
Sharon Block is a Professor of Practice and the Executive Director of the Center for Labor and a Just Economy at Harvard Law School.
On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order purporting to boost the Department’s apprenticeship program. In announcing his plans to make available more federal grant money for new apprenticeship programs, Trump also announced that he would diminish federal oversight of these new programs. Traditionally, DOL has required grantees to register their apprenticeship programs with DOL or the appropriate state agency in order “to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, ensure equality of access to apprenticeship programs, and provide integrated employment and training information to sponsors and the local employment and training community.” Calling regulations that protect the quality and integrity of apprenticeship programs “obstacles“, the Trump Administration instead will allow employers and other third parties to police their own quality control. Trump’s weakening of the apprenticeship registration system is significant because in the past, including during the Obama Administration, job training had been one bright spot of bipartisanship. The reaction from Democrats to today’s announcement was mixed. While the White House touted the initiative as pro-worker because it includes a proposal to approximately double the amount of money for apprenticeship grants, the proposed increase would come from cuts to other DOL job training programs and pales in comparison to Trump’s proposed $2 billion in cuts to the overall workforce training budget.
Daily News & Commentary
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February 7
In today’s News and Commentary, the NLRB withdraws its objections to SpaceX’s constitutional challenge, Whole Foods asks the NLRB to set aside a union election in Philadelphia, and the AFL-CIO launches a campaign to push back against Musk. The NLRB filed a letter with the Fifth Circuit indicating it would not address SpaceX’s challenge to […]
February 6
Gwynne Wilcox files lawsuit challenging her removal from the NLRB, and unions file a lawsuit challenging DOJE's request to access Department of Labor information.
February 5
Trump's disagreements with Abruzzo & Wilcox, Dollar General's plan for ICE agents, remote work in federal CBA's.
February 4
In today's news and commentary King Soopers workers announce a strike, Congressman Biggs introduces a bill to abolish OSHA, the UAW announces willingness to support Trump's tariffs, and Yale New Haven Health System faces a wage and hour class action.
February 2
President Trump seeks to nullify recent collective bargaining agreements with federal workers; Trump fired the NLRB’s acting General Counsel; Costco and the Teamsters reach a tentative deal averting a strike; Black History Month began yesterday with the theme African Americans and Labor
January 31
In today’s news and commentary, AFGE and AFSCME sue Trump for an Executive Order stripping protections from government employees, Trump fires members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Amazon shutters operations in the entirety of Quebec in response to union successes. On Wednesday, two unions representing government employees–American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and […]