Alisha Jarwala is a student at Harvard Law School and a member of the Labor and Employment Lab.
Yesterday’s Democratic debate featured the 12 remaining candidates onstage in Ohio, debating topics from impeachment to income inequality. Some labor-related highlights included Sen. Elizabeth Warren arguing that it needs to be easier for workers to join a union and Sen. Cory Booker emphasizing the need for sectoral bargaining. In advance of the debate, Vox updated its guide to each candidate’s labor platform. For another comprehensive take, Steven Greenhouse graded each candidate’s labor platform from A to F+ in late September.
In other 2020 candidate news, Politico reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders unveiled a plan to increase worker power. Titled “Corporate Accountability and Democracy,” Sanders’ proposal would give employees of large companies 20% of company shares and control of 45% of seats on the boards of directors. His plan would also raise the corporate tax from 21% to 35%.
GM and the UAW may be moving closer to an agreement that would end workers’ five-week strike. Bloomberg reports that GM CEO Mary Barra met with UAW officials on Tuesday, and people involved in the negotiations claim there is a tentative agreement on the treatment of temporary workers—a contentious issue—that would open a path to full-time work after three years of employment. The Wall Street Journal reports that parties are now discussing the “finer points of new contract language.”
Just before the weekend, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a requirement that all cannabis stores enter “labor peace agreements” as soon as they have 20 or more employees. Vox reports that this law will help unions make inroads into the marijuana industry, which is fast growing. Under labor peace agreements, company managers agree not to dissuade workers from unionizing and labor organizers agree to not make negative statements about a company to its workforce.
Finally, a feature from the Wall Street Journal examines areas of the workforce where women have made the most inroads (and the least). The piece notes that while women make up about half the U.S. workforce today, many jobs remain segregated. Some white-collar fields, such as finance and law, have about 50% women, but men still hold more of the senior positions. Some jobs are still almost entirely gender-segregated: preschool teachers, childcare workers, and administrative assistants are overwhelmingly female, while firefighters, welders, and police officers are overwhelmingly male. One interesting area of change? The trucking industry—the Wall Street Journal reports in a separate piece that the number of female truckers has increased by 68% since 2010 (though women still make up just 6.6% of the trucking workforce).
Daily News & Commentary
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August 1
The Michigan Supreme Court grants heightened judicial scrutiny over employment contracts that shorten the limitations period for filing civil rights claims; the California Labor Commission gains new enforcement power over tip theft; and a new Florida law further empowers employers issuing noncompete agreements.
July 31
EEOC sued over trans rights enforcement; railroad union opposes railroad merger; suits against NLRB slow down.
July 30
In today’s news and commentary, the First Circuit will hear oral arguments on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) revocation of parole grants for thousands of migrants; United Airlines’ flight attendants vote against a new labor contract; and the AFL-CIO files a complaint against a Trump Administrative Executive Order that strips the collective bargaining rights of the vast majority of federal workers.
July 29
The Trump administration released new guidelines for federal employers regarding religious expression in the workplace; the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers is suing former union president for repayment of mismanagement of union funds; Uber has criticized a new proposal requiring delivery workers to carry company-issued identification numbers.
July 28
Lower courts work out meaning of Muldrow; NLRB releases memos on recording and union salts.
July 27
In today’s news and commentary, Trump issues an EO on college sports, a second district court judge blocks the Department of Labor from winding down Job Corps, and Safeway workers in California reach a tentative agreement. On Thursday, President Trump announced an executive order titled “Saving College Sports,” which declared it common sense that “college […]