President-elect Donald Trump released a video noting his intended initial executive actions once in office, and two are labor-related.  First, Trump stated he would ask the Department of Labor to investigate “all abuses of the visa programs that undercut the American worker.”  Accoring to Computerworld, this represents a signal that the H-1B visa program will be scrutinized.  Trump has previously criticized the H-1B visa program for leading to the displacement of American workers.  Additionally, the BBC reports that Trump made clear that the United States will quit the Trans-Pacific Partnership in his first day in office.

In another remarkably close election in 2016, James Hoffa has been re-elected to a fifth term as president of the Teamsters.  The Hill notes that Hoffa won by just 600 votes.  Hoffa said that “though we have many challenges before us, now is the time to join together as brothers and sisters and stand strong against those who would destroy the labor movement and deny worker’s the gains they have struggled to achieve.  We will continue to lead the fight to organize the unorganized, ensure strong health care, good wages, a secure retirement and holding employers and politicians accountable.”

German airline Lufthansa faces another strike by pilots.  According to Reuters, “the strike, the 14th in the row between union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and Lufthansa, will run for 24 hours from midnight and affect short-haul and long-haul Lufthansa flights departing from German airports.”

In gig economy news, a new Pew survey found that “24% of Americans report earning money from the digital ‘platform economy’ in the past year.  The extra income they make is a luxury for some, but a necessity for others.”  The survey results can be found here.