A Truthout op-ed evaluates the current National Labor Relations Board, arguing that under Trump’s administration, the NLRB has become more restrictive of workers’ rights. The author points mainly to two new rules as evidence of tighter restrictions: the recent extension of pre-election hearings from 8 calendar days to 14 business days – meaning workers now have to wait longer after petitioning for an election – and the requirement that all disputes regarding the bargaining unit scope and voter eligibility be litigated and resolved prior to an election. These changes, the author argues, ultimately weaken workers’ access to the NLRB election path. An official list of recent changes in the NLRB rules can be found here.
Meanwhile, outside of the U.S. context, France reached a historic ruling in its labor law. French criminal court held three former executives liable for the suicides of thirty-five employees. They are charged with “institutional moral harassment”. Former executives of Orange, one France’s telecommunication giants and formerly the national telephone company, are held responsible for creating a toxic corporate culture that led to these suicides. During the company’s massive restructuring in the early 2000s, the company sought to eliminate 22,000 workers and shift another 10,000 into new roles. According to the New York Times, the French court found that these executives engaged in “a conscious scheme to worsen the work conditions of the employees in order to speed up departures.” The convicted executives face fines and several months in prison.
Please note that On Labor will resume regular posting of News & Commentary after the holiday season.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 6
Municipal workers in Philadelphia continue to strike; Zohran Mamdani collects union endorsements; UFCW grocery workers in California and Colorado reach tentative agreements.
July 4
The DOL scraps a Biden-era proposed rule to end subminimum wages for disabled workers; millions will lose access to Medicaid and SNAP due to new proof of work requirements; and states step up in the noncompete policy space.
July 3
California compromises with unions on housing; 11th Circuit rules against transgender teacher; Harvard removes hundreds from grad student union.
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.