Jacqueline Rayfield is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, Rutgers University unions considers resuming strike, Senator Cory Booker introduces legislation aimed to deter child labor through federal contracts, and Cargill Inc claims they will need months to sever ties with a U.S. meatpacking plant fined for child labor violations.
Rutgers staff and the University reached a framework deal and resumed classes on Monday, but staff remain frustrated with University bargaining tactics including delays and ignoring crucial demands. The New Jersey Governor’s office and University announced that a tentative deal on Friday would bring the strike to an end, but staff explain their strike has only been suspended. They reserve the right to go back to the picket line should bargaining not continue.
On Tuesday, Senators Cory Booker and Peter Welch introduced legislation to deter child labor in the meatpacking industry by barring offenders from federal contracts. As a major purchaser of meat for school lunch programs, USDA contracts could act as a deterrent. The legislation aims to address a slew of recent stories uncovering dangerous labor practices in the industry, including a February report on cleaning company Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), which was found employing children in grueling overnight shifts. These shifts left children with burns and other injuries. This bill comes as the latest in a series of proposed solutions to this problem in the food industry.
Cargill, the world’s largest ground beef producer, announced they will need months to cut ties with PSSI after the reported child labor abuses. Cargill began phasing out its work with the cleaning company in March, but their relationship will not be fully terminated until mid-May. While the Department of Labor has not accused Cargill of any wrongdoing, the Biden administration urged them and others in the meatpacking industry to review their supply chains for child labor abuse.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 21
WNBA players stage protest; Minneapolis DFL Party endorses Omar Fateh.
July 20
A US District Court orders the Trump Administration to provide its plans for firing federal workers; the Massachusetts Legislature considers multiple labor bills; and waste-collection workers at Republic Services strike throughout the nation.
July 18
Trump names two NLRB nominees; Bernie Sanders introduces guaranteed universal pension plan legislation; the DOL ends its job training program for low-income seniors; and USCIS sunsets DALE.
July 17
EEOC resumes processing transgender workers' complaints; Senate questions Trump's NLRB General Counsel nominee; South Korean unions strike for reforms.
July 16
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lays off thousands of employees; attorneys for the Trump Administration argue against revealing plans to reduce the workforce of federal agencies; and the Fourth Circuit grants an emergency stay on the termination of TPS for thousands of Afghans.
July 15
The Department of Labor announces new guidance around Occupational Safety and Health Administration penalty and debt collection procedures; a Cornell University graduate student challenges graduate student employee-status under the National Labor Relations Act; the Supreme Court clears the way for the Trump administration to move forward with a significant staff reduction at the Department of Education.