Vail Kohnert-Yount is a student at Harvard Law School.
A federal judge ruled last week that Trump’s Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta violated the Crime Victims’ Rights Act when he and other prosecutors devised a plea deal with Miami financier Jeffrey Epstein on charges of trafficking minors for sex, reported Bloomberg Law. The agreement allowed Epstein—a close associate of other powerful men accused of sex crimes including Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz, and Robert Kraft—to dodge federal charges related to an alleged sex ring he operated out of his Florida home, although he was sentenced to 13 months in prison on state charges. While some House Democrats have already called for Acosta to resign, labor union leaders are meeting today to decide whether the AFL-CIO should follow suit. Should Acosta step down, current Deputy Secretary Pat Pizzella, who began his career working with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to shield Northern Mariana sweatshops from federal labor and immigration laws, would become acting labor secretary.
A former staffer on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign alleged that he forcibly kissed her without her consent in a new lawsuit filed yesterday. In interviews and in her complaint, Alva Johnson said Trump grabbed her hand and leaned in to kiss her on the lips at an August 2016 rally in Tampa, Florida. While over a dozen women have publicly accused Trump of sexual assault, including some that occurred in the workplace, Johnson is the only accuser to come forward since he became president and the only one to allege such behavior during the campaign. “The only thing I did was show up for work one day,” she told the Washington Post. Meanwhile, the Trump White House and campaign have come under fire for requiring employees to sign highly restrictive non-disclosure agreements, which may prevent other allegations from coming forward.
The New York Times profiled Sara Nelson, “a rising star of the labor movement and the most powerful flight attendant in America.” Nelson rose to prominence during the recent government shutdown for her leadership of the Association of Flight Attendants union, of which she is president. “Between you and me, that’s what ended the shutdown, you know,” Senator Bernie Sanders told Nelson when she was his guest to the State of the Union address. “When planes looked like they weren’t taking off.”
Domestic workers had a moment in the limelight on Sunday night, when Alfonso Cuarón’s movie Roma won three Academy Awards. The movie, which featured Mexican actor Yalitza Aparacio, a former schoolteacher, as a domestic worker in the film. Ai-jen Poo of the National Domestic Workers Alliance attended the awards ceremony as domestic workers celebrated Roma’s wins.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
January 28
Over 15,000 New York City nurses continue to strike with support from Mayor Mamdani; a judge grants a preliminary injunction that prevents DHS from ending family reunification parole programs for thousands of family members of U.S. citizens and green-card holders; and decisions in SDNY address whether employees may receive accommodations for telework due to potential exposure to COVID-19 when essential functions cannot be completed at home.
January 27
NYC's new delivery-app tipping law takes effect; 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare workers go on strike; the NJ Appellate Division revives Atlantic City casino workers’ lawsuit challenging the state’s casino smoking exemption.
January 26
Unions mourn Alex Pretti, EEOC concentrates power, courts decide reach of EFAA.
January 25
Uber and Lyft face class actions against “women preference” matching, Virginia home healthcare workers push for a collective bargaining bill, and the NLRB launches a new intake protocol.
January 22
Hyundai’s labor union warns against the introduction of humanoid robots; Oregon and California trades unions take different paths to advocate for union jobs.
January 20
In today’s news and commentary, SEIU advocates for a wealth tax, the DOL gets a budget increase, and the NLRB struggles with its workforce. The SEIU United Healthcare Workers West is advancing a California ballot initiative to impose a one-time 5% tax on personal wealth above $1 billion, aiming to raise funds for the state’s […]