Gilbert Placeres is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News & Commentary, the UAW’s federal monitor criticized for involving himself in the Union’s Gaza stance, EPA staffers win scientific integrity protections, and a DOJ working group asks for stronger federal protections against sexual misconduct.
In In These Times, former Congressman Andy Levin and law professor Sanjukta Paul ask why the UAW’s federal monitor is involving himself in the Union’s stance against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The monitor was appointed by a federal judge in 2021 as part of a settlement to resolve fraud and corruption charges against the Union and several of its officers. (The charges concerned a bribery and kickback scheme between Union officials and Chrysler (now Stellantis). Another provision of the settlement was direct elections, the first of which led to the rise of a reform slate and current President Shawn Fain.) Although the monitor’s scope is related to those charges, he has twice expressed concern to the UAW about their stance against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. First, he called Fain personally and, later, forwarded a letter from the Anti-Defamation League. Levin and Paul argue the monitor has unethically used his position to influence the Union and the judge should seriously consider replacing him.
Staff at the Environmental Protection Agency ratified a new contract that aims to insulate their scientific work from inappropriate interference, including political meddling. Staffers will now be protected from retaliation in reporting scientific integrity violations. The move is seen as aimed to guard against a potential second Trump presidency and the targeting of civil service protections that could follow.
Elsewhere in the federal workforce, a Justice Department working group wrote a letter urging the Biden administration to take action against sexual misconduct in federal workplaces. The DOJ Gender Equality Network argues there are not currently adequate response systems to sexual misconduct across all federal agencies. The letter comes after a string of federal sexual misconduct reports, including at the Drug Enforcement Agency. The group calls for regular climate surveys and centralized reporting systems and investigations.
Daily News & Commentary
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December 19
Labor law professors file an amici curiae and the NLRB regains quorum.
December 18
New Jersey adopts disparate impact rules; Teamsters oppose railroad merger; court pauses more shutdown layoffs.
December 17
The TSA suspends a labor union representing 47,000 officers for a second time; the Trump administration seeks to recruit over 1,000 artificial intelligence experts to the federal workforce; and the New York Times reports on the tumultuous changes that U.S. labor relations has seen over the past year.
December 16
Second Circuit affirms dismissal of former collegiate athletes’ antitrust suit; UPS will invest $120 million in truck-unloading robots; Sharon Block argues there are reasons for optimism about labor’s future.
December 15
Advocating a private right of action for the NLRA, 11th Circuit criticizes McDonnell Douglas, Congress considers amending WARN Act.
December 12
OH vetoes bill weakening child labor protections; UT repeals public-sector bargaining ban; SCOTUS takes up case on post-arbitration award jurisdiction