Recently, a federal magistrate judge in San Francisco ruled to allow a labor lawsuit against GrubHub to go forward, denying the company’s motion for summary judgment. Lawson v. GrubHub was first filed in 2015, and it is one example of an ongoing case that could help answer the question of whether gig economy workers should be classified as contractors or as employees.
The Fifth Circuit recently reaffirmed the view of many courts that “regular work-site attendance” is essential to most jobs, a position that is in tension with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In Credeur v. Louisiana, the court held that a lawyer in the Louisiana state attorney general’s office is not entitled to telecommute as an accommodation for complications from kidney transplant surgery.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to focus on private-sector hiring, rather than pubic spending, to spur employment recovery drew praise from French business leaders, reports the Wall Street Journal. At an annual summer retreat, French business elite generally expressed support for President Macron’s plans to loosen rigid labor rules, while some cautioned that the measures will take time to take effect, given the fact that the overall unemployment rate is nearly ten percent, and about a quarter of young people are unemployed.
The New York Times reports that this week, U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley and other Democratic members of the New York congressional delegation are set to introduce the 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act, a bill that would give green cards to undocumented immigrants who served in the rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “They served our country when we needed a hand, and now we are only showing them, unfortunately, the back of ours,” Mr. Crowley said at a news conference outside City Hall on Sunday. “Instead of gratitude, they are being shown the door.”
Daily News & Commentary
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September 30
Harvard grad union wins in First Circuit; AI data trainers initiate misclassification suits; Trader Joe’s found liable under ERISA.
September 29
Unions, AI companies, and private equity firms form a new coalition to shape data center policies; unions express support for the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.
September 28
The Protect College Sports Act nears passage in the Senate; San Francisco municipal workers agree to contract extensions.
September 27
The Trump Administration reaches a settlement with federal unions on reduction in force actions; the United Auto Workers file an en banc petition seeking review of a Second Circuit decision regarding labor arbitrations.
September 25
Healthcare workers rally to restore legal status for TPS holders; nurses at a Maine hospital overwhelmingly vote to form their union despite alleged aggressive union busting tactics.
September 24
NLRB abandons rule for offensive conduct during protected activity; New York home care workers seek a union election; maritime deck officers endure long fight for first contracts.