Tascha Shahriari-Parsa is a government lawyer enforcing workers’ rights laws. He clerked on the Supreme Court of California after graduating from Harvard Law School in 2024. His writing on this blog reflects his personal views only.
Today, U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman from New York is introducing a “Green New Deal for Public Schools” which would fund 1.3 million jobs a year by hiring and training more teachers and reducing student-to-staff ratios. It would also direct more money to schools with high rates of poverty, increase social services for students (including psychologists and counsellors), and invest hundreds of billions of dollars in sustainable infrastructure in the public school system over the next ten years, among other proposals. “We are in ongoing negotiation and communication with leadership to ensure that provisions of this bill are included in reconciliation,” Bowman said.
A federal district court held that Biden’s firing of former NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb, a Trump labor appointee, is permissible under the NLRA. The court’s decision was in accord with legal analysis offered previously on this blog: while Board members are subject to for-cause removal under Section 3(a) of the NLRA, the General Counsel—who is clearly not a Board member—is not and can be removed at will by the President.
With the CDC Moratorium ending on July 31st, millions of Americans who are currently behind on their rent could be at risk for eviction. The Biden administration has issued statements with suggestions for state and local governments, including on the disbursement of $46 million in rental relief, as well as recommendations to state courts aimed at avoiding evictions.
In a memo released Wednesday, an NLRB attorney recommended that the Board dismiss the claims of the Methodist Hospital of Southern California that two unions violated the NLRA by failing to provide notice before allegedly picketing the hospital. The memo concluded that a demonstration that did not block access to the hospital and did not force members of the public to interact with demonstrators did not count as picketing, and thus did not require notice to the employer under the NLRA. “The mere fact that demonstrators stood close to a hospital driveway and pedestrian walkway does not establish picketing under current board law,” the memo articulated. The Methodist Hospital has withdrawn their charges.
On Thursday, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer filed for cloture on the Senate’s confirmation of NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. The Senate could vote on her nomination in the coming week. Abruzzo’s nomination is supported by the AFL-CIO. Abruzzo would also be the first woman to serve as the Board’s top lawyer.
The House’s Appropriations Bill for 2022 calls for the phasing out of unpaid internships within the State Department over the next three years, and includes $10 million for the State Department to compensate interns.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
October 19
FDA reverses course on policy prohibiting off-duty union activity; FAA and NATCA reach deal to secure pay increase for air traffic controllers.
October 18
Federal judge again halts cancellation of the Bureau of Prisons’ CBA; tabletop gaming workers face roadblocks in union recognition.
October 16
Department of Labor reduces wage-and-hour enforcement at unionized workplaces; Fain's victory poses question of federal monitor's extension.
October 15
New reporting examines the rollback of child labor protections; California tries to block a strike; NLRB charges Wisconsin mental health provider with firing workers during union drive.
October 14
Eleventh Circuit overturns ERISA exhaustion rule; DHS finalizes removal of automatic renewal for work permits; AFGE challenges SSA over flexible scheduling policy.
October 13
Chicago hotel workers remain on strike; a coalition of Democratic states sues the Labor Department over canceled unemployment insurance grants; the Federal Labor Relations Authority establishes a new mediation framework for federal worker disputes.