Walmart announced yesterday that it would allow its workers to take their pay before their payday. Workers would be able to access the wages for hours which they have already worked before the 2-week pay period mark. The new initiative is meant to help workers avoid costly payday loans and other debt traps. The New York Times reports.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates yesterday for the fifth time since the financial crisis. Unemployment reached 4.55%, indicating that the economy may be at full employment. A Planet Money analysis discusses the shift of the Fed’s attention from unemployment to inflation and what the magic number might be where unemployment can be its lowest without triggering a rise in inflation.
On Monday, the Supreme Court denied cert to hearing Jameka Evans’ case against her employer. Evans alleged that her boss at Georgia Regional Hospital tried to force her to quit because she wore a male uniform and did not conform to female stereotypes. The Supreme Court is expected to hear a case like this in the future, as there is a circuit split of whether Title VII protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Reuters reports.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
December 22
Worker-friendly legislation enacted in New York; UW Professor wins free speech case; Trucking company ordered to pay $23 million to Teamsters.
December 21
Argentine unions march against labor law reform; WNBA players vote to authorize a strike; and the NLRB prepares to clear its backlog.
December 19
Labor law professors file an amici curiae and the NLRB regains quorum.
December 18
New Jersey adopts disparate impact rules; Teamsters oppose railroad merger; court pauses more shutdown layoffs.
December 17
The TSA suspends a labor union representing 47,000 officers for a second time; the Trump administration seeks to recruit over 1,000 artificial intelligence experts to the federal workforce; and the New York Times reports on the tumultuous changes that U.S. labor relations has seen over the past year.
December 16
Second Circuit affirms dismissal of former collegiate athletes’ antitrust suit; UPS will invest $120 million in truck-unloading robots; Sharon Block argues there are reasons for optimism about labor’s future.