Luke Hinrichs is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, Labor Department enters agreement with Perdue Farms and staffing agency to address child labor violations, Mozilla pays $300,000 to settle NLRB case brought against company for refusing to hire software engineer because of her prior labor activism, and Jefferson resident physicians in Philadelphia vote to unionize.
The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with Perdue Farms Inc. and secured a separate agreement with temporary staffing agency Staff Management Solutions LLC and SMX LLC to address child labor violations found at Perdue’s poultry processing facilities. As is common in the meat processing industry, Perdue contracted with the staffing agency to provide workers for their facilities. The DOL found that the companies jointly employed children in hazardous occupations, having minors debone and process chicken using dangerous equipment. Under the agreement, Perdue Farms will pay $4 million in restitution to the children and organizations that work to prevent child labor exploitation, pay $150,000 in civil monetary penalties, and implement child labor law compliance measures. The staffing agency also agreed to implement enhanced compliance measures, and it will pay $125,000 in civil money penalties and be permanently enjoined from future FLSA child labor violations in meat processing and packing industries.
Mozilla Corp. has agreed to pay $300,000 to Cher Scarlett to resolve a NLRB complaint alleging the company refused to hire Scarlett, a former Apple Inc. software engineer, because of her prior labor activism organizing Apple employees. According to the complaint, the company denied Scarlett a job because of social media posts and communications with workers seeking to mobilize Apple employees and encouraging unionization efforts. Under the settlement, Mozilla does not admit any wrongdoing and is not compelled to hire Scarlett. However, the company must post a notice informing employees of their labor and employment rights, notifying the employees that Mozilla is compensating Scarlett for wages and benefits she lost because of their refusal to hire her, and promising not to illegally retaliate.
Resident physicians and fellows at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in the Philadelphia area have voted 552 to 73 to unionize with the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The vote joins a wave of unionization efforts among house staffs at Philadelphia hospitals and care facilities. The house staffs at Einstein and Temple voted to unionize last week, and medical residents at four hospitals initiated unionization efforts last November. With the unionization of residents at Jefferson Hospitals, CIR now represents 81% resident physicians in the Philadelphia area.
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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 […]