Lolita De Palma is a student at Harvard Law School.
The United Auto Workers strike against General Motors continued this weekend (please see our previous coverage). Senator Elizabeth Warren joined the picket line on Sunday at an assembly plant in Detroit. Also on Sunday, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to striking General Motors workers at a Fairfax plant. Senator Bernie Sanders plans to visit the Detroit plant this Wednesday. Workers are pushing General Motors to improve wages, add more jobs at their facilities, and pay a greater share of employee health costs.
On Friday, the NLRB proposed a new rule that would classify students at private universities as students, instead of employees, even if they receive a salary from the university. If the new rule is passed, private universities would no longer be required to recognize student unions. The NLRB stated that “the basis for this proposed rule is the Board’s preliminary position, subject to revision in light of public comment that the relationship these students have with their school is predominately educational rather than economic.” The New York Times spoke to graduate-student organizers about the effect the new rule will have on union organizing on their campuses. While some union leaders are concerned that the new rule would interfere with ongoing bargaining negotiations, others were committed to continued advocacy whether or not official recognition is likely. A 60-day public comment period must pass before the Board can take a final vote on the proposed rule.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 is calling for a boycott of 57 Fred Meyer stores in Oregon. The union has accused the grocery chain of using one-on-one meetings with its employees to intimidate workers. Fred Meyer has also posted flyers asking for replacement workers in anticipation of a strike. The union has cancelled its contracts with Fred Meyer and filed a complaint with the NLRB. Kelley McAllister, Communications Director for UFCW Local 555, said, “We’ve been asking all along for dollars because our members need to eat, and they need to be able to live and cost of living has just gone up so significantly and wages just haven’t kept pace.”
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November 23
Workers at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority vote to authorize a strike; Washington State legislators consider a bill empowering public employees to bargain over workplace AI implementation; and University of California workers engage in a two-day strike.
November 21
The “Big Three” record labels make a deal with an AI music streaming startup; 30 stores join the now week-old Starbucks Workers United strike; and the Mine Safety and Health Administration draws scrutiny over a recent worker death.
November 20
Law professors file brief in Slaughter; New York appeals court hears arguments about blog post firing; Senate committee delays consideration of NLRB nominee.
November 19
A federal judge blocks the Trump administration’s efforts to cancel the collective bargaining rights of workers at the U.S. Agency for Global Media; Representative Jared Golden secures 218 signatures for a bill that would repeal a Trump administration executive order stripping federal workers of their collective bargaining rights; and Dallas residents sue the City of Dallas in hopes of declaring hundreds of ordinances that ban bias against LGBTQ+ individuals void.
November 18
A federal judge pressed DOJ lawyers to define “illegal” DEI programs; Peco Foods prevails in ERISA challenge over 401(k) forfeitures; D.C. court restores collective bargaining rights for Voice of America workers; Rep. Jared Golden secures House vote on restoring federal workers' union rights.
November 17
Justices receive petition to resolve FLSA circuit split, vaccine religious discrimination plaintiffs lose ground, and NJ sues Amazon over misclassification.