News & Commentary

October 28, 2013

The New York Times reports that an arbitrator resolved a labor contract dispute between the Resorts World Casino and the Hotel Trades Council (a union that represents Resorts World employees). The arbitrator supplied the terms of a new, three-year contract with 1, 375 Resorts World employees in Queens. The average employee’s wages will double when the contract takes effect (reaching $20.50 per hour), and will increase again in the second and third years of the contract.

In a study conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, nine in ten workers over the age of 49 reported that they were very or somewhat satisfied with their job. According to the Washington Post, older workers reported job satisfaction regardless of gender, race, educational level, political ideology or income level. While many survey participants said there were advantages to being an older worker, a significant minority said that they had experienced negative treatment or workplace discrimination as a result of their age.

Younger workers are facing new challenges and opportunities. The Washington Post observes that, in the wake of recent furloughs, the federal government has become a less attractive employer for young workers. The Post also reports that the demand for cybersecurity workers in the D.C. area has outstripped the supply. As a result, employers are now using “offbeat tactics” to recruit and retain cybersecurity talent.

The Wall Street Journal reports that claims of religious discrimination in the workplace are on the rise. In the last fifteen years, the number of religious discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has more than doubled. Notably, EEOC charges based on religious discrimination have grown at a faster rate than charges based on race or sex discrimination.

In healthcare news, the Washington Post notes that Republican Senators rejected Democrats’ proposal to delay the temporary fee that will soon be imposed on individuals covered by health insurance. Republicans argued that the delay would be a favor to labor unions, who generally support Democrats.

The New York Times discusses the results of a Global Employability Survey, which ranks 150 universities according to the employability of their graduates. The survey results suggest that employment recruiters are looking for graduates from a wider range of universities around the globe.

Finally, in other international news, the Wall Street Journal suggests that Irvin Jim, the secretary-general of the National Union of Metalworkers in South Africa, is becoming “the face of South Africa’s mounting industrial unrest and a force to be reckoned with by businesses and government.”

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