Anjali Katta is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, Census Bureau layoffs, Amazon holiday hiring, and the final settlement in a meat producer wage-fixing lawsuit.
About 100 Federal Census Bureau workers in Tucson, Arizona, received layoff notices on Oct. 10 due to a lack of funds amid the ongoing government shutdown and broader workforce cuts under President Trump. The layoffs, set for early December, are part of a larger trend, with the Census Bureau already losing 1,500 employees since January through a resignation incentive program. As reported on by Finlay, over 4,000 federal workers have been recently laid off (or will be laid off), including staff at Health and Human Services, Treasury, Commerce, Department of Education, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Amazon announced plans to hire 250,000 workers for the upcoming holiday season, maintaining the same seasonal hiring levels as the past two years. The roles include full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions. Temporary workers will earn an average of $19 per hour without benefits, while permanent employees make around $23 per hour with benefits. Amazon’s hiring stands out amid a generally weak holiday labor market, where overall seasonal job additions may fall below 500,000 which is the lowest level estimated since 2009. Commentators suggest that reduced seasonal hiring is caused by a multitude of factors including looming tariffs, inflationary pressures, automation, and a preference for permanent staff over seasonal hires.
Agri Stats, a data provider for meat processors, has agreed to stop sharing plant-level wage data as part of a settlement in a major wage suppression lawsuit involving U.S. poultry processors. This marks the final settlement in a class action lawsuit first filed in 2019 by low-wage poultry workers, who accused meat processing companies and Agri Stats of using the shared data to suppress wages. Specifically, workers alleged that Agri Stats allegedly supplied wage data to processors like Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, and Butterball to coordinate and suppress wages. The lawsuit had previously resulted in the large meat processors paying a combined $398 million to settle antitrust wage-fixing claims made against them. Under the Oct. 10 agreement, Agri Stats will no longer include detailed wage fields in its reports and plaintiffs believe this settlement will help prevent future wage coordination.
Daily News & Commentary
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November 9
University of California workers authorize the largest strike in UC history; growing numbers of legislators call for Boeing to negotiate with St. Louis machinists in good faith; and pilots and flight attendants at Spirit Airlines agree to salary reductions.
November 7
A challenge to a federal PLA requirement; a delayed hearing on collective bargaining; and the IRS announces relief from "no tax on tips" reporting requirements.
November 6
Starbucks workers authorize a strike; Sixth Circuit rejects Thryv remedies; OPEIU tries to intervene to defend the NLRB.
November 5
Denver Labor helps workers recover over $2.3 million in unpaid wages; the Eighth Circuit denies a request for an en ban hearing on Minnesota’s ban on captive audience meetings; and many top labor unions break from AFGE’s support for a Republican-backed government funding bill.
November 4
Second Circuit declines to revive musician’s defamation claims against former student; Trump administration adds new eligibility requirements for employers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program; major labor unions break with the AFGE's stance on the government shutdown.
November 3
Fifth Circuit rejects Thryv remedies, Third Circuit considers applying Ames to NJ statute, and some circuits relax McDonnell Douglas framework.