Lolita De Palma is a student at Harvard Law School.
Unions have been speaking out in the face of employer retaliation against union organizing. In Ohio, Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center has responded to a nurse, tech staff, and support staff strike by cutting job positions and paying replacement workers higher wages than the workers on strike. The hospital has also expressed interest in limiting benefits for striking workers. UAW Local 2213 strike captain Beth DenBensten said that Mercy Health’s actions have not undermined union solidarity but instead led to workers “pull[ing] together as a group.” At American Airlines, the TWU-IAM Association, which represents the airline’s mechanics, has been in contract talks with the airline since December 2015. On May 20th, American Airlines sued the mechanics, alleging that the workers had purposefully slowed down their labor to undermine the airline’s business. The union denies the slowdown and is threatening a “vicious strike action” if the airline continues to stall in negotiations.
A California Assembly bill to cabin the expanse of charter schools failed this past week. Despite the California Teachers Association’s efforts to change the state’s charter school laws, the Assembly rejected a proposal to create a statewide ceiling on charter schools. However, the union was able to generate enough support to pass a bill to give school districts more leverage in denying applications from new charter schools. Given the increase in union action by teachers throughout the state, Assemblyman Rob Banta is hopeful that the union will eventually succeed in reforming charter school law in California: “This moment is unique. There’s political will to do it.”
In Nevada, the Senate Finance Committee recommended the passage of collective bargaining for state workers. Last week, Nevada state workers gathered at a legislative hearing and urged state lawmakers to support the legislation. “Collective bargaining will assist us in addressing workplace and field safety issues and also the high vacancy rates in state government, which have caused and will continue to cause state employees to do not one but sometimes two and three jobs at any given time,” said state employee Betsey Crumine. The measure has become a legislative priority for Nevada Democrats.
In response to reports that Google mistreats its independent contractors, Vox Recode turned to the job review site Glassdoor to see if Google contractors reported lower salaries than Google’s full-time employees. Recode found that contract workers were reporting salaries almost $30,000 dollars less than those of full-time employees. Contractors also rated their experience at Google less positively than full-time workers.
Daily News & Commentary
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August 8
DHS asks Supreme Court to lift racial-profiling ban; University of California's policy against hiring undocumented students found to violate state law; and UC Berkeley launches database about collective bargaining and workplace technology.
August 7
VA terminates most union contracts; attempts to invalidate Michigan’s laws granting home care workers union rights; a district judge dismisses grocery chain’s lawsuit against UFCW
August 5
In today’s news and commentary, a pension fund wins at the Eleventh Circuit, casino unionization in Las Vegas, and DOL’s work-from-home policy changes. A pension fund for unionized retail and grocery workers won an Eleventh Circuit appeal against Perfection Bakeries, which claimed it was overcharged nearly $2 million in federal withdrawal liability. The bakery argued the […]
August 4
Trump fires head of BLS; Boeing workers authorize strike.
August 3
In today’s news and commentary, a federal court lifts an injunction on the Trump Administration’s plan to eliminate bargaining rights for federal workers, and trash collectors strike against Republic Services in Massachusetts.
August 1
The Michigan Supreme Court grants heightened judicial scrutiny over employment contracts that shorten the limitations period for filing civil rights claims; the California Labor Commission gains new enforcement power over tip theft; and a new Florida law further empowers employers issuing noncompete agreements.