Jon Weinberg is a student at Harvard Law School.
This past weekend’s New York Times piece on working conditions at Amazon continues to generate news. CNET has the reaction from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, while The Upshot compares Amazon’s labor situation to that faced by Walmart before they instituted reforms.
Writing in The Washington Post, Lydia DePillis explores whether the recent success of the Fight for $15 movement will lead to increased mechanization in the fast food industry. DePillis explores investments made by restaurant companies as well as the possible limitations of automation.
Also related to Fight for 15, CBS News highlights the opposition of restaurant owners to the recent recommendation by a New York state Wage Board to raise the fast food worker minimum wage to $15 an hour. The state labor commissioner is widely expected to approve the recommendation for the wage increase.
Finally, turning to high-end restaurants, The Wall Street Journal reports an increase in complaints by employees alleging wage and hour violations. The story notes that “the number of wage-violation lawsuits has been on the rise for more than a decade, driven by a successful worker-organization movement, increased attention by plaintiffs’ attorneys and complicated labor laws that leave some employers confused, according to legal analysts and industry leaders.”
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
August 14
Hollywood unions diverge in response to the Paramount-Warner merger saga; Tesla defeats a years-long strike in Sweden, and labor scholars advocate for state sectoral bargaining policy innovation.
August 13
EEOC complaint process expected to harm federal workers; former UAW leaders endorse Fain challenger; Xbox employees protest layoffs.
August 12
Third Circuit affirms dismissal of driver’s bias and retaliation claims against CBS and Teamsters; employment litigation surges in Washington state; MIT Sloan professor argues the rise of “disposable workers” is transforming American employment.
August 11
Rideshare drivers nearing union certification in California; UFCW campaigns against electronic shelf labels; Teamsters support NYC delivery driver bill.
August 10
Employee sues for a fossil-fuel-free 401(k) plan as a religious accommodation; DHS submits a proposed rule eliminating 60-day grace period for H-1B workers; Eighth Circuit dismisses constitutional challenge to the FMSHRC.
August 7
Starbucks beats claims it denied shifts to union workers; Center for State Labor Innovation aims to address labor law shortcomings.