Vivian Dong is a student at Harvard Law School.
NLRB Chairman Philip Miscimarra will leave his position upon his term’s expiry in December. Miscimarra wrote in an undated letter to NLRB employees that though he had been “encouraged to consider a reappointment,” he has informed the White House that he cannot remain past the term for family reasons. Miscimarra has criticized many of the pro-labor opinions issued by the NLRB throughout the Obama era. Prior to joining the NLRB, Miscimarra was a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, a law firm noted for its management-side labor law practice. If and when the Senate confirms William Emanuel’s nomination, the NLRB will have its first Republican majority in almost ten years.
Kansas City residents will vote today on whether to raise the city’s minimum wage from $7.70 to $10, and eventually $15 in 2022. The vote will be purely symbolic, as the Missouri state legislature passed a measure in May barring municipalities from increasing the minimum wage above the state floor, pre-empting local action. The May measure pre-empted an earlier St. Louis city ordinance raising the minimum wage to $10, so that St. Louis workers making minimum wage will see their wages revert back later this August to $7.70. In response, local SEIU chapters are organizing for a statewide referendum proposing a $12 minimum wage across Missouri.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai released a letter to employees, available also to the general public, regarding a widely-circulated internal memo by a male engineer at Google criticizing gender diversity initiatives and claiming biological differences account for women’s underrepresentation in tech. Pichai announced that the memo’s author had been fired. Pichai recognized employees’ rights to express their opinions, especially with respect to the wisdom of company policies, but stated that “to suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK.” Damore confirmed that he has been fired for “perpetuating gender stereotypes,” and stated that he will be exploring legal remedies. Before Damore was fired, he had submitted a charge to the NLRB accusing Google and attempting to silence him after the memo’s release sparked a furor.
Daily News & Commentary
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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.
June 25
Some circuits show less deference to NLRB; 3d Cir. affirms return to broader concerted activity definition; changes to federal workforce excluded from One Big Beautiful Bill.
June 24
In today’s news and commentary, the DOL proposes new wage and hour rules, Ford warns of EV battery manufacturing trouble, and California reaches an agreement to delay an in-person work mandate for state employees. The Trump Administration’s Department of Labor has advanced a series of proposals to update federal wage and hour rules. First, the […]