In an effort to reduce the gender pay gap, Delaware has enacted a law prohibiting employers from screening applicants based on salary history. In doing so, Delaware joins Massachusetts, Oregon, New York City, and Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s ordinance is under fire for allegedly violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments and allegedly being overly broad. Meanwhile, advocates have highlighted the correlation between a higher minimum wage and a smaller disparity, likely explained by women’s over-representation in low-wage jobs.
Bloomberg Business admiringly profiles attorney Saru Jayaraman and her organization Restaurant Opportunities Center United, concluding that their work is a model for worker organizing in the absence of a traditional union. The organization blends litigation with public pressure and counts both policy changes and concessions from individual employers among its victories.
First Daughter Ivanka Trump made her first and second visits to Capitol Hill this week, meeting with Republican Senators on Tuesday and Representatives on Wednesday to discuss paid parental leave. The Administration’s budget suggested using state unemployment funds to pay for parental leave; a Senate bill instead proposes tax credits for businesses offering paid leave. Time reports that Ivanka Trump has signaled a willingness to revise the Administration’s proposal.
“The customer is always right… But sometimes they’re not.” The New York Times quotes a New York transit worker reflecting on naked hostility by passengers and the transit authority’s tendency to side with passengers over employees. Police officers, a union representative, and several workers describe verbal and physical abuse – including 22 reported assaults against transit workers in New York City so far this year.
Daily News & Commentary
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October 15
New reporting examines the rollback of child labor protections; California tries to block a strike; NLRB charges Wisconsin mental health provider with firing workers during union drive.
October 14
Eleventh Circuit overturns ERISA exhaustion rule; DHS finalizes removal of automatic renewal for work permits; AFGE challenges SSA over flexible scheduling policy.
October 13
Chicago hotel workers remain on strike; a coalition of Democratic states sues the Labor Department over canceled unemployment insurance grants; the Federal Labor Relations Authority establishes a new mediation framework for federal worker disputes.
October 12
Workers at the Obama Foundation begin organizing; MLB submits its latest collective bargaining agreement proposal; Brigham & Women's nurses postpone strike.
October 11
UAW President Shawn Fain succeeds in his reelection bid, and Spanish unions call for a general strike.
October 9
DHS proposes a $100k fee for the foreign grad employment program; Trump suspends tech company access to green card program; and private equity perpetuates poor working conditions for home care workers.