News & Commentary

April 20, 2016

Hannah Belitz is a student at Harvard Law School.

The United Steelworkers union is calling on the United States to impose higher tariffs on aluminum imports, the New York Times reports. On Monday, the union’s law firm filed a petition under Section 201 of the 1974 Trade Act, which permits “domestic industries seriously injured or threatened with serious injury by increased imports [to] petition the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) for import relief.” According to the union, the U.S. aluminum smelting industry is suffering: by this summer, over three-quarters of the industry that existed five years ago will have been idled or shut down. The union cites China’s rising exports as a key reason for the industry’s decline.

According to the Washington Post, Airbnb is negotiating with the SEIU over a deal to employ unionized housekeepers who make at least $15/hour. Under the terms of the agreement, Airbnb would “endorse the union’s Fight for $15 and encourage vendors who provide services to homeowners on the Airbnb platform to pay their staff at least $15 per hour.” Airbnb’s platform would also direct its hosts to cleaners that the SEIU has approved. As for Airbnb, the deal would give it “new ammunition for its myriad political battles,” allowing the company “to make the claim that it is creating good jobs for local residents.”

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found that employment has finally returned to pre-financial crisis levels. As the Wall Street Journal explains, the employment rate fell significantly following the 2008 crisis, bottomed out in late 2010, and has been rising “slowly but steadily” ever since. However, the fact that it has taken over seven years to recover “serves as a reminder of how damaging the crisis was.” Moreover, the extent of the recovery varies widely across economies. Japan, Germany, and the U.K, for example, have exceeded pre-crisis employment rates; the United States has not.

Daily News & Commentary

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November 21

Workers at electric vehicle battery production complex in Kentucky launch campaign to join the UAW; Amazon workers at company’s largest air facility on the West Coast start union drive to join the Teamsters; and medical residents and fellows affiliated with Brown University organize to join CIR/SEIU Healthcare.

November 20

Philadelphia unions plan a joint strike, Greece faces a 24-hour general strike, and University of California unions set strikes for today and tomorrow.

November 19

Fifth Circuit hears challenges to NLRB; Democratic NLRB majority may be ending soon; building trades unions criticize Democratic party

November 18

In today’s News & Commentary, the Democratic Party Union blasts staff layoffs and Philadelphia city workers threaten mass strike. The Democratic National Committee Staff Union has criticized party leadership following several days of layoffs in the wake of the 2024 election loss. The union claims these cuts go beyond typical post-election turnover and have impacted […]

November 17

DOL overtime rule struck down; Cornell Graduate Student Union speaks on campus repression.

November 15

In today’s News & Commentary, Philadelphia’s largest city workers union authorizes a strike, video game union at Microsoft completes one-day strike, and Massachusetts teachers’ unions are fined. District 33, a union of Philadelphia city workers, has authorized a strike. The union represents 9,000 mostly blue-collar workers, including sanitation workers. Workers are dissatisfied with the city’s […]

OnLabor In The News

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Los Angeles Times

Column: How anti-union southern governors may be violating federal law: Ben Sachs quoted in a column about the anti-union governors' letter and the fragmentation of labor law; John Fry's post referenced on the question of whether state level card-check bans are preempted by the NLRA.

Fast Company

Amazon’s Labor Union is divided but closing in on electing leadership: Prof. Sachs on Amazon's use of legal roadblocks to delay negotiations.

Semafor

Unions’ picket power now extends to U.S. boardrooms: Prof. Block on the influence of labor unions on other playing fields.

Bloomberg Law

Boeing Talks Will Test Unions’ Sway as Labor Market Softens: Prof. Block on Boeing's labor negotiations with the International Association of Machinists.