
Iman Masmoudi is a student at Harvard Law School.
In a move to express solidarity with Uber Drivers, Uniting Church told its workers yesterday to stop using Uber, citing the company’s “unethical foundations.” The Church is the largest non-government provider of services to the community in all of Australia. The Church pointed to the recent “Uber Files” report and Uber’s practices of mistreating its drivers and avoiding its taxes. The Guardian reports that several other large organizations in Australia are considering similar freezes on using Uber’s services. Expectedly, Uber expressed dismay at the announcement. Pre-emptive boycotts such as this have a long and controversial history in labor movements, even absent active strikes.
In other news, Jonathan Harkavy recently published a publicly-available review of the Supreme Court’s recent term from an employment law perspective. The article summarizes and offers commentary on each employment-related decision of the 2021 Term, including dissents from denial of certiorari and emergency filings. It then previews the upcoming employment-related docket based on grants of certiorari. The article concludes with reflections situating the recent decisions in the broader labor and employment movements, providing a useful tool for followers of key labor and employment law developments.
Finally, More Perfect Union reports that railroad union leaders were disappointed by the contract recommendations issues by President Biden’s emergency board. The board was appointed to help resolve a three-year negotiation impasse during which union leaders were unable to agree on a contract with the largest railroad carriers in the nation. Nearly 115,000 workers have been without raises for three years and their union leaders came to the table asking for wage and benefits increases. Without an agreement by September 16, the workers can call for a national strike and the railroads can lock out workers. Seeking to avoid this outcome, Biden appointed the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), which sought a compromise solution. While it recommended wage and benefits increases, the PEB’s proposals fell short of worker’s demands and were coupled with potential increases in healthcare costs as well. Union leaders were also disappointed by the plethora of issues on which the PEB simply did not take a position and instead recommended further negotiations or binding arbitration, which many view as a “guaranteed loss.” Workers called the recommendations “a slap in the face,” while the railroads indicated they would be willing to accept the proposed agreements. For now, a thirty-day period commences in which both sides consider whether to accept the proposals or negotiate further.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 2
Block, Nanda, and Nayak argue that the NLRA is under attack, harming democracy; the EEOC files a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels; and SEIU Local 1000 strikes an agreement with the State of California to delay the state's return-to-office executive order for state workers.
July 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Department of Labor proposes to roll back minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by public defenders over a union’s Gaza statements, and Philadelphia’s largest municipal union is on strike for first time in nearly 40 years. On Monday, the U.S. […]
June 30
Antidiscrimination scholars question McDonnell Douglas, George Washington University Hospital bargained in bad faith, and NY regulators defend LPA dispensary law.
June 29
In today’s news and commentary, Trump v. CASA restricts nationwide injunctions, a preliminary injunction continues to stop DOL from shutting down Job Corps, and the minimum wage is set to rise in multiple cities and states. On Friday, the Supreme Court held in Trump v. CASA that universal injunctions “likely exceed the equitable authority that […]
June 27
Labor's role in Zohran Mamdani's victory; DHS funding amendment aims to expand guest worker programs; COSELL submission deadline rapidly approaching
June 26
A district judge issues a preliminary injunction blocking agencies from implementing Trump’s executive order eliminating collective bargaining for federal workers; workers organize for the reinstatement of two doctors who were put on administrative leave after union activity; and Lamont vetoes unemployment benefits for striking workers.