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Strikes at Amazon and Starbucks; GOP Considers Dropping Debt Ceiling Demand; Notre Dame and Indiana Kick Off Playoffs Tonight. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired December 20, 2024 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:33:03]
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now, thousands of Amazon contractors and Starbucks employees on strike. The workers union representing thousands of baristas says Starbucks workers in L.A., Chicago and Seattle are on strike this morning, five days before Christmas. In terms of Amazon, contracted Amazon delivery drivers in four states have also walked off the job.
CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is here with much more on this.
And when it comes to Amazon, Vanessa, they are saying that this is - despite the strike, it's not going to affect holiday deliveries. How?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: They say that it won't because it's a small percentage. It's less than 1 percent of their workforce that are on the picket lines. These are third party drivers that drive for Amazon and they're represented by the teamsters union, which says that they are on strike now because Amazon has not come to the negotiating table.
Amazon, though, says we don't have to come to the negotiating table because you're not recognized as union workers by the national labor relations board. But for these workers, it is extremely personal. They're fighting for better wages.
Take a listen to two of those workers in California yesterday.
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TRENTON KNIGHT, AMAZON DRIVER: You look at other companies, like UPS. I mean, they are doing a lower volume now, and they're getting paid a lot more than we're getting paid. And we're getting more volume and less pay. That don't seem fair.
Samantha Thomas, AMAZON DRIVER: We already came to that conclusion that we were not recognized, even though we are the face of Amazon. We wear the uniform. We drive the trucks. When we pull up to your house, you say, oh, that's Amazon.
YURKEVICH: Right. And we know so many of those workers who do these deliveries every single day for millions of Americans.
The company says that they've invested millions of dollars into their third-party driver program, trying to bring those wages to $22 an hour. But as you heard that gentleman, he compares what he does to a UPS worker, which is similar in many ways, and he's getting paid far less than the upwards of $30 sometimes that these UPS drivers are getting paid.
BOLDUAN: What about Starbucks?
YURKEVICH: Starbucks on strike this morning. Thousands of workers. This is a different scenario, though.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
YURKEVICH: Because Starbucks does recognize that they have over 500 unionized stores.
[09:35:00]
They have been negotiating since February. Those are the states that they're going - that's actually for - that's for the other strike.
BOLDUAN: Yes, exactly. (INAUDIBLE).
YURKEVICH: They're - but anyways, they're going to be striking in Chicago, Seattle and L.A.. And essentially, they're going on strike because they said that Starbucks has failed to get a contract done by the end of the year. That was their deadline. They have no contract. They're asking for better wages. Starbucks apparently is offering a little more than 2 percent in wage increases. That's not good enough for the Starbucks workers, they say.
But this strike is going to go to the 24th. And there's going to be more cities added as time goes on.
This is timing - this timing is important, obviously, because it's around the holidays when Amazon and Starbucks do really well.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
YURKEVICH: These unions know what they're doing here.
BOLDUAN: That's a good point. Yes, intentional, the timing.
It's good to see you, Vanessa. Thank you so much.
YURKEVICH: Thanks.
BOLDUAN: We are now 14 hours, if you're counting, from a government shutdown. The first since 2018 with Republicans scrambling, we've labeled it plan c. So, let's see what they've got this morning. House Speaker Mike Johnson says they have a plan, but we'll see what that is.
Also, it was supposed to be a week-long mission to the International Space Station. Now, months and months later, how NASA's two astronauts stuck in space, they're not letting their delayed homecoming dim their holiday spirit, though.
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[09:41:00]
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We've got developing news, breaking news for you. Some new details. We're following the government funding fight on Capitol Hill.
CNN's Annie Grayer has breaking developments.
You've just learned some new information for us from just moments ago. What are you learning?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Well, the meeting in Speaker Mike Johnson's office, down the hall from here, is still ongoing, but we are learning that Republicans are discussing dropping a suspension of the debt limit from the plan to keep the government open. And this would buck President-elect Donald Trump's idea, who wanted this all to be included. So, it sounds like we are getting more back to where we started, separating government funding from the conversation of suspending and raising the debt limit. But this is something that Republicans are now going to need to sell to Democrats, because they're going to need a lot of support to get this to pass Congress.
