In light of the upcoming oral arguments in Harris v. Quinn, the Los Angeles Times and NPR review the context surrounding this First Amendment challenge to the collection of mandatory union dues. The Los Angeles Times quotes Professor Sachs as observing that it would be radical for the Court to invalidate fair share fees under the constitution, and noting the parallel between the union dues cases and the Court’s bar association precedent. The Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune offer their opinions of the case, while labor attorney Moshe Marvit discusses his take in the Washington Post. An OnLabor summary of Harris v. Quinn can be found here.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the United Nations’ International Labor Organization (ILO) has released a report predicting a rise in international unemployment figures over the next two years despite global economic recovery. The ILO expects that young people and workers in Asia will be particularly hard hit, while unemployment is expected to stay about the same in the European Union and fall in the United States.
The American Federation of Government Employees is concerned that a measure in the federal appropriations bill passed last week will privatize airport-screening, the Washington Post reports. The union explains that while there are currently 48,000 TSA screeners, the bill caps federal funding to only 46,000 employees
The New York Times reports that yesterday Police arrested Rep. Charles Rangle (D-NY) and 31 other people marching at La Guardia Airport in support of airport contract workers’ efforts to get a paid holiday on Martin Luther King Day. The march was part of a larger SEIU 32BJ campaign to improve wages and benefits for airport contract workers.
Meanwhile, the New York Times Editorial Board takes issue with the $16 billion allocated for immigration enforcement in the House appropriations bill that passed last week. The Board writes “Millions of Americans can’t find work and have lost their unemployment benefits because Congressional Republicans insist the government can’t afford to help them. But there is no shortage of money when it comes to hunting down unauthorized immigrants.”
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