Henry Green is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, federal employees challenge Trump executive orders, Trump announces changes at the NLRB but does not fire the general counsel, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer meets with the restaurant industry.
Anjali’s post yesterday covered a flurry of day one executive actions by President Trump aimed at the federal workforce, including hiring freeze, return-to-office, and “Schedule F” orders. Lawsuits have quickly been filed to challenge some of those actions. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) filed a lawsuit on Monday targeting the Schedule F order, which would make it easier for the Trump administration to fire career employees. In a statement, NTEU’s president criticized the order as “about administering political loyalty tests to everyday employees.” President Trump previously issued a Schedule F order in 2020, which NTEU also sued to challenge; President Biden rescinded the order before a judge could rule on that case. Three additional lawsuits filed yesterday challenge the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
At the Department of Labor, Trump’s first day actions included making Vince Micone acting secretary of labor while Lori Chavez-DeRemer awaits Senate confirmation. Trump also elevated Marvin Kaplan, the sole Republican on the National Labor Relations Board, to chair. Democratic nominees still hold a majority on the board, but Kaplan will lead a Republican majority once Trump nominees win Senate confirmation. However, Trump has not yet removed Jennifer Abruzzo as the NLRB’s general counsel.
Secretary of Labor nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer met with representatives of the restaurant industry last week. The International Franchise Association led the meeting, with representatives for McDonald’s, Yum! Brands (the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, among others), and Wendy’s in attendance, along with “salon brands and at least one hotel chain,” according to Bloomberg. The parties discussed joint employer status for franchised restaurants, a “top concern” for the industry. They also discussed the PRO Act, which Chavez-DeRemer supported as a member of Congress, and which the International Franchise Association has urged her to denounce.
Daily News & Commentary
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September 20
Culinary Workers Union members protests union leadership; lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft reveal internal concerns about the threat of AI training to human labor.
September 17
Unions push to block Google from buying Spirit Airlines employment records; U.S. Department of Labor sues Oklahoma coffee chain over alleged wage violations.
September 16
Trump nominates Catherine Eschbach as EEOC general counsel; NLRB declines to resolve union work-assignment dispute; Allina Health physicians begin four-day strike.
September 15
Documents reveal the inner workings of Amazon's union avoidance program; Washington state public sector unions reach tentative deals amid a difficult bargaining cycle; hundreds of Nevada Culinary Union members protest their union's health care changes.
September 14
NCAA and Big Ten file motion to dismiss in former star player's NIL suit; Seventh Circuit rules against former postal worker in discrimination suit.
September 13
Documents released on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks show that city officials encouraged workers to return to Ground Zero despite knowing the risks of asbestos exposure, and new polls demonstrate continued widespread support for labor unions.