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.
Daily News & Commentary
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September 3
Seond Circuit rejects a NLRB standard for union insignia in employer dress codes; House Republicans ramp up labor union investigations.
September 2
Trump’s US Steel agreement impacts labor talks; Mamdani clashes with teachers’ union; Boeing plans to resume bargaining talks.
September 1
California legislature passes a bill banning AI workplace surveillance of workers' emotional states; Labor Department repeals decades-old farmworker protection rules; Sixth Circuit upholds a $1.4 million verdict for farmworkers.
August 31
Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians stave off first-ever strike; Cleveland Public Library workers ratify new contracts; New York State AFL-CIO makes endorsements
August 30
Seattle teachers vote to authorize a strike days before the school year begins; BNSF Railway’s AI dispatching system puts workers in danger; and a California court finds that the DOL’s pay cuts for non-citizen farmworkers are unlawful.
August 28
Calls for a “token tax” on AI consumption grow and the number of Amazon workers on federal aid explodes.