Today's News and Commentary — June 5
Walmart workers across the county went on strike yesterday, demanding higher wages, respect on the job, and an end to retaliation against workers. CNN reported that the strikes were planned to coincide with Walmart’s annual shareholder meeting.
In response to the sickout in San Francisco, the city’s attorney, Dennis Herrera, has filed a charge of unfair labor practices against the transit driver’s union. Herrera says that the contract between the union and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency prohibits strikes and work stoppages, including the sickout.
The Wage Theft Prevention Act, introduced to the Washington D.C. Council in February of this year, unanimously passed the first vote and reading. The Washington Post reports that the bill would increase penalties for employers and establish formal hearings for workers.
The Associated Press has produced a comparison of the cost of living in the country’s major cities, focusing on the effect of an increased minimum wage.
In international news, the subway workers in São Paulo, Brazil plan to strike after rejecting the government’s latest salary increase proposal. The strike will begin today at midnight, one week before the World Cup kick-off. The Wall Street Journal reports that the government intends to challenge the strike in the country’s legal courts. São Paulo bus drivers went on strike last month.
