In immigration news, the crisis of unaccompanied minors at the border continues. According to the Wall Street Journal, President Obama met with the presidents of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador to discuss a solution that addresses longer-term regional problems that drive the children to come to America. Salvadoran Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez said, “[t]he sheer size of transnational organized crime is not something that can be tackled by one nation.” Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that religious groups in the United States have mobilized in support of providing aid to the immigrant children. According to the Times, the child immigration issue may be pushing otherwise conservative religious groups to support broader immigration reform.
In Massachusetts, the Boston Globe reports that unions are a stronger force in Massachusetts’s politics than at any time in the past 25 years. Unions have played a key role in raising the minimum wage, passing “new workplace protections for state employees, a bill of rights for housekeepers and other domestic workers,” and supporting more victories for workers.
In sports news, the New York Times reports that student-athletes have won several long-sought concessions from the N.C.A.A. and universities. Schools and the N.C.A.A. have stated that these changes have been in the works for some time, but outside observers see this is a reaction to some players’ attempts to unionize, as well as an anti-trust lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. Some universities are now guaranteeing multi-year rather than one-year scholarships, improving medical coverage and providing greater financial support. The N.C.A.A. is also no longer asking players to sign a waiver giving the organization the right to use their likeness without compensation. We’ve covered the student-athlete attempts to unionize previously, including here, here, and here.
National Geographic has a feature on the “The New Face of Hunger” in America. The magazine explores why “[o]ne-sixth of Americans don’t have enough food to eat” through profiles of families in Iowa, Texas, and New York.
In international news, Iberia airlines reached an agreement with its union to cut its staff by 1,427, according to the Wall Street Journal. The reduction in staff will last through at least 2015.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 1
Trump nominates Keith Sonderling as Labor Secretary; OPM finalizes rule allowing suitability-based removal of federal employees for post-appointment conduct.
June 30
SCOTUS ends removal protections for agencies; staff at NYC cocktail bar vote to unionize.
June 29
In today’s News and Commentary, student-athletes file a class action suit challenging the NCAA’s new Age-Based Rule, a federal judge declines to issue a preliminary injunction against FEMA’s reduction in force but expedites proceedings, and Gavin Newsom opposes California’s proposed billionaire tax in favor of a federal approach. On Thursday, DeJuan Campbell, at basketball player […]
June 28
Philadelphia utility workers announce July 4 strike; national parks workers vote to unionize; Michigan considers “right to disconnect” bill.
June 26
Mamdani issues workplace heat protections order; Fifth Circuit denies enforcement of NLRB order against Starbucks; AFGE unlikely to secure injunction against FEMA layoffs.
June 25
NLRB orders Amazon to bargain with workers; federal judge blocks ICE agents from making arrests in courthouses.