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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June 9
SoFi Stadium workers authorize a strike ahead of the World Cup; the NLRB finds Starbucks violated labor law; Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee is struck down.
June 8
BLS releases May jobs reports; US Trade Representative proposes new tariffs.
June 7
SAG-AFTRA members ratify a four-year CBA and the International Trade Union Confederation releases its 2026 Global Rights Index.
June 4
Third Circuit tosses DOL’s $35.8 million healthcare wage award; Trump’s Republican NLRB nominee gets Senate hearing; Harvard graduate students end strike.
June 3
JOLTS data shows mixed labor market as personal income declines; New York Fed research links remote work to rising youth unemployment; Virginia Governor Spanberger signs sweeping employment reform package.
June 2
Illinois passes rideshare driver unionization bill; DOL issues new union financial reporting rule; unions push back against AI data center regulations.