Maddy Joseph is a student at Harvard Law School.
In New York City, more people are taking Uber than traditional yellow cabs, the New York Times reports. Uber’s growth has been fueled by new riders in the outer boroughs; a similar trend–new customers outside the city center–is also taking hold in other cities.
Meanwhile, the UK, whose capital city recently declined to renew Uber’s license, is considering new protections for gig workers. At a parliamentary hearing this week, an Uber representative told policymakers that making the company classify its workers as employees would spur changes to the company’s labor model and would significantly raise its costs. Also earlier this week, a detailed Bloomberg story outlined the five ongoing criminal investigations against Uber, including two investigations that had previously been unreported. Based on interviews with current and former employees, Bloomberg describes Uber’s legal culture–its legal department’s “mandate” was to “test” the boundaries of the law–and the controversial “arsenal” of programs for which the company is under investigation.
A New York Times analysis talks to experts and examines past NLRB actions relevant to whether the NFL players’ protests are concerted activity protected under federal labor law. Read more about the question from Benjamin Sachs on this blog here.
Finally, California Governor Jerry Brown signed several worker-related measures yesterday, including a law requiring smaller employers to provide 12 weeks of parental leave and a ban on employers’ asking for the salary history of prospective workers, a move designed to help improve the gender pay gap.
Daily News & Commentary
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October 13
Texas hotel workers ratify a contract; Pope Leo visits labor leaders; Kaiser lays off over two hundred workers.
October 12
The Trump Administration fires thousands of federal workers; AFGE files a supplemental motion to pause the Administration’s mass firings; Democratic legislators harden their resolve during the government shutdown.
October 10
California bans algorithmic price-fixing; New York City Council passes pay transparency bills; and FEMA questions staff who signed a whistleblowing letter.
October 9
Equity and the Broadway League resume talks amid a looming strike; federal judge lets alcoholism ADA suit proceed; Philadelphia agrees to pay $40,000 to resolve a First Amendment retaliation case.
October 8
In today’s news and commentary, the Trump administration threatens no back pay for furloughed federal workers; the Second Circuit denies a request from the NFL for an en banc review in the Brian Flores case; and Governor Gavin Newsom signs an agreement to create a pathway for unionization for Uber and Lyft drivers.
October 7
The Supreme Court kicks off its latest term, granting and declining certiorari in several labor-related cases.