USA Today reports that the U.S. federal agencies relied on trucking companies that violated labor laws. XPO Logistics and California Cartage, two companies that were found guilty of labor infractions, and Konoike-Pacific, which was accused of the same kinds of violations by its drivers, are still working as federal contractors or subcontractors. Lawmakers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, responded to USA Today’s investigation by calling on the agencies to change their practices. “The DoD shouldn’t be giving taxpayer-funded contracts to companies that cheat their workers out of wages or take shortcuts on safety,” said Sen. Warren.
“The downfall of the constitutional convention vote last week was a big victory for organized labor,” reports the Albany Times Union. Union organizing against the constitutional convention allowed unions to strengthen member outreach and showed how unions benefit paying members. “In many ways, the organizing methods we used will serve us well if there is an adverse decision in Janus,” New York State United Teachers union spokesman Carl Korn said.
On Sunday, Uber announced that it struck a deal—worth as much as $10 billion—with an investor group, led in part by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank. According to the Los Angeles Times, the deal would include changes to Uber’s corporate governance, and it is in part motivated by “bring[ing] peace to a company defined in 2017 by scandal and infighting.”
The New York Times lists a series of things that employees should consider if they feel that they have been sexually harassed. The article draws on advice from legal experts.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
November 23
Workers at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority vote to authorize a strike; Washington State legislators consider a bill empowering public employees to bargain over workplace AI implementation; and University of California workers engage in a two-day strike.
November 21
The “Big Three” record labels make a deal with an AI music streaming startup; 30 stores join the now week-old Starbucks Workers United strike; and the Mine Safety and Health Administration draws scrutiny over a recent worker death.
November 20
Law professors file brief in Slaughter; New York appeals court hears arguments about blog post firing; Senate committee delays consideration of NLRB nominee.
November 19
A federal judge blocks the Trump administration’s efforts to cancel the collective bargaining rights of workers at the U.S. Agency for Global Media; Representative Jared Golden secures 218 signatures for a bill that would repeal a Trump administration executive order stripping federal workers of their collective bargaining rights; and Dallas residents sue the City of Dallas in hopes of declaring hundreds of ordinances that ban bias against LGBTQ+ individuals void.
November 18
A federal judge pressed DOJ lawyers to define “illegal” DEI programs; Peco Foods prevails in ERISA challenge over 401(k) forfeitures; D.C. court restores collective bargaining rights for Voice of America workers; Rep. Jared Golden secures House vote on restoring federal workers' union rights.
November 17
Justices receive petition to resolve FLSA circuit split, vaccine religious discrimination plaintiffs lose ground, and NJ sues Amazon over misclassification.