News outlets around the country have reported on the decision of the NLRB’s general counsel to treat McDonald’s as a joint employer with its franchises. The Washington Post writes that the decision could have “potentially far-reaching implications for the ability of millions of low-wage workers to join a union.” The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reports that “McDonald’s vowed to fight the decision.”
In what the Los Angeles Times calls a “stinging defeat” for the administration of Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Los Angeles Employee Relations Board voted unanimously to order the City Council to rescind a 2012 law reducing pension benefits for new city employees. A lawyer for the Coalition of L.A. City Unions said that the decision “shows the city could not unilaterally impose changes in pension benefits on its workforce.”
In the midst of the Metropolitan Opera’s “worst labor crisis in years,” the New York Times reports on a history of labor disputes at the Met going back as far as 1906. The contracts for 15 unions working at the opera expire this week, and the Times reports that “while both sides say they hope to avoid a lockout, the chances of reaching deals by Friday appear to be slim.”
As the start of the college football season approaches, the Washington Post reports that the effort to unionize the Northwestern University football program remains front and center. Coach Pat Fitzgerald “championed the team’s unity,” even as he discussed the divided opinions on his team regarding the unionization question.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
September 20
Culinary Workers Union members protests union leadership; lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft reveal internal concerns about the threat of AI training to human labor.
September 17
Unions push to block Google from buying Spirit Airlines employment records; U.S. Department of Labor sues Oklahoma coffee chain over alleged wage violations.
September 16
Trump nominates Catherine Eschbach as EEOC general counsel; NLRB declines to resolve union work-assignment dispute; Allina Health physicians begin four-day strike.
September 15
Documents reveal the inner workings of Amazon's union avoidance program; Washington state public sector unions reach tentative deals amid a difficult bargaining cycle; hundreds of Nevada Culinary Union members protest their union's health care changes.
September 14
NCAA and Big Ten file motion to dismiss in former star player's NIL suit; Seventh Circuit rules against former postal worker in discrimination suit.
September 13
Documents released on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks show that city officials encouraged workers to return to Ground Zero despite knowing the risks of asbestos exposure, and new polls demonstrate continued widespread support for labor unions.