Justin Cassera is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, home health aides secure preliminary approval on a historic settlement, and the NLRB upholds a finding that Amazon violated federal labor law.
On Wednesday of last week, US Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi preliminarily approved a settlement between New York home health aides and fiscal intermediary Public Partnerships regarding a wage theft class action lawsuit filed in April of 2025. As part of the settlement, Public Partnerships will pay $162 million into a fund that over 200,000 workers could seek compensation from. The wage disputes arose shortly after Public Partnerships assumed the role of New York’s fiscal intermediary, replacing a host of other organizations. Described as a “haphazard transition” with “a dizzying array of technical problems,” many workers reported issues inputting their hours and receiving accurate pay. The settlement is one of the largest in state history and expected to receive final approval in November.
On Thursday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) upheld a lower court’s finding that Amazon violated federal labor law in 2021 and 2022 when the company interrogated and threatened workers during organizing campaigns in Staten Island, New York. The order, which agreed with the lower court’s conclusion that Amazon violated federal labor law nearly two dozen times in 2021 and 2022, compels Amazon to issue backpay to an employee who was sent home during the organizing efforts. Amazon is currently challenging a different agency order to bargain with a branch of the union in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 24
EEOC drops request for UPenn's Jewish staff; Starbucks defeats mail-in ballots; and Mamdani appoints Lina Khan.
July 23
Ninth Circuit affirms ban of transphobic books in school; leading demographer warns of impending labor shortage.
July 22
EDNY strikes down state labor board law; D.C. Circuit applies Loper Bright to NLRB; Joint employer bill reaches the House floor.
July 21
Fifth Circuit transfers an Anheuser-Busch NLRB case to the Eleventh Circuit; a new report makes the case for tripling union membership.
July 20
New York City weighs banning horse carriages despite union opposition; public defenders go on strike; cinema workers stage walkout.
July 17
Canadian wildfires endanger rail workers; 26 Meta employees allege targeted layoffs for those on paid leave; FIFPRO pushes for more rigorous heat protections for players.