But taking the - separating these issues and taking the debt limit out makes it a harder deal for Democrats to turn down. But, of course, they are very frustrated that these new negotiations are happening with them not involved. They are not in the room as these meetings are happening.
So, we are hearing from House Speaker Mike Johnson that he wants to vote today, but he's in the process of trying to sell this plan to Republicans as 38 of them voted against the bill last night.
SIDNER: Thank you so much for that brand new information, Annie.
With me now is a Republican strategist who ran the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Trump's first term, Neil Chatterjee. Also executive committee chair for the New York State Democratic Committee, Christine Quinn.
Thank you so much, both of you.
Neil, first to you.
You just heard that new news. We are now hearing from House Freedom Caucus member Anna Paulina Luna that there will be a vote at 10:00 a.m. So, that was fast.
But you heard there from Annie Grayer that there is this new line that they will drop out of the bill, the debt limit, which Donald Trump had wanted them to cram in there so that it happened during the Biden administration. What do you make of all this?
NEIL CHATTERJEE, FORMER FERC CHAIRMAN IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: Look, I was a longtime congressional aide, worked in both the House and Senate leadership. It's hard to make a pivot like that in the 11th hour. And when I say 11th hour, like, we really are there. They've got till about 5:00 p.m. today to wrap this up.
You know why? Because if you're a retiring member of Congress, you want to get home to spend the holidays with your family, and you're not going to stick around to deal with this. So, they are truly in the 11th hour. And I think they're scrambling to figure out what can actually pass to keep the government open.
SIDNER: Christine, if the debt limit is out of this bill, does that entice any Democrats to say, OK, this is a stripped down version. We're not getting all the things we want or much of what we want. We could actually put this forth.
CHRISTINE QUINN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, WIN: Well, I wonder, based on the speed that you referenced, and based on some of the Dem - the Dem minority whip you had on earlier in the show, if the Democrats have even been consulted. Because one thing is substance. The second thing is -
SIDNER: I can answer that question now. They haven't. They have not been consulted.
QUINN: Oh. Right.
SIDNER: And, you know, because we heard this from two different Republicans that they aren't planning to negotiate with the Democrats.
QUINN: You know, I think - I think cutting out the Democrats is a very risky proposition. Things are razor thin. President-elect Trump does not have the stranglehold over all of the rank and file Republicans. We saw that last night. If there really is an interest on the speaker's part and the Republican leadership's part to get a deal done, and my co-guest is right, time is ticking.
[09:45:05]
They have to negotiate with everyone and rise above partisan politics.
If that doesn't happen, if the Democrats don't know what the deal is in a real substantive way, what should compel them to vote for it and take the risk as it relates to the American people?
SIDNER: You know, the Republicans do have control. If they all decide, they could push this through.
Neil, I do want to ask you, do you think this is a preview of what is to come in 2025, and what Congress will be like?
CHATTERJEE: I actually don't. I think there are factors at play, that the conventional wisdom is missing. I'm an energy-focused person. The surge in demand for electricity that will be driven by A.I. is going to totally upend energy policy. And it's going to bring Republicans and Democrats together to do smart things, to make sure that we can win the A.I. race. That's just one example.
I actually am really optimistic about what Congress can accomplish in the next couple of years, folks working on a bipartisan basis. I've had conversations with - with senators on both sides of the aisle who are tired of the bickering and the partisanship, who want to get constructive things done, like permitting reform, so we can actually deliver on the economic interests of the American people.
So, I think, look, we're in the last days of an outgoing Congress. We've still got divided government.
I want to remind folks, Joe Biden's still president. There's still a Senate Democrat majority. Things are going to change come January 3rd. And I actually think they're going to change for the better.
SIDNER: Well, of course you do because the Republicans will be in control of the House and the Senate. I think that might be one of the reasons. I'm just putting that out there.
CHATTERJEE: They'll pursue smart policies. They'll pursue smart policies that will be good for the American people, that will garner bipartisan support.
