In today’s news and commentary, federal employees challenge Trump executive orders, Trump announces changes at the NLRB but does not fire the general counsel, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer meets with the restaurant industry.
Anjali’s post yesterday covered a flurry of day one executive actions by President Trump aimed at the federal workforce, including hiring freeze, return-to-office, and “Schedule F” orders. Lawsuits have quickly been filed to challenge some of those actions. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) filed a lawsuit on Monday targeting the Schedule F order, which would make it easier for the Trump administration to fire career employees. In a statement, NTEU’s president criticized the order as “about administering political loyalty tests to everyday employees.” President Trump previously issued a Schedule F order in 2020, which NTEU also sued to challenge; President Biden rescinded the order before a judge could rule on that case. Three additional lawsuits filed yesterday challenge the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
At the Department of Labor, Trump’s first day actions included making Vince Micone acting secretary of labor while Lori Chavez-DeRemer awaits Senate confirmation. Trump also elevated Marvin Kaplan, the sole Republican on the National Labor Relations Board, to chair. Democratic nominees still hold a majority on the board, but Kaplan will lead a Republican majority once Trump nominees win Senate confirmation. However, Trump has not yet removed Jennifer Abruzzo as the NLRB’s general counsel.
Secretary of Labor nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer met with representatives of the restaurant industry last week. The International Franchise Association led the meeting, with representatives for McDonald’s, Yum! Brands (the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, among others), and Wendy’s in attendance, along with “salon brands and at least one hotel chain,” according to Bloomberg. The parties discussed joint employer status for franchised restaurants, a “top concern” for the industry. They also discussed the PRO Act, which Chavez-DeRemer supported as a member of Congress, and which the International Franchise Association has urged her to denounce.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
April 24
NLRB seeks to compel Amazon to collectively bargain with San Francisco warehouse workers, DoorDash delivery workers and members of Los Deliveristas Unidos rally for pay transparency, and NLRB takes step to drop lawsuit against SpaceX over the firing of employees who criticized Elon Musk.
April 22
DOGE staffers eye NLRB for potential reorganization; attacks on federal workforce impact Trump-supporting areas; Utah governor acknowledges backlash to public-sector union ban
April 21
Bryan Johnson’s ULP saga before the NLRB continues; top law firms opt to appease the EEOC in its anti-DEI demands.
April 20
In today’s news and commentary, the Supreme Court rules for Cornell employees in an ERISA suit, the Sixth Circuit addresses whether the EFAA applies to a sexual harassment claim, and DOGE gains access to sensitive labor data on immigrants. On Thursday, the Supreme Court made it easier for employees to bring ERISA suits when their […]
April 18
Two major New York City unions endorse Cuomo for mayor; Committee on Education and the Workforce requests an investigation into a major healthcare union’s spending; Unions launch a national pro bono legal network for federal workers.
April 17
Utahns sign a petition supporting referendum to repeal law prohibiting public sector collective bargaining; the US District Court for the District of Columbia declines to dismiss claims filed by the AFL-CIO against several government agencies; and the DOGE faces reports that staffers of the agency accessed the NLRB’s sensitive case files.