
Liana Wang is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, Alabama enacts paid parental leave for state employees, a new jobs report could be upended by tariff policies, and labor unions help plan mass demonstrations across the country.
In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill that provides paid parental leave to state employees, including public school teachers. The law, previously SB199, will go into effect on July 1. It makes Alabama the 39th state to offer government employees some form of paid parental leave.
On Friday, the Department of Labor reported that employers added 228,000 jobs in March, an uptick from the previous two months. However, the numbers are based on a survey conducted in the middle of the month and do not reflect the Trump Administration’s recently announced tariffs. Experts predict that higher prices will lead companies to pull back on hiring and potentially resort to layoffs. On Thursday, automaker Stellantis announced a temporary layoff of 900 workers at five U.S. plants. The plants usually supply parts to Canadian and Mexican assembly plants where Stellantis has paused production due to the new tariffs. 25% of chief financial officers said that tariffs have prompted cutbacks in hiring this year according to a recent quarterly survey conducted by Duke University and the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Atlanta.
Meanwhile, “Hands Off!” demonstrations across the country peacefully protested the Trump Administration’s recent activities, including mass deportations, federal agency layoffs, eliminating bargaining rights for federal employees, and potential cuts to social safety net programs. Organizers estimate that over 600,000 people participated in the demonstrations, which were planned by over 150 groups, including civil rights organizations and labor unions. Unions, healthcare advocates, and education advocates plan to continue protests with a national day of action on Tuesday, April 8 to oppose proposed cuts to the NIH, NSF, and DOE.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
June 27
Labor's role in Zohran Mamdani's victory; DHS funding amendment aims to expand guest worker programs; COSELL submission deadline rapidly approaching
June 26
A district judge issues a preliminary injunction blocking agencies from implementing Trump’s executive order eliminating collective bargaining for federal workers; workers organize for the reinstatement of two doctors who were put on administrative leave after union activity; and Lamont vetoes unemployment benefits for striking workers.
June 25
Some circuits show less deference to NLRB; 3d Cir. affirms return to broader concerted activity definition; changes to federal workforce excluded from One Big Beautiful Bill.
June 24
In today’s news and commentary, the DOL proposes new wage and hour rules, Ford warns of EV battery manufacturing trouble, and California reaches an agreement to delay an in-person work mandate for state employees. The Trump Administration’s Department of Labor has advanced a series of proposals to update federal wage and hour rules. First, the […]
June 23
Supreme Court interprets ADA; Department of Labor effectively kills Biden-era regulation; NYC announces new wages for rideshare drivers.
June 22
California lawmakers challenge Garmon preemption in the absence of an NLRB quorum and Utah organizers successfully secure a ballot referendum to overturn HB 267.