In September, the company finally reached a deal with 32BJ, agreeing to help place union contractors if not at WeWork, then back in the workforce. But WeWork's brand as a do-good company suffered considerable damage. "If that had continued, I wonder how that would have affected their core business," said Richard Greenwald, a labor historian and dean at Brooklyn College, arguing that crossing picket lines might make WeWork's mostly young and liberal members uncomfortable.