Greg Volynsky is a student at Harvard Law School.
In Today’s News & Commentary, thousands of Los Angeles hotel workers return to work, major food delivery services sue to enjoin enforcement of a New York City gig worker wage rule, and the Guardian reports on the resurgence of the United Farm Worker union.
On Wednesday, thousands of Los Angeles hotel workers returned to work after a three-day strike (which Jacqueline previously reported), but union leaders anticipate more strikes and walkouts. Unite Here Local 11, which represents 15,000 workers, authorized the strike last month. A deal with employers has not been reached.
On Thursday, Uber, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Relay, major food delivery services, filed a lawsuit against New York City in a bid to stop a new wage standard for gig workers from being implemented on July 12. The lawsuit argues the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection exceeded its statutory authority in promulgating the new rule. The new minimum wage was announced by Mayor Eric Adams last month. This standard would increase the hourly rate to roughly $18 and further to $20 by 2025 from the current estimated $11, including tips and expenses (more than 25% less than the $15 state minimum wage). The companies argue that this increase in wages will lead to a rise in prices for consumers and could adversely impact local restaurants. They also contend that the new standard would force the companies to tightly regulate the time delivery workers spend online but not delivering.
The Guardian reports that United Farm Workers (UFW), a labor union that had declined in membership and influence over the years, has seen a resurgence as it successfully unionized 500 workers at five farms in New York state. This represents the union’s largest achievement in recent years and marks its first organizing efforts in the northeast, increasing the UFW’s membership by 8%. Since the NLRA exempts agricultural laborers, a four-year-old New York law—the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act—facilitated the unionization effort, preventing retaliation and requiring card-check recognition. The NYT reported in March that UFW has only 5,500 members in California, compared to 60,000 in the 1970s. The UFW aims to extend its success to other states, particularly California and Hawaii, which also have laws facilitating unionization among farmworkers.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
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
May 27
a judge extends a pause on the Trump Administration’s mass-layoffs, the Fifth Circuit refuses to enforce an NLRB order, and the Texas Supreme court extends workplace discrimination suits to co-workers.