Esther Ritchin is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, Vance crosses the picket line and the CFPB passes new guidance protecting workers from surveillance.
On Thursday, current Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance crossed the picket line of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Vance published an op-ed with the newspaper, officially crossing the picket line of the longest current strike in America. Vance has presented himself as a pro-worker candidate, a claim debunked in another OnLabor post. According to NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, “JD Vance is a scab just like anybody else who crosses a picket line.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is appearing in federal court on Monday, facing an injunction.
On Thursday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidance to protect workers from employer digital surveillance. The guidance clarifies that employers using “third-party consumer reports,” such as surveillance based scores of workers, must follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), meaning employees must consent to the use of these tools, employers must be transparent about the data used in disciplinary processes, and employees must be able to dispute inaccurate information. Currently, these tools are used to do things such as predict worker behavior, including possible union organizing, reassign workers, issue disciplinary actions, and look at social media activity.
Daily News & Commentary
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December 18
New Jersey adopts disparate impact rules; Teamsters oppose railroad merger; court pauses more shutdown layoffs.
December 17
The TSA suspends a labor union representing 47,000 officers for a second time; the Trump administration seeks to recruit over 1,000 artificial intelligence experts to the federal workforce; and the New York Times reports on the tumultuous changes that U.S. labor relations has seen over the past year.
December 16
Second Circuit affirms dismissal of former collegiate athletes’ antitrust suit; UPS will invest $120 million in truck-unloading robots; Sharon Block argues there are reasons for optimism about labor’s future.
December 15
Advocating a private right of action for the NLRA, 11th Circuit criticizes McDonnell Douglas, Congress considers amending WARN Act.
December 12
OH vetoes bill weakening child labor protections; UT repeals public-sector bargaining ban; SCOTUS takes up case on post-arbitration award jurisdiction
December 11
House forces a vote on the “Protect America’s Workforce Act;” arguments on Trump’s executive order nullifying collective bargaining rights; and Penn State file a petition to form a union.