Jon Weinberg is a student at Harvard Law School.
A new McKinsey study suggest the gig economy may not be revolutionizing the world of work. Quartz reports that McKinsey estimates the gig economy workforce “at 20% to 30% of the working-age population in the US and the EU-15, or some 160 million people,” noting that the gig economy is perhaps “reverting economies to pre-industrial ideas about work.” The study goes on to connect self-employment to industrialization.
Meanwhile, a new study from the Center for American Progress calls for labor law reforms to strengthen unions, in order to improve our economy. According to Time, the study find that ” a stronger labor movement may be the quickest way to spur the sort of broad-based growth (via wage hikes) that we need to create a more sustainable, robust recovery.” CAP calls for reform to allow for industry-level bargaining, as opposed to firm-by-firm bargaining.
The strike by Harvard dining workers continues, and major media outlets are taking note. The Nation highlights student and faculty solidarity with the striking workers, while The Daily Beast critiques Harvard’s solicitation of replacement workers.
In other news, the Associated Press reports that “a Dutch labor union said Monday it will launch legal action against FIFA if soccer’s governing body does not step in to halt what it called ‘modern slavery’ in the construction of venues for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar,” while SCOTUSblog features petitions to the Supreme Court seeking a determination of whether mandatory arbitration agreements with class action waivers in employment contracts violate the National Labor Relations Act.
Daily News & Commentary
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October 27
Some California union locals defy their statewide leadership to back the state’s billionaire tax proposal; a Brown University technology center releases a map of the hidden global workforce behind AI; the National Women's Soccer League and its players union settle six grievances.
October 26
Harvard dining workers authorize strike; New York City bans horse carriages; Brooklyn nurses rally in support of colleague.
October 25
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize; Bureau of Prisons again pushes for union contract cancellation; CSU faculty votes on strike authorization.
October 23
Employers increasingly shift health care costs onto workers and NYC proposes placing restrictions on fully automated customer service.
October 22
SCOTUS declines Wilcox appeal; Penn State research assistants win bargaining rights; SEIU sued over military leave firing.
October 21
DOL withdraws tipped-worker rule; Instacart settles hiring-bias claims; Phillips 66 locks out New Jersey refinery workers.