Jason Vazquez is a staff attorney at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2023. His writing on this blog reflects his personal views and should not be attributed to the Teamsters.
As the historic rerun election at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama unfolds, several employees opposing the organizing effort explained their misgivings to Buzzfeed, revealing anxiety that collective bargaining might undermine their pay and benefits. The interviews reflect the potency of the unlawful antiunion tactics Amazon has unleashed, which have rattled employees and left many “afraid of losing pay, afraid of losing benefits, or their job,” as one organizer lamented. Ballots were mailed to thousands of eligible employees last month. They will be counted in a couple weeks.
On Tuesday the Senate overwhelmingly approved the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act, a bill passed by the House last month. The measure, endorsed by the major postal unions, aims to shore up the Postal Services’ finances. The agency has been operating at a loss for several years. Experts explain that the bill, the result of bipartisan compromise, is unlikely to significantly alleviate the problems plaguing the Service, as it fails to root causes of its financial difficulties. Even so, unions representing hundreds of thousands of letter carriers embraced the Act’s passage, describing it as “a monumental victory” for their members and “one of the most critical pieces of postal legislation in modern history.”
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
July 3
Unions seek a preliminary injunction to prevent USDA downsizing; the D.C. District Court issues a preliminary injunction against new student loan regulations; Matt Bruenig releases an analysis of Starbucks’ ongoing legal battle against Starbucks Workers United.
July 2
First Circuit denies federal worker unions’ mandamus petition; federal court denies preliminary injunction against new union reporting rule; House introduces the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.
July 1
Trump nominates Keith Sonderling as Labor Secretary; DOL eliminates disparate-impact liability from Title VI regulations; OPM finalizes rule allowing suitability-based removal of federal employees for post-appointment conduct.
June 30
SCOTUS ends removal protections for agencies; staff at NYC cocktail bar vote to unionize.
June 29
In today’s News and Commentary, student-athletes file a class action suit challenging the NCAA’s new Age-Based Rule, a federal judge declines to issue a preliminary injunction against FEMA’s reduction in force but expedites proceedings, and Gavin Newsom opposes California’s proposed billionaire tax in favor of a federal approach. On Thursday, DeJuan Campbell, at basketball player […]
June 28
Philadelphia utility workers announce July 4 strike; national parks workers vote to unionize; Michigan considers “right to disconnect” bill.