
Mila Rostain is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, over 320,000 Utahns sign a petition supporting a referendum to repeal Utah’s 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 Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) faces reports that staffers of the agency accessed the NLRB’s sensitive case files.
Protect Utah Workers, a coalition of unions, announced that over 320,000 Utahns had signed a petition supporting a referendum that would repeal HB267, Utah’s newly passed law that prohibits public sector collective bargaining. As Elyse reported, the coalition had to collect 140,748 signatures to put the referendum on the ballot. The 320,000 signatures collected make the campaign the largest in Utah’s history. John Arthur, a teacher and member of the Utah Education Association, said, “I’m used to teaching history, but today we’re out here making it because we turn frustration into action and action into results.” The coalition has not yet confirmed if 8% of registered voters from at least 15 of 29 Senate districts signed the petition as required by Utah law, and the Utah chapter of Americans for Prosperity launched a campaign in support of HB267 urging voters to retract their signatures. Jessica Staufer, registered nurse and president of Utah Health Workers United, CWA Local 7765, told signers “don’t fall for it. If you signed the petition, keep your name . . . if you believe in nurses, teachers, first responders and public workers, stand with us. We are ready for the next fight and we will win.” If enough signatures are verified, Utahns will be able to vote to repeal HB267 in the 2026 general election.
In a memorandum opinion, Judge John D. Bates of the US District Court for the District of Columbia declined to dismiss claims against DOGE, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The AFL-CIO and member unions had filed the complaint alleging that DOGE operated and directed actions at the agencies without legal authority and that by allowing DOGE staff to access agency systems, the agencies violated preexisting DOL, HHS, and CFPB regulations preventing disclosure of records unless permitted by the Privacy Act. Judge Bates dismissed claims against the agencies that relied on other federal statutes, as well as free-standing Privacy Act claims.
DOGE also faces accusations that DOGE staffers accessed the NLRB’s sensitive case files. According to whistleblower Daniel Berulis, staffers requested their activities not be logged and attempted to cover up their tracks after accessing the information. His disclosure also suggested a spike in data leaving the agency while the DOGE staffers had access. Since NPR first investigated the whistleblowing disclosure Tuesday, DOGE has requested information on NLRB operations and will be assigning a detail of two representatives from DOGE to NLRB headquarters for several months, according to an email from NLRB Director of Administration Lasharn Hamilton obtained by Bloomberg Law.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 6
Municipal workers in Philadelphia continue to strike; Zohran Mamdani collects union endorsements; UFCW grocery workers in California and Colorado reach tentative agreements.
July 4
The DOL scraps a Biden-era proposed rule to end subminimum wages for disabled workers; millions will lose access to Medicaid and SNAP due to new proof of work requirements; and states step up in the noncompete policy space.
July 3
California compromises with unions on housing; 11th Circuit rules against transgender teacher; Harvard removes hundreds from grad student union.
July 2
Block, Nanda, and Nayak argue that the NLRA is under attack, harming democracy; the EEOC files a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels; and SEIU Local 1000 strikes an agreement with the State of California to delay the state's return-to-office executive order for state workers.
July 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Department of Labor proposes to roll back minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by public defenders over a union’s Gaza statements, and Philadelphia’s largest municipal union is on strike for first time in nearly 40 years. On Monday, the U.S. […]
June 30
Antidiscrimination scholars question McDonnell Douglas, George Washington University Hospital bargained in bad faith, and NY regulators defend LPA dispensary law.