Melissa Greenberg is a student at Harvard Law School.
Politico reports that the Senate will likely vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, Alexander Acosta, today. President Trump also appointed current National Labor Relations Board member Philip A. Miscimarra to serve as chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. Miscimarra has been serving as acting chairman of the Board beginning in January 23, 2017. The National Law Review suggests that being named to this position “while largely administrative, may bode well for Miscimarra’s renomination to a new term.” His term expires in December of 2017.
Yesterday, President Donald Trump assured Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he would seek to renegotiate NAFTA rather than exit the agreement right away. The White House had indicated earlier on Wednesday that President Trump would sign an executive order officially withdrawing from the trade agreement. The New York Times suggested the initial White House announcement on withdrawal was “an example of Mr. Trump’s deal-making in real time.” Under NAFTA Article 2205, the United States must provide six months advanced warning before terminating the trade agreement. It remains unclear whether President Trump might still sign an executive order initiating withdrawal from the agreement at some point in order to begin the notification process and gain leverage in negotiations. Read more here.
In other news from the White House, President Donald Trump vowed to appeal an order by Judge William H. Orrick of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California. The order temporarily restrains the Administration from withholding federal funds from sanctuary cities. Although the federal government has yet to flesh-out the definition of a sanctuary city, the term is generally defined as a jurisdiction that does not fully cooperate with efforts by the federal government to enforce its immigration policy. Read more about the decision here.
Daily News & Commentary
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February 21
In today’s News & Commentary, Trump spending cuts continue to threaten federal workers, and Google AI workers allege violations of labor rights. Trump’s massive federal spending cuts have put millions of workers, both inside and outside the federal government, in jeopardy. Yesterday, thousands of workers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs research office were […]
February 20
President Trump's labor secretary pick retreats from some of her pro-labor stances during Senate confirmation hearing and Lynn Rhinehart discusses implications of NLRB and other agency removals.
February 19
In today’s news and commentary, Lori Chavez-Deremer’s confirmation hearing, striking King Soopers workers return to the bargaining table, and UAW members at Rolls-Royce authorize a strike. Lori Chavez-Deremer, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor, faces a Senate confirmation hearing today. Chavez-Deremer may face more No votes from Republicans than other Trump cabinet members. Rand […]
February 18
In today’s news and commentary, an air traffic union examines the impact of federal aviation worker firings, Southwest Airlines lays off 15% of its corporate workforce, and the NLRB’s General Counsel withdraws Biden-era memos Following the Trump Administration’s dismissal of hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), a […]
February 17
President Trump breaks campaign promise to support workers and Utah’s governor signs a law banning public sector collective bargaining
February 16
Unions fight unlawful federal workforce purges; Amazon union push suffers setback in North Carolina.