Edward Nasser is a student at Harvard Law School.
McDonald’s paid $3.75 million to settle a federal lawsuit in California that sought to hold the company liable for one of its franchise owners failing to failing to pay proper wages. The suit is one of several filed after the NLRB issued complaints in 2014 seeking to hold McDonald’s and other franchisors as joint employers. Joe Sellers, an attorney for the workers, said the settlement marked the first time McDonald’s committed to paying workers for labor violations in a franchisee-operated store.
Ford reached a tentative four year deal with Unifor early Tuesday morning. Unifor is Canada’s largest private-sector union, and a strike would have disrupted production at factories that accounts for nearly 10% of Ford’s North American output. The deal is reported to be similar to Unifor’s agreement with G.M. and Fiat, though details have yet to be released.
The Harvard Business Review offers an interesting discussion on winners and losers in the gig economy. Workers with specialized skills and expertise as well as entrepreneurial workers are those that come out on top; workers whose skills are common or commoditized lose out.
For those reading Today’s News & Commentary who want to escape office life, the New York Times offers some advice on how to quit. Among the tips: “If I cared what everyone else thinks, I would still be at a blue-chip company and feeling unfulfilled.”
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
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.
October 8
NLRB judge finds UPS unlawfully restricted union insignia; Harvard graduate workers authorize second strike; OSHA orders Union Pacific to pay $300,000 in damages in whistleblower case.