Holt McKeithan is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News & Commentary, the Senate cleared the way for the GOP to take control of the NLRB next year, and the NLRB classifies “Love is Blind” TV contestants as employees.
The Senate halted President Biden’s renomination of National Labor Relations Board Chair Lauren McFerran on Wednesday. McFerran’s nomination failed 49-50, with independents Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema joining Republicans to vote no. McFerran’s tenure as NLRB Chair is set to expire this month. The Democrats’ attempt to renominate her for another five-year term would have meant Democrat-control of the NLRB through 2026. Democrats could push for another attempt to hold a nomination vote, but Wednesday’s results indicate that it would not pass.
The NLRB has filed a complaint against reality TV show “Love is Blind,” arguing the contestants on the show should be characterized as employees and eligible for worker protections. Two contestants, Renee Poche and Nick Thompson, had previously filed an unfair labor practices claim against the show and pushed for classification as employees. The contract contestants must sign to participate in “Love is Blind” is restrictive, including a non-disclosure agreement and a $50,000 penalty for withdrawing from the show before filming wraps. This is the first time the NLRB has deemed reality TV contestants “employees,” and opens the door for unionization of the industry.
Daily News & Commentary
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March 12
EPA terminates contract with second-largest union; Florida advances bill restricting public sector unions; Trump administration seeks Supreme Court assistance in TPS termination.
March 11
The partial government shutdown results in TSA agents losing their first full paycheck; the Fifth Circuit upholds the certification of a class of former United Airline workers who were placed on unpaid leave for declining to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons during the pandemic; and an academic group files a lawsuit against the State Department over a policy that revokes and denies visas to noncitizens for their work in fact-checking and content moderation.
March 10
Court rules Kari Lake unlawfully led USAGM, voiding mass layoffs; Florida Senate passes bill tightening union recertification rules; Fifth Circuit revives whistleblower suit against Lockheed Martin.
March 9
6th Circuit rejects Cemex, Board may overrule precedents with two members.
March 8
In today’s news and commentary, a weak jobs report, the NIH decides it will no longer recognize a research fellows’ union, and WNBA contract talks continue to stall as season approaches. On Friday, the Labor Department reported that employers cut 92,000 jobs in February while the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.4 percent. A loss […]
March 6
The Harvard Graduate Students Union announces a strike authorization vote.