Minimum wage increases went into effect in 20 states today, according to the New York Times. The increases range from a few pennies to $1.25 more an hour. Washington state has the highest wage at $9.47. In other states, like Massachusetts, the wage increase is staggered and will reach $11/hour by 2017. The new wage laws will cover approximately 60% of the U.S. workforce. The federal minimum wage, $7.25, has not been raised since 2007.
The Wall Street Journal also reports on new labor-related laws that will go into effect this year. Apart from minimum wage increase, new laws in Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey will restrict employers’ use of criminal background checks when hiring new employees.
The Huffington Post reviews 2014 for organized labor. The piece by David Macaray says last year was “ho-hum” with some “notable exceptions,” including the fast food workers’ protests, Thomas Perez’s first year as Secretary of Labor, and the continuing struggles for teachers’ unions.
The New York Times reports that the number of applications for unemployment insurance rose by 17,000 last week. The overall number of applications remains low, however, suggesting that economic growth will continue. For the past few months, the number of unemployment applications has been less than 300,000. The Boston Globe reports that the labor force in Massachusetts grew by 80,500 workers in 2014, while the national economy added 321,000 jobs last November.
Daily News & Commentary
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February 13
Sex workers in Nevada fight to become the nation’s first to unionize; industry groups push NLRB to establish a more business-friendly test for independent contractor status; and UFCW launches an anti-AI price setting in grocery store campaign.
February 12
Teamsters sue UPS over buyout program; flight attendants and pilots call for leadership change at American Airlines; and Argentina considers major labor reforms despite forceful opposition.
February 11
Hollywood begins negotiations for a new labor agreement with writers and actors; the EEOC launches an investigation into Nike’s DEI programs and potential discrimination against white workers; and Mayor Mamdani circulates a memo regarding the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
February 10
San Francisco teachers walk out; NLRB reverses course on SpaceX; NYC nurses secure tentative agreements.
February 9
FTC argues DEI is anticompetitive collusion, Supreme Court may decide scope of exception to forced arbitration, NJ pauses ABC test rule.
February 8
The Second Circuit rejects a constitutional challenge to the NLRB, pharmacy and lab technicians join a California healthcare strike, and the EEOC defends a single better-paid worker standard in Equal Pay Act suits.