
Anjali Katta is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, Biden blocks the acquisition of U.S. Steel, the Third Circuit curbs NLRB remedial power, and DOL’s Wage and Hour Division’s year in review.
President Biden announced that he would block a $15 billion dollar take over of U.S. Steel by the Japanese company Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns over foreign control of a critical domestic industry. The United Steelworkers union has also strongly opposed the deal, arguing that it lacks sufficient guarantees for union jobs at U.S. Steel’s older mills. The company currently employs around 11,000 workers.
The Third Circuit has rejected the Board’s Thryv decision, denying the NLRB the authority to order employers to pay the foreseeable financial harms of their unfair labor practices. Specifically, the Third Circuit held that the Board can only order payment for damages directly resulting from unfair labor practices—such as backpay for wages lost as a result of an illegal discharge—but not for the indirect costs of unfair labor practices such as out-of-pocket medical expenses or credit card debt that would not have been incurred but for the ULP. The case involves Starbucks and two employees who were allegedly wrongfully terminated and sought compensation for both direct and indirect harms.
In 2024, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division closed fewer cases against employers but imposed significantly higher civil money penalties than in previous years. While the agency resolved nearly 3,000 fewer cases compared to 2023, it collected almost $10 million more in penalties.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
June 3
Federal judge blocks Trump's attack on TSA collective bargaining rights; NLRB argues that Grindr's Return-to-Office policy was union busting; International Trade Union Confederation report highlights global decline in workers' rights.
June 2
Proposed budgets for DOL and NLRB show cuts on the horizon; Oregon law requiring LPAs in cannabis dispensaries struck down.
June 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Ninth Circuit upholds a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration, a federal judge vacates parts of the EEOC’s pregnancy accommodation rules, and video game workers reach a tentative agreement with Microsoft. In a 2-1 decision issued on Friday, the Ninth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration […]
May 30
Trump's tariffs temporarily reinstated after brief nationwide injunction; Louisiana Bill targets payroll deduction of union dues; Colorado Supreme Court to consider a self-defense exception to at-will employment
May 29
AFGE argues termination of collective bargaining agreement violates the union’s First Amendment rights; agricultural workers challenge card check laws; and the California Court of Appeal reaffirms San Francisco city workers’ right to strike.
May 28
A proposal to make the NLRB purely adjudicatory; a work stoppage among court-appointed lawyers in Massachusetts; portable benefits laws gain ground