State highway officials have committed $581,209 to Universal EV Chargers of Plano, Texas, to install four new fast electric vehicle chargers outside the Quality Inn hotel near Interstate 81 in Christiansburg. The project was one of 18 announced by the Virginia Department of Transportation last month. These chargers will be beneficial for through travelers passing by as there are currently no fast chargers in the area.
Meanwhile, Starbucks workers in Christiansburg have recently unionized due to inconsistent and unpredictable scheduling at the store near Interstate 81. Gwynn McCord, a barista and shift leader at the coffee shop, mentioned that days off are hard to come by in the current system. As a result, workers voted in favor of unionizing on April 2. With unionization, they hope to negotiate for a new scheduling system that will provide workers with regular time off for at least a solid month or even a quarter. As more Starbucks locations unionize, management has signaled a willingness to negotiate over important issues for workers. They have held over 500 negotiating sessions and hope to reach ratified agreements for represented stores by 2024.