Adi Kamdar is a student at Harvard Law School.
Graduate students who work as teaching and research assistants at Columbia University successfully voted for union representation. As reported in Bloomberg BNA, the vote (1,602 to 623) will allow working students to be represented by United Auto Workers—a change opposed by the university. Meanwhile, a similar vote at Harvard still has no result after some 1,200 ballots were challenged.
“I believe in justice for everyone,” stated an eleven-year-old in front of a Wendy’s yesterday. A group of fifth graders joined the picket line at the fast food chain in Boston, “urging customers to boycott the fast-food chain unless it agrees to pay a higher price for tomatoes—a move advocates say could boost farm wages,” according to the Boston Globe. This children’s labor protest is an annual tradition for the class at Boston Workmen’s Circle Center for Jewish Culture and Social Justice. After learning the history of labor movements, the class dedicates time to a current labor issue.
Donald Trump’s crusade to keep jobs from moving overseas was expected. But according to the Los Angeles Times, what’s worrying businesspeople is the way he’s going about it: targeting individual companies, getting personally involved, and conducting “backroom deal-making that has analysts concerned about crony capitalism.” Analysts worry that a job boost would merely be short term. Trump’s tariffs would lead to higher prices, fewer exports, and ultimately fewer jobs—worrying even union workers. The Times also point out how Trump’s Carrier deal—millions of dollars in tax breaks in exchange for their keeping several hundred jobs in the United States—is not scalable. Similar deals have been previously tried with other companies, to no avail.
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.