Looking back on 2014, it is clear that this has been (for better and worse) a major year in labor. From the Supreme Court to Chattanooga, TN, and from Northwestern football to McDonald’s restaurants, a lot has happened. Here at OnLabor, we’re interested in your views on what the most important labor developments have been over the past twelve months. So, to take advantage of the expertise and experience of our readership, we’re running our first ever reader poll.
To get things started, we’ve put together a partial list (not in any particular order) of what seem to us major developments from 2014. But we want to hear from you. So let us know your thoughts by completing the poll. You can use the options we’ve provided or suggest ones we’ve left out. Once we hear from you, we’ll post the results at OnLabor.
1. The Supreme Court’s decision in Harris v. Quinn. (We extensively covered the pre-game analysis, the decision, and some of its implications).
2. The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss Mulhall. (We covered the lead-up to the case, our reactions to the oral arguments, some perspectives from around the political spectrum, and the implications of the dismissal).
3. The UAW’s loss at VW in Chattanooga, TN. (Which we explained, covered, and analyzed)
4. VW’s decision to engage in “constructive dialogue” with worker organizations at the Chattanooga plant. (Which we covered and provided some analysis of the legal issues).
5. The ALJ decision that Northwestern football players are “employees” within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act. (We covered the decision, its background, and some of its implications for football players and other athletes).
6. The NLRB general counsel’s decision to authorize complaints against McDonalds as a joint employer. (We covered the decision, some of its implications, and some disagreeing viewpoints).
8. The new NLRB election rule.
9. The political success of minimum wage laws.
10. Market Basket.
Vote below!
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(To add your own answer, select “other” and start typing after the colon — the textbox will appear).
Daily News & Commentary
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October 13
Chicago hotel workers remain on strike; a coalition of Democratic states sues the Labor Department over canceled unemployment insurance grants; the Federal Labor Relations Authority establishes a new mediation framework for federal worker disputes.
October 12
Workers at the Obama Foundation begin organizing; MLB submits its latest collective bargaining agreement proposal; Brigham & Women's nurses postpone strike.
October 11
UAW President Shawn Fain succeeds in his reelection bid, and Spanish unions call for a general strike.
October 9
DHS proposes a $100k fee for the foreign grad employment program; Trump suspends tech company access to green card program; and private equity perpetuates poor working conditions for home care workers.
October 8
NLRB judge finds UPS unlawfully restricted union insignia; Harvard graduate workers authorize second strike; OSHA orders Union Pacific to pay $300,000 in damages in whistleblower case.
October 7
DOL scraps plan to remove decades-old wage-and-hour guidance from federal regulations; New York enacts personnel records access law; Starbucks loses bid to dismiss Workers United trademark suit.