Justin Cassera is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s news and commentary, two automakers announce layoffs and Boeing workers reject the company’s latest contract offer.
On Friday, General Motors laid off over 200 salaried employees just days after announcing improved profit expectations for 2025. The layoffs primarily affected Computer-Aided Design (CAD) engineers at the company’s Detroit tech campus. The automaker has been reviewing its business model for years to improve profitability and performance. As part of a larger restructuring of the firm’s design engineering team, the company reportedly deemed the CAD positions duplicative of other roles. The affected employees were told the layoffs were due to “business conditions.”
News of the General Motors layoffs comes the day after electric vehicle company Rivian announced a 4.5% reduction in its workforce. According to a memo circulated to employees Thursday, the termination of over 600 workers heavily affected the company’s marketing, vehicle operations, sales and delivery, and mobile operations teams. The news comes as Rivian and other EV manufacturers face slower-than-expected demand and a challenging regulatory environment under the Trump administration, which recently eliminated a $7,500 tax credit for the purchase of an EV. The company lost $1.1 billion in the second quarter.
To continue Finlay’s reporting, Boeing Defense workers voted Sunday to reject the company’s latest contract offer. The decision will extend the workers’ three-month strike, which has disrupted one of the company’s main manufacturing hubs. The offer, which would have covered a five-year period and seen an average wage increase of 24% for workers, was largely the same as previous ones. “Boeing claimed they listened to their employees – the result of today’s vote proves they have not,” International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union International President Brian Bryant said in a statement following the vote. Boeing Vice President Dan Gillian characterized the offer as “market-leading” and said the firm will not increase the overall value of its terms. Boeing continues to refuse to consider the offer approved by the union. The union recently filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing Boeing of bargaining in bad faith.
Daily News & Commentary
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March 1
The NLRB officially rescinds the Biden-era standard for determining joint-employer status; the DOL proposes a rule that would rescind the Biden-era standard for determining independent contractor status; and Walmart pays $100 million for deceiving delivery drivers regarding wages and tips.
February 27
The Ninth Circuit allows Trump to dismantle certain government unions based on national security concerns; and the DOL set to focus enforcement on firms with “outsized market power.”
February 26
Workplace AI regulations proposed in Michigan; en banc D.C. Circuit hears oral argument in CFPB case; white police officers sue Philadelphia over DEI policy.
February 25
OSHA workplace inspections significantly drop in 2025; the Court denies a petition for certiorari to review a Minnesota law banning mandatory anti-union meetings at work; and the Court declines two petitions to determine whether Air Force service members should receive backpay as a result of religious challenges to the now-revoked COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
February 24
In today’s news and commentary, the NLRB uses the Obama-era Browning-Ferris standard, a fired National Park ranger sues the Department of Interior and the National Park Service, the NLRB closes out Amazon’s labor dispute on Staten Island, and OIRA signals changes to the Biden-era independent contractor rule. The NLRB ruled that Browning-Ferris Industries jointly employed […]
February 23
In today’s news and commentary, the Trump administration proposes a rule limiting employment authorization for asylum seekers and Matt Bruenig introduces a new LLM tool analyzing employer rules under Stericycle. Law360 reports that the Trump administration proposed a rule on Friday that would change the employment authorization process for asylum seekers. Under the proposed rule, […]