Esther Ritchin is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News & Commentary, Uber drivers protest the deactivation policy, Amazon workers continue the fight for fair treatment, and Florida companies face criticism for putting workers in harm’s way while facing Hurricane Milton.
Drivers with the Activate Respect campaign have long protested Uber’s “deactivation” policy, where the app terminates a driver’s ability to work for Uber without explanation or an appeal process. After Uber executives refused to meet with the campaign, drivers marched to Uber headquarters to deliver an open letter. According to posts on X, Uber executives refused to receive the letter. Drivers shared their stories with one another, with many describing being deactivated with no explanation or recourse after driving for Uber for many years, having their income suddenly cut off.
On Prime Day, Amazon’s two day sale event for Prime members, Amazon workers spoke out about their poor treatment at the hands of the company and ways Amazon can improve conditions for workers. In a series of videos posted on X, Amazon workers discussed their need for fair workloads, safe working conditions, and higher wages. Amazon workers at a warehouse in Queens, New York are also demanding that two of their coworkers are reinstated after alleging that they were fired unfairly.
Companies in Florida have faced criticism for not closing early enough in advance of Hurricane Milton, with many concerned employees will be put in harm’s way. Walt Disney announced on October 8 that it would be monitoring the storm, and other reporting indicated that Disney’s Florida parks were still open the morning and early afternoon of October 9. Waffle House faced similar criticism after a post on X indicating many of their Florida stores had closed as of 2 PM on October 9. Waffle House is known for staying open during extreme weather, giving rise to what the Federal Emergency Management Agency has called the “Waffle House index” as a way to measure how severe weather is. This phenomenon has been criticized as unfairly putting workers at risk.
Daily News & Commentary
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March 13
Republican Senators urge changes on OSHA heat standard; OpenAI and building trades announce partnership on data center construction; forced labor investigations could lead to new tariffs
March 12
EPA terminates contract with second-largest union; Florida advances bill restricting public sector unions; Trump administration seeks Supreme Court assistance in TPS termination.
March 11
The partial government shutdown results in TSA agents losing their first full paycheck; the Fifth Circuit upholds the certification of a class of former United Airline workers who were placed on unpaid leave for declining to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons during the pandemic; and an academic group files a lawsuit against the State Department over a policy that revokes and denies visas to noncitizens for their work in fact-checking and content moderation.
March 10
Court rules Kari Lake unlawfully led USAGM, voiding mass layoffs; Florida Senate passes bill tightening union recertification rules; Fifth Circuit revives whistleblower suit against Lockheed Martin.
March 9
6th Circuit rejects Cemex, Board may overrule precedents with two members.
March 8
In today’s news and commentary, a weak jobs report, the NIH decides it will no longer recognize a research fellows’ union, and WNBA contract talks continue to stall as season approaches. On Friday, the Labor Department reported that employers cut 92,000 jobs in February while the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.4 percent. A loss […]