They aren't really asking, are they? Asking is a question at TGIF. What these people were doing is trying to create a bloc of activists that comes with the implied or explicit threat of coordinated employee action or pressure, as they've engaged in previously. They're pushing the boundaries to see how much control over management they really have.
Good! The idea that management should by right have all the power in its relationship with workers is very convenient for management, but I don't see why that obligates anyone else to take it seriously.
I disagree, this shows that it is not a niche concern, and management should be aware of the workers concerns, they can overrule them if they want, but your workers are you first set of customers, so you can expect a similar pushback from your main customer base. So again if you want to overrule concerns you have a better idea of what they are and how to challenge them.