News & Commentary

August 27, 2014

In a victory for a postal workers’ union, an administrative law judge has ruled that the United States Postal Service must hand over a copy of its confidential agreement with the retailer Staples, according to the Wall Street Journal.  The union has argued that the agreement, under which Staples provides postal services at its own stores and through its own employees, violates the union’s contract with the USPS.  The president of the American Postal Workers Union praised the ruling, saying ““We think this is a secret, dirty deal between the postal service and Staples and we want transparency for this country and the postal workers.”

The Huffington Post reports that the SEIU has prevailed in an election making it the bargaining representative for 27,000 Minnesota home-care workers.  According to the paper, “[t]he union is holding up its Minnesota victory as a sign that it will continue to organize home care workers despite the Supreme Court’s recent Harris v. Quinn decision.”

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have voted to ratify a contract with three Northwest grain merchants, bringing an end to what had been a long and contentious labor dispute.

The Washington Post reports that in seeking the top position at the National Football League Players’ Association, Sean Gilbert, a former player, has proposed a major overhaul to the players’ current contract with the league.  If elected, Gilbert said that he would seek to void the current collective bargaining agreement and would agree to a longer, 18-game season in exchange for concessions to the players, including a higher minimum salary and earlier free agency.

 

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