Hannah Finnie is a writer in Washington, D.C. interested in the intersections of work and culture. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
The U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced yesterday that the U.S. asked Mexico to review whether workers at a facility in Mexico were denied the rights of free association and collective bargaining. The U.S. made this request under the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. This is the third time this year the U.S. has used this mechanism to pursue action related to potential labor violations. The action is a result of two Mexican labor organizations that filed a petition for use of the RRM due to alleged violations of free association and collective bargaining. Mexico now has 10 days to determine whether to review the situation, and then 45 days after that to complete the review if it chooses.
In the U.S., Amazon revealed yesterday it bought One Medical, a primary care provider. The acquisition marks a large move into the health care space from Amazon and is also causing concern among privacy advocates and anti-trust advocates. Privacy advocates worry that Amazon’s large amount of existing data coupled with direct access to health care records through this acquisition will lead to the company having too much sensitive information about people.
The American Economic Liberties Project released a statement calling on regulators to stop the deal. It cited privacy concerns (“Allowing Amazon to control the health care data for another 700,000+ individuals is terrifying”) and anti-competitive ramifications, noting that this acquisition will allow Amazon to grow in the space and undermine competition.
As Travis reported earlier this week, an Amazon worker died during Prime Day (one of Amazon’s busiest days). Christian Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Union who helped organize the first unionized Amazon location in the country, said that the worker had told management of chest pains but they continued to make him work. He then was passed out for 20 minutes on the floor and it took nearly an hour for someone to call 911.
Workers at the publishing company HarperCollins went on a one-day strike yesterday to fight for higher wages, better family leave benefits, and policies that support workers from oppressed backgrounds. There has been a union at HarperCollins for decades, but the current workers have been fighting for a new contract since December 2021 and have not yet reached a fair contract, they say.
Daily News & Commentary
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September 29
Starbucks announces layoffs and branch closures; the EEOC sues Walmart.
September 28
Canadian postal workers go on strike, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons cancels a collective bargaining agreement covering over 30,000 workers.
September 26
Trump’s DOL seeks to roll back a rule granting FLSA protections to domestic care workers; the Second Circuit allows a claim of hostile work environment created by DEI trainings to proceed; and a GAO report finds alarming levels of sexual abuse in high school Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs.
September 25
Fenway workers allege retaliation; fired Washington Post columnist files grievance; Trump administration previews mass firings from government shutdown.
September 24
The Trump administration proposes an overhaul to the H-1B process conditioning entry to the United States on a $100,000 fee; Amazon sues the New York State Public Employment Relations Board over a state law that claims authority over private-sector labor disputes; and Mayor Karen Bass signs an agreement with labor unions that protects Los Angeles city workers from layoffs.
September 23
EEOC plans to close pending worker charges based solely on unintentional discrimination claims; NLRB holds that Starbucks violated federal labor law by firing baristas at a Madison, Wisconsin café.