In the contentious world of education policy, Politico reports that Michelle Rhee, the “outspoken education reformer,” will “host a series of national town hall meetings” in cities across the country. Despite Rhee’s history of clashing with teachers’ unions during her tenure as chancellor of D.C.’s public schools, she will be joined by George Parker, former president of the Washington Teachers’ Union.
For slightly older students and graduates, the debate over unpaid internships continues. Kelli Goff at theWashington Post opines that Sheryl Sandberg, the Facebook COO and author of Lean In, should be ashamed that her non-profit was seeking an unpaid intern, despite herself earning over $90 million in the past year.
Over in California, a court has ordered a 60-day injunction against further BART strikes. William B. Gould IV, a former chairman of the NLRB, argues in the L.A. Times, that both management and labor take inspiration from how Major League Baseball resolved its salary disputes in 1973 and turn to binding arbitration.
In labor news overseas, the Washington Post reports that Samsung has been sued by a Brazilian labor group for poor working conditions at the firm’s assembly lines in Brazil.
The immigration reform battle continues over Congress’ August recess. The Washington Post reports that immigration reform advocates and unions have sent “caravans of cars and buses” to House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy’s (R, CA-22) district to push him to support reform. Rep. McCarthy’s district has a significant agriculture industry, which relies on immigrant labor, making him perhaps more persuadable than other Republican Members of Congress.
Daily News & Commentary
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August 29
Trump fires regulator in charge of reviewing railroad mergers; fired Fed Governor sues Trump asserting unlawful termination; and Trump attacks more federal sector unions.
August 28
contested election for UAW at Kentucky battery plant; NLRB down to one member; public approval of unions remains high.
August 27
The U.S. Department of Justice welcomes new hires and forces reassignments in the Civil Rights Division; the Ninth Circuit hears oral arguments in Brown v. Alaska Airlines Inc.; and Amazon violates federal labor law at its air cargo facility in Kentucky.
August 26
Park employees at Yosemite vote to unionize; Philadelphia teachers reach tentative three-year agreement; a new report finds California’s union coverage remains steady even as national union density declines.
August 25
Consequences of SpaceX decision, AI may undermine white-collar overtime exemptions, Sixth Circuit heightens standard for client harassment.
August 24
HHS cancels union contracts, the California Supreme Court rules on minimum wage violations, and jobless claims rise