OnLabor

Law. Workers. Organizing.

Editorials

217999.pdf

June 18, 2017

[email protected]

Daily News & Commentary

Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all

December 4

Unionized journalists win arbitration concerning AI, Starbucks challenges two NLRB rulings in the Fifth Circuit, and Philadelphia transit workers resume contract negotiations.

December 3

The Trump administration seeks to appeal a federal judge’s order that protects the CBAs of employees within the federal workforce; the U.S. Department of Labor launches an initiative to investigate violations of the H-1B visa program; and a union files a petition to form a bargaining unit for employees at the Met.

December 2

Fourth Circuit rejects broad reading of NLRA’s managerial exception; OPM cancels reduced tuition program for federal employees; Starbucks will pay $39 million for violating New York City’s Fair Workweek law; Mamdani and Sanders join striking baristas outside a Brooklyn Starbucks.

December 1

California farmworkers defend state labor law, cities consider requiring companies to hire delivery drivers, Supreme Court takes FAA last-mile drivers case.

November 30

In today’s news and commentary, the MSPB issues its first precedential ruling since regaining a quorum; Amazon workers lead strikes and demonstrations in multiple countries; and Starbucks workers expand their indefinite strike to additional locations. Last week, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) released its first precedential decision in eight months. The MSPB had been […]

November 28

Lawsuit against EEOC for failure to investigate disparate-impact claims dismissed; DHS to end TPS for Haiti; Appeal of Cemex decision in Ninth Circuit may soon resume

OnLabor In The News

Wired

Hundreds of Video Game Workers Join New Union as Trump Attacks Labor Rights: Prof. Sachs on challenges to union organizing under the second Trump Administration.

Los Angeles Times

Column: How anti-union southern governors may be violating federal law: Ben Sachs quoted in a column about the anti-union governors' letter and the fragmentation of labor law; John Fry's post referenced on the question of whether state level card-check bans are preempted by the NLRA.

Fast Company

Amazon’s Labor Union is divided but closing in on electing leadership: Prof. Sachs on Amazon's use of legal roadblocks to delay negotiations.

Semafor

Unions’ picket power now extends to U.S. boardrooms: Prof. Block on the influence of labor unions on other playing fields.

Bloomberg Law

Boeing Talks Will Test Unions’ Sway as Labor Market Softens: Prof. Block on Boeing's labor negotiations with the International Association of Machinists.

More From OnLabor

Unions Challenge Loyalty Test in Trump’s Merit Hiring Plan

Nov 21, 2025 Amy L. Eisenstein

In a prior post, I argued that President Trump’s Merit Hiring Plan may violate the First Amendment. This week, several unions — the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, and the National Association of Government Employees — raised the same concern. As Law360 reports, on November 18, the coalition of unions sought […]

The Loyalty Litmus Test in Federal Hiring

Nov 21, 2025 Amy L. Eisenstein

President Trump’s second term has been characterized by demands for intense political loyalty, value-laden executive orders, and attacks on the civil service. Consistent with this trend, the Administration in May issued a “Merit Hiring Plan” to federal agencies. It purports to construct “a Federal workforce dedicated to American values.” This post argues that the Plan may instead encourage job applicants […]

The Fight to Protect AI Whistleblowers

Nov 20, 2025 Ben Gantt

A growing chorus of AI experts have recently raised concerns about risks from advanced AI models. In June 2024, nine current and former OpenAI employees wrote an open letter criticizing their employer for “recklessly racing” to build artificial general intelligence, or AGI. One of these individuals, Daniel Kokotaljo, spoke out notwithstanding that OpenAI initially conditioned his equity, worth approximately […]

Europe Is Regulating AI Hiring. Why Isn’t America?

Nov 11, 2025 Ryan Zhang

In 2018, Amazon unveiled a groundbreaking AI hiring tool. But what began as a promise to revolutionize how the company identified talent devolved into an algorithm that “did not like women.” The model, trained on a decade of old resumes mostly from men, penalized references to women’s organizations and graduates of women’s colleges. Although Amazon abandoned the […]

Why Not a Real Employment and Labor Court?

Nov 9, 2025 Cristóbal Gutiérrez

Conflict lies at the heart of the employment relationship. Indeed, Employment and Labor Law emerged in the early twentieth century as a political response to social unrest, seeking to channel these tensions into legal frameworks for adjudication. Whether expressed through wage and hour disputes, discrimination claims, unfair labor practices, or struggles over union recognition, such […]

Enjoy OnLabor’s fresh takes on the day’s labor news, right in your inbox.