping their pleas for donations, hoping to appeal to viewers and listeners in their time of need.

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