The New York Times Editorial Board applauds recent steps taken by New York University and Columbia University to tighten their policies on unpaid internships to prevent exploitative arrangements. According to a report last year by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, nearly half of the internships taken by college students in the class of 2013 were unpaid, and many likely violated federal labor guidelines requiring that unpaid internships at for-profit companies “must be for the benefit of the intern.”
The Washington Post reports on difficulties federal and state officials have encountered while trying to collect a $6 million judgment against Henry’s Turkey Services, a Texas company that was found guilty last year of discriminating against 32 mentally disabled workers. The verdict was the largest in the history of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The company has since filed for bankruptcy, and federal officials have only collected assets worth between $30,000 and $40,000.
About 330 detainees at an immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington were on a hunger strike for better conditions as of Sunday afternoon, the L.A. Times reports. The hunger strike began on Friday. The detainees are seeking, among other improvements, an increase in the facility’s $1-a-day wages for work.
The New York Times continues its coverage on the large wildcat strike at an IBM factory in southern China that began last week when more than 1,000 workers walked off the job. According to the Times, this recent strike is the latest in a new wave of labor militancy in China, where a labor shortage has given workers more power, smartphones and social media have helped workers organize, and dissatisfaction among workers with the ineffective state-backed All-China Federation of Trade Unions is widespread.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has unveiled a new graphical tool Monday allowing users to study eight aspects of the labor market, including unemployment, employment, labor demand, hours, and wages.
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April 20
Immigrant truckers file federal lawsuit; NLRB rejects UFCW request to preserve victory; NTEU asks federal judge to review CFPB plan to slash staff.
April 19
Chicago Teachers’ Union reach May Day agreement; New York City doormen win tentative deal; MLBPA fires two more executives.
April 17
Los Angeles teachers reach tentative agreement; labor leaders launch Union Now; and federal unions challenge FLRA power concentration.
April 16
DOD terminates union contracts; building workers in New York authorize a strike; and the American Postal Workers Union launches ads promoting mail-in voting.
April 15
LAUSD school staff reach agreement; EBSA releases deregulatory priorities; Trump nominates third NLRB Republican.
April 14
Meatpacking workers ratify new contract; NLRB proposes Amazon settlement; NLRB's new docketing system leading to case dismissals.