In an effort to reduce the gender pay gap, Delaware has enacted a law prohibiting employers from screening applicants based on salary history. In doing so, Delaware joins Massachusetts, Oregon, New York City, and Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s ordinance is under fire for allegedly violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments and allegedly being overly broad. Meanwhile, advocates have highlighted the correlation between a higher minimum wage and a smaller disparity, likely explained by women’s over-representation in low-wage jobs.
Bloomberg Business admiringly profiles attorney Saru Jayaraman and her organization Restaurant Opportunities Center United, concluding that their work is a model for worker organizing in the absence of a traditional union. The organization blends litigation with public pressure and counts both policy changes and concessions from individual employers among its victories.
First Daughter Ivanka Trump made her first and second visits to Capitol Hill this week, meeting with Republican Senators on Tuesday and Representatives on Wednesday to discuss paid parental leave. The Administration’s budget suggested using state unemployment funds to pay for parental leave; a Senate bill instead proposes tax credits for businesses offering paid leave. Time reports that Ivanka Trump has signaled a willingness to revise the Administration’s proposal.
“The customer is always right… But sometimes they’re not.” The New York Times quotes a New York transit worker reflecting on naked hostility by passengers and the transit authority’s tendency to side with passengers over employees. Police officers, a union representative, and several workers describe verbal and physical abuse – including 22 reported assaults against transit workers in New York City so far this year.
Daily News & Commentary
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October 31
DHS ends work permit renewal grace period; Starbucks strike authorization vote; captive-audience ban case appeal
October 30
Sweden’s Tesla strike enters its third year; Seattle rideshare drivers protest Waymo’s expansion in the city.
October 29
9th Circuit rejects challenge to NLRB's constitutional structure; preemption challenges to state labor peace statutes
October 28
Two federal unions oppose CBA cancellations, another federal union urges Democrats to end the government shut down, and Paramount plans for mass layoffs
October 27
GM and Rivian announce layoffs; Boeing workers reject contract offer.
October 26
California labor unions back Proposition 50; Harvard University officials challenge a union rally; and workers at Boeing prepare to vote on the company’s fifth contract proposal.