Responding to the #MeToo movement and the Supreme Court’s decision in Epic Systems, the California State Senate passed a bill that would prohibit employers from requiring a mandatory arbitration provision or nondisclosure agreement as a condition of employment. Big business argued that the law, which is awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature, would conflict with the Federal Arbitration Act and would thus be ineffective.
The stock market’s steady gains continued yesterday, and the bull market became arguably the longest in U.S. history. But as the New York Times reports, the $15 trillion in newly created wealth has accrued mostly to the wealthy. For the average American, most of their wealth is held in their home, and home prices and incomes have risen at lower rates than the stock market. In fact, the median American household wealth in 2016 remained 34% below where it was before the recession.
Encouraged by the recent overwhelming rejection of a ballot measure to institute right-to-work in their state, Missouri Democrats hope that Senator Claire McCaskill’s re-election campaign might be buoyed by a ballot measure to increase the minimum wage. However, some experts doubt that the measure will have the same galvanizing effect on union members, who typically make above the minimum wage and so would not directly benefit from the measure’s passage.
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.