As expected, the New York City Council voted yesterday to cap the number of Ubers allowed to drive within the city, in a win for taxi drivers, who had complained of deflated incomes. The move came despite opposition from the NAACP and other civil rights organizations, who argued that rideshare services like Lyft were more likely to serve customers of color equally. Mayor DeBlasio promised to sign the bill, saying that 100,000 workers would see a benefit from the law.
At the Upshot, a striking study showed that the gender pay gap begins in childhood. Teenage boys spend less time on household chores than teenage girls, but boys using a chore app earned double what girls did for doing chores — $13.80 a week on average for boys versus $6.71 for girls. Boys are also more likely to be paid for basic hygiene tasks, like brushing their teeth and showering, while girls are more likely to be paid for housework. Experts argue that this early practice entrenches gender roles and expectations that can be difficult to overcome later in life.
The number of unfilled jobs hit a 17-year high last quarter. There were 6.7 million job openings this spring, up 750,000 from last year, as the economy continues to strengthen. Yet workers haven’t seen much benefit, as real wages have been largely stagnant. Much of this stagnation can be traced to a decline in union membership, which has been shown to reduce income inequality.
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April 28
Supreme Court grants cert on Labor Department judges' authority; Apple store union files NLRB charge; cannabis workers win unionization rights
April 27
Nike announces layoffs; Tillis withdraws objection on Fed nominee; and consumer sentiment hits record low.
April 26
Screenwriters in the Writers Guild of America vote to ratify a four-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and teachers in Los Angeles vote to ratify a two-year agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
April 24
NYC unions urge Mamdani to veto anti-protest “buffer zones” bill; 40,000 unionized Samsung workers rally for higher pay; and Labubu Dolls found to contain cotton made by forced labor.
April 23
Trump administration wins in 11th Circuit defending a Biden-era project labor agreement rule; NABTU convenes its annual legislative conference; Meta reported to cut over 10% of its workforce this year.
April 22
Congress introduces a labor rights notification bill; New York's ban on credit checks in hiring takes effect; Harvard's graduate student workers go on strike.