
Iman Masmoudi is a student at Harvard Law School.
In Today’s News & Commentary, President Biden and Congress seek to impose an agreement on rail workers to prevent shut-down despite some unions’ rejection of the deal, and workers at Amazon’s largest air hub are organizing while facing enormous corporate opposition.
Yesterday, President Biden released a statement calling on Congress to intervene in the railway labor dispute which has continued for months. The deal, which was negotiated under the RLA in September, provides 24% wage increases and improved health care benefits. Most unions have since voted to approve the deal, but those in opposition (4 of the 12 unions) say it does little to protect sick leave or family care. The statement lamented the President’s “reluctan[ce] to override the ratification procedures” especially as he considers himself “a proud pro-labor President.” The statement ended by calling on Congress to ratify the deal by legislation in order to prevent “hurl[ing] this nation into a devastating rail freight shutdown.”
For its part, the House responded immediately and Speaker Pelosi announced they would vote on a bill adopting the agreement this week as well as sending it to the Senate. The NYTimes reports that the result in the Senate is unclear, since the bill would require bipartisan support. The vote will pit the Democratic party members of the executive and legislative branches against the wishes of many in the labor movement. Speaker Pelosi called the decision “difficult,” and both she and the President made statements about the weakness of the protections. However, the President stated that his concern for workers more generally, and the impact a strike would have on them, motivated his decision. In 1992, then-Senator Biden was one of only six senators to vote against a bill that similarly ended a rail labor dispute that culminated in a strike.
Workers at Amazon’s air hub outside Northern Kentucky International Airport are leading a unionizing effort despite a bitter anti-union corporate atmosphere. The organizers have already filed two unfair labor practice charges against Amazon for its display of anti-union messages and other opposition. The JFK8 union remains the only Amazon union, but organizing pushes at a half-dozen other locations continue despite recent setbacks. The workers are pushing for higher compensation for more hazardous work, increased time off, and union representation during disciplinary actions.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
July 2
Block, Nanda, and Nayak argue that the NLRA is under attack, harming democracy; the EEOC files a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels; and SEIU Local 1000 strikes an agreement with the State of California to delay the state's return-to-office executive order for state workers.
July 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Department of Labor proposes to roll back minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by public defenders over a union’s Gaza statements, and Philadelphia’s largest municipal union is on strike for first time in nearly 40 years. On Monday, the U.S. […]
June 30
Antidiscrimination scholars question McDonnell Douglas, George Washington University Hospital bargained in bad faith, and NY regulators defend LPA dispensary law.
June 29
In today’s news and commentary, Trump v. CASA restricts nationwide injunctions, a preliminary injunction continues to stop DOL from shutting down Job Corps, and the minimum wage is set to rise in multiple cities and states. On Friday, the Supreme Court held in Trump v. CASA that universal injunctions “likely exceed the equitable authority that […]
June 27
Labor's role in Zohran Mamdani's victory; DHS funding amendment aims to expand guest worker programs; COSELL submission deadline rapidly approaching
June 26
A district judge issues a preliminary injunction blocking agencies from implementing Trump’s executive order eliminating collective bargaining for federal workers; workers organize for the reinstatement of two doctors who were put on administrative leave after union activity; and Lamont vetoes unemployment benefits for striking workers.