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
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August 14
Hollywood unions diverge in response to the Paramount-Warner merger saga; Tesla defeats a years-long strike in Sweden, and labor scholars advocate for state sectoral bargaining policy innovation.
August 13
EEOC complaint process expected to harm federal workers; former UAW leaders endorse Fain challenger; Xbox employees protest layoffs.
August 12
Third Circuit affirms dismissal of driver’s bias and retaliation claims against CBS and Teamsters; employment litigation surges in Washington state; MIT Sloan professor argues the rise of “disposable workers” is transforming American employment.
August 11
Rideshare drivers nearing union certification in California; UFCW campaigns against electronic shelf labels; Teamsters support NYC delivery driver bill.
August 10
Employee sues for a fossil-fuel-free 401(k) plan as a religious accommodation; DHS submits a proposed rule eliminating 60-day grace period for H-1B workers; Eighth Circuit dismisses constitutional challenge to the FMSHRC.
August 7
Starbucks beats claims it denied shifts to union workers; Center for State Labor Innovation aims to address labor law shortcomings.