On Monday, Local 33-UNITE HERE withdrew its petition to the NLRB to represent student teachers in 8 of the 56 departments of the Graduate School for Arts and Sciences at Yale University. The micro-unit bargaining strategy, which allowed the union to define bargaining units at Yale as individual departments instead of the whole school, had been upheld by the NLRB in Specialty Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center of Mobile, 357 NLRB 934 (2011) but was overruled by the newly appointed Board in November. The New York Times reports.
President Trump’s budget plan revealed on Monday adds and tightens work requirements for social safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and housing assistance. Since the administration allowed states to impose work requirements for Medicaid last month, Kentucky has rolled out work requirements and 10 other states have asked to do the same. The New York Times reports.
One reason employers should expand their sick leave pay is that incentivizing workers to come in sick actually hurts their bottom line. As this year’s flu hospitalization rights are extremely high and the vaccine has been seen as less effective, sick workers must choose between forgoing their paycheck or going to work sick. Doing the latter exposes other commuters and employees to illness. A CDC study found that providing paid sick leave might decrease the overall number of workdays lost from sickness by nearly 4 to 11 million per year, resulting in $1-2 billion in savings. Yet, about 28% of U.S. workers, concentrated in the lowest-income employees don’t have paid sick leave. The Washington Post reports.
An associate director named Lauren Bonner has filed suit against Steven A. Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management LP claiming that the company had a level of structural sexism that led to a hostile workplace that enabled the sexist and misogynistic treatment of women. IBM has sued its former Human Resources executive for violating her contract when she was recently hired by Microsoft and has sought to enforce her non-compete. Preston Doerflinger, the interim director of Oklahoma’s health agency resigned yesterday when it emerged that his ex-wife had filed a victim statement that he had choked her in 2012.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
October 8
In today’s news and commentary, the Trump administration threatens no back pay for furloughed federal workers; the Second Circuit denies a request from the NFL for an en banc review in the Brian Flores case; and Governor Gavin Newsom signs an agreement to create a pathway for unionization for Uber and Lyft drivers.
October 7
The Supreme Court kicks off its latest term, granting and declining certiorari in several labor-related cases.
October 6
EEOC regains quorum; Second Circuit issues opinion on DEI causing hostile work environment.
October 5
In today’s news and commentary, HELP committee schedules a vote on Trump’s NLRB nominees, the 5th Circuit rejects Amazon’s request for en banc review, and TV production workers win their first union contract. After a nomination hearing on Wednesday, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee scheduled a committee vote on President Trump’s NLRB nominees […]
October 3
California legislation empowers state labor board; ChatGPT used in hostile workplace case; more lawsuits challenge ICE arrests
October 2
AFGE and AFSCME sue in response to the threat of mass firings; another preliminary injunction preventing Trump from stripping some federal workers of collective bargaining rights; and challenges to state laws banning captive audience meetings.