Happy Valentine’s Day!  Those celebrating should be careful not to run affront of labor and employment law.  The Richmond Times-Dispatch notes that “when a gift is received unexpectedly from a co-worker on Valentine’s Day of all days, it raises the creep level to litigation status.”  Their special correspondent advises readers to keep their celebrations out of the workplace.

Donald Trump’s selection for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, continues to face difficulties with his nomination.  According to CNN, four Republican senators – “Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Johnny Isakson of Georgia” – are withholding support for Puzder pending his confirmation hearings.  Republican leaders will lobby the four senators, but if they cannot be swayed Trump may replace Puzder.

After a long campaign, a little over 3,000 Boeing workers in Charleston will finally vote tomorrow on unionization.  The New York Times reports that the election represents a key test of the strength of organized labor in the early days of Trump’s presidency.  Boeing was enticed to open the plant in South Carolina in large part because of reduced labor costs relative to their operations in the Seattle area, partly driven by the lack of unionization.

In other news, graduate students at colleges and universities continue to mount union organization campaigns.  Organizers and students continue to make their case at Duke University and the University of Maryland, for example.