
Ajayan Williamson is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, Vietnamese nail technicians challenge California independent contractor reclassification; the Ninth Circuit hears arguments in First Amendment challenge to Washington antidiscrimination protections; and a federal judge temporarily blocks DOL elimination of Job Corps centers.
Last Friday, a group of Vietnamese nail salon owners and workers filed suit against the state of California alleging discrimination in a law that required classifying nail technicians as employees instead of independent contractors. The challenged law codified a 2018 state supreme court decision altering the test for differentiating independent contractors from employees — while the law carved out certain professions, the exception for nail technicians expired this year. The suit alleges that the reclassification discriminates by race and gender, given that 82% of nail technicians in California are Vietnamese, 85% are women, and other professionals in the beauty industry can still be classified as contractors. Workers supporting the lawsuit at a press conference on Monday said that employee status “doesn’t work for everyone” — proponents of the law note that technicians continue to be chronically underpaid.
Meanwhile, the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments this week in a case challenging the state of Washington’s protections for LGBTQ workers. The Washington Law Against Discrimination (“WLAD”) prohibits employers from making hiring decisions based on sexual orientation. The law originally exempted religious nonprofits, but a 2021 decision from the Washington Supreme Court held that application of the exemption could violate the state constitution; the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case, but Justices Alito and Thomas indicated interest in revisiting the issue. After that decision, the Union Gospel Mission of Yakima filed this suit in federal court, claiming that the newly interpreted statute violates the First Amendment. Tuesday’s oral arguments evaluated a preliminary injunction that the District Court granted last November: Judges asked some questions about the merits, and others about whether the case had been mooted by state officials’ promises not to enforce the statute in certain cases. If the panel rules on the merits, then the issue could end up back on the menu for the Supreme Court.
Finally, a federal judge in New York issued a temporary restraining order yesterday against the Department of Labor’s recent decision to begin a “phased pause” in operations at Job Corps centers. The Job Corps program has offered free education and vocational training to youth since the 1960s, but Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer cited safety risks and financial concerns as reasons to shut down the program. The suit was filed on Tuesday by a coalition of contractors who operate the centers, including the Transportation Communications Union, which contracts with DOL to provide trainings. The plaintiffs primarily allege violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, including that DOL “failed to consider the extraordinarily harmful consequences of its decision.” Local reporting from across the country seems to agree.
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August 29
Trump fires regulator in charge of reviewing railroad mergers; fired Fed Governor sues Trump asserting unlawful termination; and Trump attacks more federal sector unions.
August 28
contested election for UAW at Kentucky battery plant; NLRB down to one member; public approval of unions remains high.
August 27
The U.S. Department of Justice welcomes new hires and forces reassignments in the Civil Rights Division; the Ninth Circuit hears oral arguments in Brown v. Alaska Airlines Inc.; and Amazon violates federal labor law at its air cargo facility in Kentucky.
August 26
Park employees at Yosemite vote to unionize; Philadelphia teachers reach tentative three-year agreement; a new report finds California’s union coverage remains steady even as national union density declines.
August 25
Consequences of SpaceX decision, AI may undermine white-collar overtime exemptions, Sixth Circuit heightens standard for client harassment.
August 24
HHS cancels union contracts, the California Supreme Court rules on minimum wage violations, and jobless claims rise