Sarah Leadem is a joint degree candidate at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
In today’s News & Commentary, public approval of labor unions has reached a record high and Seattle’s independent contractors have new rights starting this Thursday.
A Gallup poll released on Tuesday reports that 71% of Americans support labor unions—the highest approval rating since 1965. The trend toward union support started with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the same annual poll, public approval rose from 64% pre-pandemic to 68% last year. It continues to rise. Several commentators point to increased labor organizing during the COVID-19 pandemic to explain this boost in public support. In particular, unionization at highly visible U.S. corporations like Starbucks, Amazon, and Chipotle may be the cause of this upswing. The poll yielded other insights. While public support may be on the rise, many nonunion workers are hesitant to join a union. Just over half of nonunion workers (58%) surveyed did not express interest in unionizing, presenting a potential challenge for organized labor. However, those in unions value their union affiliation: 2 out of every 5 union members reported that their union membership is “extremely important.” These findings come from Gallup’s annual Work and Education poll. This phone-based poll was conducted from August 1-23 using a random sample of approximately 1,000 U.S. adults.
This week, independent contractors in Seattle will exercise new rights. Seattle’s Independent Contractor Protection Ordinance takes effect this Thursday. Passed in June of 2021, this ordinance extends new rights related to disclosure and timely compensation to the city’s independent contractors. Starting Thursday, those hiring independent contractors must provide a “pre–work written notice” detailing the terms and conditions of the contract. They must also pay contractors pursuant to the written notice or within 30 days of completing the work and must document payments made to independent contractors. The city of Seattle has released several resources to help the public, including a Fact Sheet on the law, a Notice of Rights for workers, and a sample pre-work written notice.
Daily News & Commentary
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February 13
Sex workers in Nevada fight to become the nation’s first to unionize; industry groups push NLRB to establish a more business-friendly test for independent contractor status; and UFCW launches an anti-AI price setting in grocery store campaign.
February 12
Teamsters sue UPS over buyout program; flight attendants and pilots call for leadership change at American Airlines; and Argentina considers major labor reforms despite forceful opposition.
February 11
Hollywood begins negotiations for a new labor agreement with writers and actors; the EEOC launches an investigation into Nike’s DEI programs and potential discrimination against white workers; and Mayor Mamdani circulates a memo regarding the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
February 10
San Francisco teachers walk out; NLRB reverses course on SpaceX; NYC nurses secure tentative agreements.
February 9
FTC argues DEI is anticompetitive collusion, Supreme Court may decide scope of exception to forced arbitration, NJ pauses ABC test rule.
February 8
The Second Circuit rejects a constitutional challenge to the NLRB, pharmacy and lab technicians join a California healthcare strike, and the EEOC defends a single better-paid worker standard in Equal Pay Act suits.