News & Commentary

April 7, 2014

The US Senate is expected to approve legislation today restoring unemployment benefits to nearly 3 million people, reports the New York Times. The bill is expected to face opposition from House Republicans. On Tuesday, Senate Democrats will bring up a bill to guarantee women equal pay for equal work.

The New York Times reports on an announcement by the president of the N.C.A.A. that the organization is considering a significant overhaul that would allow athletic conferences to provide more benefits to student athletes.

The Wall Street Journal reports on the booming temporary staffing industry, which accounts for more than one-tenth of all US job growth since 2009. In March, 2.8 million workers were characterized as having temp jobs, up from 1.7 million in August 2009. The average weekly pay of temp jobs is one-third less than the pay for all jobs. Close to 40 percent of all temp jobs now are in manufacturing.

The Washington Post reports on President Obama’s use of his executive powers to secure better pay and working conditions for federally contracted workers. This week, Obama plans to issue an order prohibiting federal contractors from retaliating against workers for talking about their pay. He will also direct the labor department to issue new rules requiring contractors to report compensation data, including breakdowns by race and gender.

The L.A. Times reports on a class action lawsuit filed against Fox Searchlight by four interns on the 2010 film “Black Swan,” alleging that their internships violated Federal minimum wage laws. Similar lawsuits have been filed in recent years against Warner Music Group, Atlantic Records, Condé Nast, and Hearst Corp.

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