According to this New York Time article, the number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance rose by less than expected. While unemployment claims had risen due to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the labor market seems to have recovered from those two storms. This marks the 138th straight week that unemployment claims remained below 300,000 which is the level associated with a strong labor market.
According to this article, Iowa public sector employees overwhelmingly voted to recertify their unions. Specifically, 436 out of 468 public sector bargaining units voted in favor of retaining the existing union. The Iowa State Legislature recently passed a law requiring recertification whenever a new contract is negotiated, as opposed to just when a member petitions for decertification.
According to this article and a recent Bloomberg analysis of US Bureau of Labor Statistics Data, renewable energy is creating jobs faster than any other sector. Specifically, solar panel installers and wind turbine technicians will grow twice as fast as any other occupation. The new jobs in solar are driven by US capacity for solar energy rising by 72% year over year in the past decade
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
May 9
Philadelphia City Council unanimously passes the POWER Act; thousands of federal worker layoffs at the Department of Interior expected; the University of Oregon student workers union reach a tentative agreement, ending 10-day strike
May 8
Court upholds DOL farmworker protections; Fifth Circuit rejects Amazon appeal; NJTransit navigates negotiations and potential strike.
May 7
U.S. Department of Labor announces termination of mental health and child care benefits for its employees; SEIU pursues challenge of NLRB's 2020 joint employer rule in the D.C. Circuit; Columbia University lays off 180 researchers
May 6
HHS canceled a scheduled bargaining session with the FDA's largest workers union; members of 1199SEIU voted out longtime union president George Gresham in rare leadership upset.
May 5
Unemployment rates for Black women go up under Trump; NLRB argues Amazon lacks standing to challenge captive audience meeting rule; Teamsters use Wilcox's reinstatement orders to argue against injunction.
May 4
In today’s news and commentary, DOL pauses the 2024 gig worker rule, a coalition of unions, cities, and nonprofits sues to stop DOGE, and the Chicago Teachers Union reaches a remarkable deal. On May 1, the Department of Labor announced it would pause enforcement of the Biden Administration’s independent contractor classification rule. Under the January […]