Politico reports that two lawsuits against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s pension-reform law will now commence after a judge placed them on hold. One lawsuit is being brought by public-sector unions and the other by public employees. A Cook County Circuit ... More »
The Wall Street Journal reports that labor costs have risen in the first quarter of 2015. Private-industry wages and salaries increased 2.8% in early 2015 in what has been termed the “strongest year-over-year growth” since the third quarter of 2008... More »
On the heels of the “Fight for Fifteen” campaign, The New York Times reports that the movement is significant for “political activists looking to the 2016 presidential campaign and beyond” as a “potentially pivotal moment.” ... More »
Following McDonald’s announcement that it would raise wages for only workers employed directly by the company (about 5% of McDonald’s entire workforce), low-wage fast food workers in Boston expressed their outrage at the company’s “publ... More »
The LA Times reports that farmworkers in Baja California have vowed to continue striking after negotiations failed on Wednesday. Authorities arrested farmworkers during protests and have refused to release them. Baja California is located about 200 miles south... More »
Lydia DePillis of The Washington Post writes that the nine-person staff of the D.C. bike shop, Capitol Hill Bikes, voted to form the District Bicycle Workers’ Union. The move came after workers of Capital Bikeshare tried to unionize last year. Capitol Hi... More »
The LA Times reports that news of Wisconsin’s impending right-to-work law would make the state the 25th state in the country to abolish union fees. The move is part of Republican Governor Scott Walker’s platform, which “some see as strong eno... More »
Politico reports that the mega corporation Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., will increase its starting hourly wage beginning in April. Walmart plans to raise the starting hourly wage to $9 and hopes to increase it to $10 by 2016. The company ... More »
The New York Times reports that Mary T. Barra, chief executive of G.M. Motors, has made the decision to give out bonuses to union blue-collar workers for the first time since the company’s bankruptcy in 2009. The bonuses are greater than what the 48,000 ... More »
Patrick J. Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, New York City’s largest police union, will face challenges in the union election later this year. Lynch assumed a high profile when he “openly clashed” with Mayo... More »
The president of UAW Local 42 at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga announced planned meetings with company executives yesterday. Politico reports that this would be the “first time the union has conferred formally with executives” under the auto ... More »
The Boston Globe reports that advocates are hopeful that increased sick leave will increasingly become a national and bipartisan issue. Massachusetts recently passed a ballot that would allow most workers to earn up to five sick days per year. The measure pass... More »
May 15th, 2015