The government shutdown is over. Monday night, President Trump signed a spending bill ending the three-day shutdown. Senators reached agreement, reportedly with the help of a talking stick, after Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced that it was his “intention” to address the status of “dreamers.” Some are skeptical, and disappointed that Senate Democrats retreated without holding McConnell to more. The end of the shutdown relieves hundreds of thousands of federal workers of uncertainty with respect to whether they would be forced to take unpaid leave, and for how long.
The full effects of President Trump’s tax law remain to be seen. At the New York Times, Jim Tankersely writes that a trickle down impact is not yet clear. Tankersely criticizes President Trump’s praise of companies that have disclosed “tax-cut-fueled bonuses and wage hikes” as premature and distorted. The bonuses Bank of America announced will cost it 5% of its expected savings from the newly lowered corporate tax rate. Apple Inc.’s bonuses will likewise constitute just a fraction of the $40 billion it is expected to save. These announcements have nonetheless proved politically valuable and have precipitated increased support for President Trump’s tax plan.
Last week, Volvo agreed to settle a claim by a prospective employee who was denied employment because he was taking a prescription drug to treat his opioid addiction. We have previously covered the impact of the opioid crisis on employees and the workplace (here, here, and here).
At CNN, Ronald Brownstein juxtaposes areas driving economic growth and which candidate those areas voted for to reveal that—“[c]ounties that voted for Hillary Clinton against Trump in 2016 accounted for nearly three-fourths of the nation’s increased economic output and almost two-thirds of its new jobs in the years leading up to his election.” Brownstein attributes the trend to the diffusion of digital technologies, most prevalent in large metro areas, which are a dominant factor of economic growth.
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October 13
Texas hotel workers ratify a contract; Pope Leo visits labor leaders; Kaiser lays off over two hundred workers.
October 12
The Trump Administration fires thousands of federal workers; AFGE files a supplemental motion to pause the Administration’s mass firings; Democratic legislators harden their resolve during the government shutdown.
October 10
California bans algorithmic price-fixing; New York City Council passes pay transparency bills; and FEMA questions staff who signed a whistleblowing letter.
October 9
Equity and the Broadway League resume talks amid a looming strike; federal judge lets alcoholism ADA suit proceed; Philadelphia agrees to pay $40,000 to resolve a First Amendment retaliation case.
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.