Jacqueline Rayfield is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, a federal judge in Texas limits Covid-Era remote Congressional voting, Starbucks agreed to start talks about a collective-bargaining agreement, and a majority of Mercedes manufacturing plant workers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama sign UAW cards.
Judge James Hendrix from the Northern District of Texas ruled that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act could not be enforced against Texas. The act would require employers in Texas to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers, like they do for disabled workers. The EEOC had proposed rules for implementing this act which included abortion as a pregnancy-related condition requiring accommodation. Hendrix’s ruling rests on a challenge under the quorum clause, claiming that the law is invalid since it was passed through proxy voting, with 201 members physically present. He emphasizes that this ruling should not be applied broadly beyond this legislation.
Starbucks backtracked on its union-busting tactics in discussions last week. Both the company and the Starbucks Workers United issued statements yesterday promising a path forward for collective bargaining at Starbucks. About 400 Starbucks locations have so far voted to join the union since December 2021, but none of the locations have secured a contract, instead facing an impasse with Starbucks management.
The UAW has seen a growth in interest at auto plants in the South following its historic strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. While these. Plants have historically been difficult for the UAW to reach, a majority card signing at one Tuscaloosa Mercedes plant marks a positive first step.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
April 22
DOGE staffers eye NLRB for potential reorganization; attacks on federal workforce impact Trump-supporting areas; Utah governor acknowledges backlash to public-sector union ban
April 21
Bryan Johnson’s ULP saga before the NLRB continues; top law firms opt to appease the EEOC in its anti-DEI demands.
April 20
In today’s news and commentary, the Supreme Court rules for Cornell employees in an ERISA suit, the Sixth Circuit addresses whether the EFAA applies to a sexual harassment claim, and DOGE gains access to sensitive labor data on immigrants. On Thursday, the Supreme Court made it easier for employees to bring ERISA suits when their […]
April 18
Two major New York City unions endorse Cuomo for mayor; Committee on Education and the Workforce requests an investigation into a major healthcare union’s spending; Unions launch a national pro bono legal network for federal workers.
April 17
Utahns sign a petition supporting referendum to repeal law prohibiting public sector collective bargaining; the US District Court for the District of Columbia declines to dismiss claims filed by the AFL-CIO against several government agencies; and the DOGE faces reports that staffers of the agency accessed the NLRB’s sensitive case files.
April 16
7th Circuit questions the relevance of NLRB precedent after Loper Bright, unions seek to defend silica rule, and Abrego Garcia's union speaks out.