Ross Evans is a student at Harvard Law School and a member of the Labor and Employment Lab.
In a Bloomberg opinion article, New York University Law Professor Samuel Estreicher proposes a creative way that unions could withstand a Supreme Court defeat in Janus v. AFSCME: allow workers who object to paying union dues to instead donate an equivalent amount of money to the charity of their choice. Professor Estreicher argues that this approach would make the legal fight underlying Janus “no longer [] about freedom of speech but about the right to ride for free on the benefits unions provide.”
The New York Times explores how the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) has served as a model for female sports teams across the world in fighting for equal pay and improved employment conditions. Two years ago, the USWNT, which has had significantly more success than the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, began their crusade for equal pay–an effort that culminated in the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement one year ago.
Public-school teachers in select North Carolina school districts are being required to use time cards to track their time spent working. The Washington Post analyzes some of the implications of this practice, including the “deprofessionalization of teachers” and the potential “misrepresentation of teachers” (and the hours that they spend working outside of school).
The San Francisco Chronicle outlines pro-labor legislation that unions may lobby for in California should the Supreme Court rule for the plaintiff in Janus v. AFSCME. While organized labor has long held a powerful voice in California, an unfavorable Janus decision could decrease union membership in the state by 125,000 to 750,000 members (an amount equal to 5 to 30 percent of its current 2.5 million union members).
Daily News & Commentary
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May 9
Philadelphia City Council unanimously passes the POWER Act; thousands of federal worker layoffs at the Department of Interior expected; the University of Oregon student workers union reach a tentative agreement, ending 10-day strike
May 8
Court upholds DOL farmworker protections; Fifth Circuit rejects Amazon appeal; NJTransit navigates negotiations and potential strike.
May 7
U.S. Department of Labor announces termination of mental health and child care benefits for its employees; SEIU pursues challenge of NLRB's 2020 joint employer rule in the D.C. Circuit; Columbia University lays off 180 researchers
May 6
HHS canceled a scheduled bargaining session with the FDA's largest workers union; members of 1199SEIU voted out longtime union president George Gresham in rare leadership upset.
May 5
Unemployment rates for Black women go up under Trump; NLRB argues Amazon lacks standing to challenge captive audience meeting rule; Teamsters use Wilcox's reinstatement orders to argue against injunction.
May 4
In today’s news and commentary, DOL pauses the 2024 gig worker rule, a coalition of unions, cities, and nonprofits sues to stop DOGE, and the Chicago Teachers Union reaches a remarkable deal. On May 1, the Department of Labor announced it would pause enforcement of the Biden Administration’s independent contractor classification rule. Under the January […]