Anjali Katta is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, the Tennessee Drivers Union allegedly faces retaliation for organizing, major hospital groups are hit with a wage suppression lawsuit, and updates from Capitol Hill.
The Tennessee Drivers Union announced on social media that its members are facing retaliation from Uber and Lyft for their rideshare organizing activities. Specifically, 34 members received messages that they were banned from working at the Nashville International Airport after participating in a peaceful protest caravan on February 14th. The protest was held in support of Tennessee House Bill 879/Senate Bill 818, which would allow Tennessee rideshare drivers to better compete with out-of-state rideshare drivers who operate within the state. All drivers had their apps turned off during the protest. TDU stated that such a ban is devastating to drivers, as airport pickups and drop-offs are often the only way for drivers to earn a minimum wage. Uber and Lyft have declined to comment on the ban.
Major U.S. hospitals, including Johns Hopkins Hospital and New York Presbyterian Hospital, have been sued for allegedly violating antitrust laws. The proposed class action was brought by pharmacy residents in federal court alleging that 11 hospitals were suppressing wages by restricting recruitment, hiring, and compensation for resident pharmacists. The plaintiffs demand money damages and injunctive relief against the current matching program that connects resident pharmacists to hospitals. The plaintiffs estimate that there are tens of thousands of members in the potential class. This lawsuit comes at a time of increasing resident unionization. In January 2025 alone, the Committee of Interns and Residents won six NLRB elections, gaining 3,862 new members.
On Capitol Hill, the Department of Justice is dropping a hiring discrimination lawsuit against Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and the Securities and Exchange Commission is also reportedly dropping its securities lawsuit against the crypto company Coinbase. In addition, SEC staffers were recently offered $50,000 to resign or retire under an early retirement program. Finally, the U.S. Chips Act Office, which was created to implement the bipartisan Chips and Science Act, lost two-fifths of its staff in another round of President Trump’s mass firings.
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September 10
A federal judge denies a motion by the Trump Administration to dismiss a lawsuit led by the American Federation of Government Employees against President Trump for his mass layoffs of federal workers; the Supreme Court grants a stay on a federal district court order that originally barred ICE agents from questioning and detaining individuals based on their presence at a particular location, the type of work they do, their race or ethnicity, and their accent while speaking English or Spanish; and a hospital seeks to limit OSHA's ability to cite employers for failing to halt workplace violence without a specific regulation in place.
September 9
Ninth Circuit revives Trader Joe’s lawsuit against employee union; new bill aims to make striking workers eligible for benefits; university lecturer who praised Hitler gets another chance at First Amendment claims.
September 8
DC Circuit to rule on deference to NLRB, more vaccine exemption cases, Senate considers ban on forced arbitration for age discrimination claims.
September 7
Another weak jobs report, the Trump Administration's refusal to arbitrate with federal workers, and a district court judge's order on the constitutionality of the Laken-Riley Act.
September 5
Pro-labor legislation in New Jersey; class action lawsuit by TN workers proceeds; a report about wage theft in D.C.
September 4
Eighth Circuit avoids a challenge to Minnesota’s ban on captive audience meetings; ALJ finds that Starbucks violated the NLRA again; and a district court certifies a class of behavioral health workers pursuing wage claims.