Henry Green is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, a class action lawsuit accuses supermarket chains of collusion, residents and physicians in Boston organize, and a Mississippi judge blocks enforcement of a DOL rule aimed at protecting farmworkers.
A worker at a Colorado supermarket is suing Kroger and Albertsons, accusing the supermarket chains of colluding in ways that reduced union bargaining power during a strike at Kroger-owned King Soopers. The proposed class action lawsuit was filed on Monday in Colorado state court and follows a similar lawsuit by the Colorado Attorney General. In 2022, members of UFCW Local 7 struck for ten days at King Soopers stores in Colorado. The complaint accuses Albertsons of agreeing not to hire striking workers or solicit Kroger customers. Kroger and Albertsons are two of the largest grocery companies in the US and are seeking to merge. The Federal Trade Commission has attempted to block the merger.
Residents and physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center filed for an NLRB election on Thursday. The Committee of Interns and Residents, an affiliate of SEIU, would represent the 850-person unit. The Beth Israel election is one of several organizing drives among medical professionals in the Boston area: physicians at Mass General Brigham, clinicians at the Cambridge Health Alliance, and residents and fellows at Brown Medical School affiliated hospitals have all filed for elections in the last month. Residents and fellows at Mass General are currently bargaining their first contract after voting to unionize in June.
A Mississippi federal judge has blocked enforcement of DOL organizing protections for farmworkers on temporary visas. The DOL’s farmworker protection rule, which was finalized in June, extended certain labor protections to workers not covered by the National Labor Relations Act. However, farm industry groups have repeatedly challenged the rule and have now won three injunctions against its enforcement. In August, a federal district court in Georgia issued an injunction blocking the rule’s enforcement in 17 Republican-led states. Earlier this week, the Eastern District of Kentucky blocked the rule in four states and for members of certain farm trade groups.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
June 20
Three state bills challenge Garmon preemption; Wisconsin passes a bill establishing portable benefits for gig workers; and a sharp increase in workplace ICE raids contribute to a nationwide labor shortage.
June 19
Report finds retaliatory action by UAW President; Senators question Trump's EEOC pick; California considers new bill to address federal labor law failures.
June 18
Companies dispute NLRB regional directors' authority to make rulings while the Board lacks a quorum; the Department of Justice loses 4,500 employees to the Trump Administration's buyout offers; and a judge dismisses Columbia faculty's lawsuit over the institution's funding cuts.
June 17
NLRB finds a reporter's online criticism of the Washington Post was not protected activity under federal labor law; top union leaders leave the Democratic National Committee amid internal strife; Uber reaches a labor peace agreement with Chicago drivers.
June 16
California considers bill requiring human operators inside autonomous delivery vehicles; Eighth Circuit considers challenge to Minnesota misclassification law and whether "having a family to support" is a gendered comment.
June 15
ICE holds back on some work site raids as unions mobilize; a Maryland judge approves a $400M settlement for poultry processing workers in an antitrust case; and an OMB directive pushes federal agencies to use union PLAs.