John Fry is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, D.C. Circuit reinstates Wilcox; DOL attempts to trim workforce again; and unions split regarding Trump tariffs.
The full D.C. Circuit has restored NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox to her seat, undoing a panel decision which had kept Wilcox sidelined pending full consideration of her case. Monday’s order reinstating Wilcox emphasized that the Supreme Court has expressly declined to overturn Humphrey’s Executor in recent cases and emphasized that lower courts must “follow extant Supreme Court precedent unless and until that Court itself changes it or overturns it.” Four judges dissented from Monday’s decision, repeating arguments made by the D.C. Circuit panel in late March.
The Department of Labor is once again emailing its employees seeking to induce them to resign or retire. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer informed employees that until April 14th, the DOGE-backed programs known colloquially as the “fork in the road” will be reopened at the department. Chavez-DeRemer’s email also indicated that future attempts to reduce the size of the department’s workforce will be rolled out over the coming weeks.
President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imported goods are dividing labor unions. While the Teamsters have supported the new tariffs and the United Auto Workers have endorsed the 25% tariff on foreign-manufactured cars, some unions and union members have been hesitant. For example, the president of the Chicago Federation of Labor suggested that a decline in foreign trade will hurt workers in supply-chain jobs, while some auto workers fear that the tariffs could cause a recession that hurts American carmakers more than the tariffs help them.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
December 8
Private payrolls fall; NYC Council overrides mayoral veto on pay data; workers sue Starbucks.
December 7
Philadelphia transit workers indicate that a strike is imminent; a federal judge temporarily blocks State Department layoffs; and Virginia lawmakers consider legislation to repeal the state’s “right to work” law.
December 5
Netflix set to acquire Warner Bros., Gen Z men are the most pro-union generation in history, and lawmakers introduce the “No Robot Bosses Act.”
December 4
Unionized journalists win arbitration concerning AI, Starbucks challenges two NLRB rulings in the Fifth Circuit, and Philadelphia transit workers resume contract negotiations.
December 3
The Trump administration seeks to appeal a federal judge’s order that protects the CBAs of employees within the federal workforce; the U.S. Department of Labor launches an initiative to investigate violations of the H-1B visa program; and a union files a petition to form a bargaining unit for employees at the Met.
December 2
Fourth Circuit rejects broad reading of NLRA’s managerial exception; OPM cancels reduced tuition program for federal employees; Starbucks will pay $39 million for violating New York City’s Fair Workweek law; Mamdani and Sanders join striking baristas outside a Brooklyn Starbucks.