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
December 22
Worker-friendly legislation enacted in New York; UW Professor wins free speech case; Trucking company ordered to pay $23 million to Teamsters.
December 21
Argentine unions march against labor law reform; WNBA players vote to authorize a strike; and the NLRB prepares to clear its backlog.
December 19
Labor law professors file an amici curiae and the NLRB regains quorum.
December 18
New Jersey adopts disparate impact rules; Teamsters oppose railroad merger; court pauses more shutdown layoffs.
December 17
The TSA suspends a labor union representing 47,000 officers for a second time; the Trump administration seeks to recruit over 1,000 artificial intelligence experts to the federal workforce; and the New York Times reports on the tumultuous changes that U.S. labor relations has seen over the past year.
December 16
Second Circuit affirms dismissal of former collegiate athletes’ antitrust suit; UPS will invest $120 million in truck-unloading robots; Sharon Block argues there are reasons for optimism about labor’s future.