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
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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.
August 6
Taylor Farms faces scrutiny over labor practices; Bipartisan labor bill gains momentum.
August 5
Clash over potential change to Canada’s labor code; Harvard’s Center for Labor and a Just Economy releases model sectoral bargaining laws; NJ sues Amazon for antitrust violations.
August 4
WestJet reaches a deal to end a flight attendant strike; the NLRB rules Whole Foods legally banned Black Lives Matter display; a commentary argues college athletes should have the right to collectively bargain.
August 3
Queens College faculty stage protest; UAW holds presidential debate; the Protect College Sports Act gets new life.