Jacqueline Rayfield is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Alaska’s appeal on a policy to allow workers to opt-out of paying union dues, the Center for American Progress highlights ways to increase union membership, and local unions hold out on endorsing Biden’s reelection.
On Tuesday, the justices of the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Alaska on a Republican-backed policy passed in 2019. The original policy, an administrative order by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, barred unions from representing and collecting dues from workers unless those workers filled out an authorization form. Lower courts in Alaska dismissed the case and the Alaskan Supreme Court affirmed in 2023.
The Center for American Progress (CAP) released a report highlighting stagnant union density, and suggesting policy solutions to increase membership. The CAP contributor argues that policy solutions such as the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act would be strong first steps to increasing union membership.
Several local unions, including truck drivers, firefighters, and postal workers, have been holding out on endorsing Biden’s reelection campaign. Union leaders highlight Biden’s intervention to prevent a national railway strike in 2022, and Democrats inability to rally support for the PRO Act as possible reasons for the holdout.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 26
Prop 22 survives; video game workers take action; NLRB challenged.
July 25
Disney union reaches tentative agreement, FAA agrees to improve worker conditions, and Olympic dancers drop strike notice.
July 24
Unions demand end to military aid for Israel; UAW and Teamsters hold out on Harris endorsement; Judge declines to block FTC ban on non-competes
July 23
NLRB drops appeal of a district court case striking down its joint employer rule; red states challenge EEOC’s pregnancy rule; and the WNBA players’ union taps advisors.
July 22
Unions respond to Biden's exit, many back Harris.
July 19
The Bronx Defenders Union announces a tentative collective bargaining agreement; Amazon workers continue a strike in Skokie; Bangladesh students continue protests over government job quotas.