Sophia is a student at Harvard Law School and a member of the Labor and Employment Lab.
In today’s news and commentary, Trump fires regulator in charge of reviewing railroad mergers; fired Fed Governor sues Trump asserting unlawful termination; and Trump attacks more federal sector unions.
On Thursday, Robert Primus, a member of the Surface Transportation Board, discovered that President Trump had fired him after returning home from an event unveiling new high-speed Acela trains. Primus’s removal comes just as the board weighs a merger between Union Pacific Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART) condemned Trump’s action, citing a retaliatory motive given that Primus had vocally opposed the merger out of concerns of corporate consolidation. Primus was the sole dissent in a March 2023 board decision that approved a merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
On Monday, President Trump announced via social media that he had fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Prior to Cook’s removal, no president had fired a central bank governor in the bank’s 111-year history. Cook filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday, alleging that her firing was “unprecedented and illegal.” The lawsuit raises the possibility of a landmark legal battle over the Federal Reserve’s status as an independent institution.
President Trump issued a directive yesterday expanding on a March executive order ending collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) for many federal agencies. The latest agencies affected include the Bureau of Reclamation, the International Trade Administration, the Office of the Commissioner for Patents, the National Weather Service, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, NASA, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Trump’s latest effort to curb federal-sector collective bargaining comes after the Supreme Court allowed Trump to proceed with the elimination of CBAs for certain agencies. In the wake of that decision, several agencies have canceled union contracts for their employees including Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and just this week – Health and Human Services.
Daily News & Commentary
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September 15
Documents reveal the inner workings of Amazon's union avoidance program; Washington state public sector unions reach tentative deals amid a difficult bargaining cycle; hundreds of Nevada Culinary Union members protest their union's health care changes.
September 14
NCAA and Big Ten file motion to dismiss in former star player's NIL suit; Seventh Circuit rules against former postal worker in discrimination suit.
September 13
Documents released on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks show that city officials encouraged workers to return to Ground Zero despite knowing the risks of asbestos exposure, and new polls demonstrate continued widespread support for labor unions.
September 10
Amazon workers allege pregnancy discrimination; federal unions challenge USDA reorganization; NYC warns of silicosis risks.
September 9
Wynn Las Vegas employees allege anti-union retaliation; Amazon faces a class action over pregnancy accommodations; H-1B demand plunges following a six-figure visa fee.
September 8
In today’s News and Commentary, workers and unions across America celebrate Labor Day, California’s SEIU Local 1000 prepares for a strike authorization vote, and New York City creates the Office of Worker Power. On Monday, labor unions and workers gathered in cities across the United States in celebration of Labor Day. Parades and rallies took […]