The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it granted certiorari in Somers v. Digital Realty Trust, Inc., to decide whether whistleblowers who report misconduct internally, and not externally to the SEC, are entitled to anti-retaliation protections under the Dodd-Frank Act. The Ninth Circuit had ruled that employees who report internally were entitled to protection. This ruling was in line with a Second Circuit decision, as well as official SEC comments on the issue. Andrew Cheresney, former SEC Enforcement Director, stated “the Commission has filed six briefs in courts of appeals, and nearly a dozen briefs in district courts, in support of its rule clarifying that individuals who make internal reports of possible securities law violations are protected under the Commission’s whistleblower rules.” Reuters reports.
Samsung is slated to open a factory in South Carolina and employ an estimated 950 people to make washing machines and other home appliances. A growing demand for American-made goods from retailers like Walmart, rising costs of labor in China, and President Trump “statements about renegotiating free-trade agreements and potentially imposing import duties” have spurred many retailers, like Alibaba and LG to invest in factory jobs in the United States. The New York Times reports.
The New Jersey state legislature recently passed a bill prohibiting employers from asking about salary history. If signed by Governor Chris Christie, New Jersey would join the likes of Massachusetts, Delaware, New York, Oregon, and Philadelphia (as previously reported on the blog here).
China has released the three labor activists detained for investigating abusive labor practices in factories that manufacture shoes for Ivanka Trump’s line. Though Ivanka Trump has not commented on the investigators’ detention, she noted in a State Department speech on Tuesday that “ending human trafficking is a major foreign policy priority of the Trump administration.” The New York Times reports.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
July 6
Municipal workers in Philadelphia continue to strike; Zohran Mamdani collects union endorsements; UFCW grocery workers in California and Colorado reach tentative agreements.
July 4
The DOL scraps a Biden-era proposed rule to end subminimum wages for disabled workers; millions will lose access to Medicaid and SNAP due to new proof of work requirements; and states step up in the noncompete policy space.
July 3
California compromises with unions on housing; 11th Circuit rules against transgender teacher; Harvard removes hundreds from grad student union.
July 2
Block, Nanda, and Nayak argue that the NLRA is under attack, harming democracy; the EEOC files a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels; and SEIU Local 1000 strikes an agreement with the State of California to delay the state's return-to-office executive order for state workers.
July 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Department of Labor proposes to roll back minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by public defenders over a union’s Gaza statements, and Philadelphia’s largest municipal union is on strike for first time in nearly 40 years. On Monday, the U.S. […]
June 30
Antidiscrimination scholars question McDonnell Douglas, George Washington University Hospital bargained in bad faith, and NY regulators defend LPA dispensary law.