Weighing in on the recent strikes by fast-food workers, Jared Bernstein’s piece in today’s New York Times aims to debunk arguments against a higher minimum wage.
In labor politics, the AFL-CIO is celebrating the return of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, part of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka’s ongoing efforts to win back unions who defected to the rival labor federation Change to Win.
The Wall Street Journal reports that an “eclectic group of businesses” is coming together to support immigration reform, with industries from mushroom farms to senior-care facilities looking to benefit from the proposed expansion in visas for low-skilled laborers.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has made “no discernible progress” in terminating state employees who care for the developmentally disabled and who are guilty of abuse, according to the New York Times. The administration blames the caregivers’ union for the lack of progress, arguing that the government’s efforts to get more aggressive have been “hamstrung” by the collective bargaining agreement.
Firefighters who respond to airport emergencies are profiled in this NYT story, which looks at the challenges posed by their unique workplace. Meanwhile, the widow of one of the 19 Arizona firefighters who died in a massive wildfire is fighting for health and pension benefits after her late husband’s employer, the City of Prescott, denied her claim.
The Washington Post features a Q&A with the chairwoman of the Merit Systems Protection Board, which has received over 26,000 appeals from federal employees seeking to recoup pay lost due to furloughs imposed by the budget sequestration, while the L.A. Times reports that Pentagon civilian employees will face 6 days of furloughs in 2013, a large decrease from initial estimates of up to 22 days.
Daily News & Commentary
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October 13
Texas hotel workers ratify a contract; Pope Leo visits labor leaders; Kaiser lays off over two hundred workers.
October 12
The Trump Administration fires thousands of federal workers; AFGE files a supplemental motion to pause the Administration’s mass firings; Democratic legislators harden their resolve during the government shutdown.
October 10
California bans algorithmic price-fixing; New York City Council passes pay transparency bills; and FEMA questions staff who signed a whistleblowing letter.
October 9
Equity and the Broadway League resume talks amid a looming strike; federal judge lets alcoholism ADA suit proceed; Philadelphia agrees to pay $40,000 to resolve a First Amendment retaliation case.
October 8
In today’s news and commentary, the Trump administration threatens no back pay for furloughed federal workers; the Second Circuit denies a request from the NFL for an en banc review in the Brian Flores case; and Governor Gavin Newsom signs an agreement to create a pathway for unionization for Uber and Lyft drivers.
October 7
The Supreme Court kicks off its latest term, granting and declining certiorari in several labor-related cases.