SIDNER: Go ahead, Christine.
QUINN: You know, we can agree to disagree on some of that.
But, you know, I think the real question about what level of chaos will there be relates to unelected president Elon Musk. If he continues to really seem to drive what the president's decisions are, if he blows things up on X just because it doesn't fit his personal financial needs, then things are really going to get crazy, particularly at a level that - possibly at a level we've not seen before because he - no one voted for him.
SIDNER: I do want to mention that Mike Johnson, Speaker Mike Johnson, had asked Elon Musk, according to our reporting, to - not to weigh in on X. So, that tells you a little something right there.
I have one last question, really, really fast. I need a yes or no. Is Mike Johnson in trouble. First to our Republican friend here, Neil.
CHATTERJEE: Absolutely not. He'll be fine.
SIDNER: Christine.
CHATTERJEE: He'll be the speaker in 2025.
QUINN: Oh, so when they're talking about making somebody who's not elected to Congress, who's the richest man in the world speaker, some of the far MAGA Republicans, he's in trouble.
SIDNER: All right, Christine Quinn, Neil Chatterjee, thank you both so much. Appreciate it.
All right, a historic Hoosier state showdown. For the first time in 33 years, Indiana and Notre Dame are going to face off tonight for the college football playoffs. A lot of excitement surrounding that.
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[09:53:09]
BOLDUAN: Now, that is some way to get excited for a football game, friends. It's super anticipated, and I'm very biased in talking about it. College football playoff, it's set to kick off with a Friday night showdown between number seven seed Notre Dame, number ten seed Indiana, the first time in 33 years these two amazing programs, and rivals, will face off.
Andy Scholes is outside. Is it still snowing there? Oh, it's beautiful now in South Bend. What are you seeing there, friend?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, yes, Kate and Sara, the snow has just been coming down all morning long. It certainly looks like Christmas around here. You got snow on the ground. You got Indiana fans wearing red. Notre Dame fans wearing green. And this is going to be one of the coldest games ever here at Notre Dame. But that has not deterred the fans one bit. There are just hundreds of cars lined up here at 6:00 a.m. to get into these parking lots to start tailgating for this game. And we're hoping to have a good one here today because Indiana and Notre Dame kicking off the first ever 12 team playoff. You've got the grills cooking up the food, snow plows driving around trying to clear off the sidewalks.
But Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti, he's all for a winter wonderland game here today because he says his quarterback, Curtis Rourke, is built for it.
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CURT CIGNETTI, INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEAD COACH: I hope it snows a foot and a half. We have a Canadian quarterback. Did you see him throw the ball against Purdue? I mean this guy grew up like in the frigid north. He looked pretty good to me that night. So, I don't think it's going to bother him very much. And so much revolves around that guy, right? Everybody else will find a way to stay warm. But it's not a concern.
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[09:55:03]
SCHOLES: Yes, certainly not a concern for Rourke. He is from Ontario, Canada. So, this weather, not going to bother him one bit. But the temperature at kickoff for the game tonight is going to be 28 degrees.
And it's actually going to be even colder tomorrow at Penn State and Ohio State. You got three games on tap tomorrow, SMU at Penn State, Clemson at Texas. You can watch both of those on our sister network, TNT. And then the nightcap is Tennessee taking on Ohio State in Columbus.
But it all gets started here tonight, guys, in South Bend. These two schools, Indiana and Notre Dame, both here in the state, but they have not played each other since 1991. And such an interesting dynamic with the Indiana fans because, you know, they're a traditional basketball school. Usually not good at football. They are now. But usually not good at football. So, Indiana fans, traditionally over the decades, have cheered for Notre Dame football, but that will not be the case here tonight.
BOLDUAN: No, blood and carnage. That is what is before us. It's going to be an amazing game. I can't wait.
SIDNER: All right, I know you're excited and you want to go to watch the game. So, thank you for joining us.
BOLDUAN: Whoo-hoo, it's Friday.
SIDNER: This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "CNN NEWSROOM" starts next.
BOLDUAN: Thank you, guys.
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