
Esther Ritchin is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, the NLRB files an injunction against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Cal/OSHA heat enforcement rates have fallen, and Walgreens pharmacy workers hope to unionize.
On Wednesday, August 14, the National Labor Relations Board filed an injunction against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, asking a judge to compel the newspaper to reimburse their employees for healthcare costs incurred as a result of the paper’s unilateral changes to employee healthcare, and bring the paper back to the bargaining table for good faith negotiations. This order comes after a nearly two-year strike by a group of employees.
The Los Angeles Times and Capital & Main, found that California was cutting back on enforcement of its heat safety standards, even as temperatures continue to rise. California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is responsible for enforcing California’s outdoor heat-illness law, which requires protections including shaded break areas and cool drinking water. The investigation conducted by LA Times and Capital & Main found that from 2017 to 2023, Cal/OSHA conducted 30% fewer field investigations and issued 40% fewer violations to employers. The drop in numbers does not reflect improved compliance by employers, according to advocates such as California Rural Legal Assistance and interviews with more than 40 farmworkers in California.
Walgreens pharmacists and technicians at a store in Washington are hoping to be the first Walgreens employees to join the Pharmacy Guild, a union that formed last year in the wake of walkouts throughout the industry. CVS employees at a store in Las Vegas became the first to join the union last year, followed by CVS employees at other stores. The Washington Walgreen workers are hoping for more reasonable workloads and adequate staffing.
Daily News & Commentary
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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.
June 20
Three state bills challenge Garmon preemption; Wisconsin passes a bill establishing portable benefits for gig workers; and a sharp increase in workplace ICE raids contribute to a nationwide labor shortage.
June 19
Report finds retaliatory action by UAW President; Senators question Trump's EEOC pick; California considers new bill to address federal labor law failures.
June 18
Companies dispute NLRB regional directors' authority to make rulings while the Board lacks a quorum; the Department of Justice loses 4,500 employees to the Trump Administration's buyout offers; and a judge dismisses Columbia faculty's lawsuit over the institution's funding cuts.