Yesterday we covered the Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision in Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk. The New York Times, Washington Post, and Reuters have additional coverage of the case.
The Senate has confirmed Lauren McGarity McFerran to the NLRB for a five-year term. The party-line vote ensures that that the Board will retain a 3-2 Democratic majority as the Senate switches control next year.
Last month Volkswagen adopted a type of employee representation system for its Chattanooga, TN, plant, which established a tier-based system with different levels of bargaining privileges dependent on the group’s level of employee support. Yesterday, following a vote at the plant, the UAW was certified to represent at least 45% of its workers, qualifying for the top-tier of representation. This tier entitles the group to hold meetings on plant property and meet regularly with company representatives. The UAW will be allowed to call for a second NLRB election for full unionization in February, one year after the previous vote. The LA Times and Wall Street Journal have coverage of the vote.
According to Politico, an NLRB judge yesterday “found that Walmart violated federal labor law by “implicitly threatening” a California store closure over potential worker organizing and by maintaining a dress code “restricting associates’ right to wear union insignia.” The events in the case concern two stores in Placerville and Richmond Calif. and the labor group OUR Walmart.”
The New York Times reports that the number of available jobs has risen to the second-highest level in 14 years. The Times notes that this news could help drive up wages, which have barely kept up with inflation since the recession ended. Yet the Times’ Upshot Blog notes that while more jobs are available, actual hiring is rising at a much slower pace. The author’s theory is that during the recession, employers got used to the low wages they could offer their employees, due to the desperate conditions faced by many workers. Yet now, with an improved labor market, employers simply aren’t willing to increase compensation in order to fill their openings. The article concludes, “eventually some employers will decide that they are leaving too much business on the table by not offering the pay and benefits and training that will fill their vacant openings. If that happens on a wide enough scale, it will mean that the long-awaited gains in wages for ordinary workers will finally start to arrive.”
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 […]