
Holt McKeithan is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, the NLRB withdraws its objections to SpaceX’s constitutional challenge, Whole Foods asks the NLRB to set aside a union election in Philadelphia, and the AFL-CIO launches a campaign to push back against Musk.
The NLRB filed a letter with the Fifth Circuit indicating it would not address SpaceX’s challenge to the agency’s constitutionality. John has been tracking the progress of various constitutional challenges to the Board, none of which has yet been endorsed by a court. SpaceX’s primary argument is that the Board’s structure is unconstitutional because it limits the removal of ALJs and Board members. As of yet, no interested parties have stepped in to address SpaceX’s constitutional arguments in the NLRB’s stead.
Less than two weeks ago, workers at a Philadelphia Whole Foods grocery store voted to unionize. They were the first group of workers at the Amazon-owned chain to form a union. Now, the grocer is asking the NLRB to set aside that election. While Whole Foods alleged the union unlawfully interfered with the election, UFCW Local 1776 says that the claims are baseless and a stall tactic to delay bargaining
The AFL-CIO is launching the Department of People Who Work for a Living to push back against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The group plans to take action through rallies and advertisements in front of key agencies who’s budgets are being slashed. “The government can work for billionaires or it can work for working people—but not both,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “
Daily News & Commentary
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August 27
The U.S. Department of Justice welcomes new hires and forces reassignments in the Civil Rights Division; the Ninth Circuit hears oral arguments in Brown v. Alaska Airlines Inc.; and Amazon violates federal labor law at its air cargo facility in Kentucky.
August 26
Park employees at Yosemite vote to unionize; Philadelphia teachers reach tentative three-year agreement; a new report finds California’s union coverage remains steady even as national union density declines.
August 25
Consequences of SpaceX decision, AI may undermine white-collar overtime exemptions, Sixth Circuit heightens standard for client harassment.
August 24
HHS cancels union contracts, the California Supreme Court rules on minimum wage violations, and jobless claims rise
August 22
Musk and X move to settle a $500 million severance case; the Ninth Circuit stays an order postponing Temporary Protection Status terminations for migrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal; the Sixth Circuit clarifies that an FMLA “estimate” doesn’t hard-cap unforeseeable intermittent leave.
August 21
FLRA eliminates ALJs; OPM axes gender-affirming care; H-2A farmworkers lose wage suit.