Anita Alem is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, California and Nevada advance bills to remove involuntary servitude exceptions from their state constitutions, Howard Schultz declines invitation to testify before the Senate, the Third Circuit hears oral argument as to whether college athletes are employees under the FLSA, and German airport workers plan massive strikes.
California and Nevada are among dozens of states with movements to remove exceptions from state constitutions that permit forced labor as part of criminal punishment, a form of involuntary servitude. Incarcerated people are paid less than $1 per hour to work in prisons, including work that may be dangerous, such as cleaning and disinfecting a person’s cell following COVID infection, and fighting forest fires. Legislation has advanced in California and Nevada, and each would require further approval from voters in 2024.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has refused an invitation to testify in front of Congress regarding ongoing unionization efforts by Starbucks Workers United. Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and ten other senators on the committee had asked Schultz to speak to Starbucks’ union-busting efforts in a public hearing on March 9. Workers have successfully voted to unionize at more than 250 Starbucks locations, and the NLRB regional offices have issued more than 70 complaints against Starbucks for engaging in illegal practices against workers’ organizing efforts.
On Wednesday, the Third Circuit heard oral argument in a case brought against the NCAA alleging that college athletes are employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. According to Bloomberg, the panel appeared skeptical of the NCAA’s arguments that the athletes are not employees, considering the level of control that schools exert over them.
Finally, the German trade union Verdi has stated that workers at seven different airports in Germany plan to engage in a 24-hour strike on Friday, February 17. The strike has been predicted to have significant impact, particularly because it coincides with a security conference that will feature global leaders.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
March 24
Duke opposing unionizing grad student workers; NLRB prosecutors find merit to ULPs against Amazon; Starbucks investors weighing outside audit of company's labor practices.
March 23
Trader Joe's workers in Oakland file a petition to form a union; a Kenyan court temporarily blocks Meta contractor’s mass layoff of content moderators; and Starbucks workers at more than 100 stores walkout ahead of shareholders’ meeting.
March 22
NLRB's General Counsel issues two memos clarifying priorities and a recent Board decision, LA teachers go on strike, and Bloomberg Law reports higher pay raises from labor contracts
March 20
Residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham hospitals prepare to unionize; divisions in the New York Times NewsGuild union deepens as contract negotiations remain ongoing; the six-month Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike turned violent on Saturday; Los Angeles schools prepare to close this week as workers plan to strike
March 19
Ninth Circuit reinstates Uber's Equal Protection challenge to California's AB5; reduction in SNAP benefits could lead to "hunger cliff" for low-wage workers; Amazon workers start unionizing campaign at Kentucky facility; ex-Google employees ask company to honor parental leave.
March 17
Texas committee considers sweeping legislation limiting municipal power; University of Chicago graduate students unionize; Tennessee Nissan technicians reject a unionizing effort; and protestors in France take to the streets after President Macron activates nuclear option to raise retirement age.