Today’s News & Commentary — July 29, 2016
The NLRB declined yesterday to review the decision to unionize of workers at Trump International Hotel, Las Vegas. Roughly 500 Trump International Hotel workers voted and narrowly approved joining the Culinary Workers Union last December, but Trump International Hotel did not recognize the election, arguing that the election was “anything but free and fair.” The NLRB regional director certified the union in March 2016, a decision that Trump International Hotel appealed to NLRB headquarters in Washington, D.C. NLRB headquarters held that the regional director’s decision to certify the union raised “no substantial issue warranting review.”
Hearings began on June 20, 2016, for the largest private sector equal pay claim in history. About 7,000 claimants are suing Asda, a Walmart-owned and UK-based supermarket, in U.K. courts. According to U.K. law, female employees are entitled to the same pay as male employees for work of “equal value.” Investigations revealed that supermarket staffers, who are disproportionately female, received less compensation than distribution center workers, who are disproportionately male. If the Employment Tribunal decides in favor of the workers, the claim could cost Asda over 100 million pounds.
Baltimore City Council’s labor committee unanimously approved yesterday setting a minimum wage of $15 an hour. The 15-member City Council will deliberate and vote on the bill next month. The City Council is currently split on the proposal. City Council President Bernard C. Young is against the $15 proposal but is open to a lower increase. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has said she would sign the proposal if City Council approved the measure. Baltimore does not currently have its own minimum wage. The city is currently subject to the state minimum wage of $8.75, though it will increase to $10.10 by 2018.
