Today, President Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House. Bloomberg reports that one of Modi’s top priorities will be to convince Trump to continue the H-1B visa program, which has let thousands of skilled Indian workers live in the United States while working for information technology companies. CNN notes that Trump has repeatedly accused American tech companies of using H-1B visas to replace U.S. workers with cheaper foreign workers, calling for a comprehensive review of the visa program in his April “Buy American, Hire American” executive order. Other critical topics of discussion include trade and climate change.
In yesterday’s municipal run-off elections, Italy’s center-right parties won big—scoring victories in more than 100 towns and cities. The results will likely put pressure on the center-left government ahead of national parliamentary elections set to take place in early 2018. Immigration, particularly anti-migrant sentiments, emerged as a theme in Italy’s border towns.
In a piece titled “Men Don’t Want to Be Nurses. Their Wives Agree,” the New York Times analyzed gender dynamics in labor-force participation rates. Despite the fact that a number of jobs in the health care sector are unfilled, the jobs report for May showed less than 63 percent of Americans participating in the labor force. Because many of the open jobs are in traditionally female occupations, men tend to face not only internal resistance, but also external resistance from their wives, potential clients, job recruiters, and female peers. Ofer Sharone, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst who has studied middle-aged white-collar professionals that have lost their jobs, offered one explanation: “Work is at the core of what it means to be a man, in a way that work is not at the core of femininity.”
The Guardian reports that British businesses are facing the biggest skilled labor-recruiting challenge that they have faced in a decade. A survey by Lloyds found that the majority of British companies are struggling to recruit the skilled labor they need, which is up from almost a third of companies in January. Three of the contributing factors are high employment, a fall in the value of the pound, and uncertainty about the future for EU nationals in the UK.
Finally, the New York Times published a story about Johnstown, Pennsylvania, an old steel town whose workforce has taken a second hit as retail stores struggle to adapt to online shopping. “Every time you lose a corner store, every time you lose a restaurant, every time you lose a small clothing store, it detracts from the quality of life, as well as the job loss,” said John McGrath, a professor of management at the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown.
Daily News & Commentary
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September 14
NCAA and Big Ten file motion to dismiss in former star player's NIL suit; Seventh Circuit rules against former postal worker in discrimination suit.
September 13
Documents released on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks show that city officials encouraged workers to return to Ground Zero despite knowing the risks of asbestos exposure, and new polls demonstrate continued widespread support for labor unions.
September 10
Amazon workers allege pregnancy discrimination; federal unions challenge USDA reorganization; NYC warns of silicosis risks.
September 9
Wynn Las Vegas employees allege anti-union retaliation; Amazon faces a class action over pregnancy accommodations; H-1B demand plunges following a six-figure visa fee.
September 8
In today’s News and Commentary, workers and unions across America celebrate Labor Day, California’s SEIU Local 1000 prepares for a strike authorization vote, and New York City creates the Office of Worker Power. On Monday, labor unions and workers gathered in cities across the United States in celebration of Labor Day. Parades and rallies took […]
September 7
Eighth Circuit finds DOL order violates Seventh Amendment; 1,300 workers at Encore Boston Harbor go on strike.