At the New York Times, Michael Corkery writes about the allies “Dreamers” find in the business world. The article, which identifies public statements made in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by prominent business figures (e.g. Mark Zuckerberg), is published on the heels of reports that the Trump administration intends to end DACA with a six-month delay.
Further to yesterday’s commentary on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations, Reuters reports that the “Trump administration’s expected demands for U.S.-specific automotive content requirements was emerging as a major obstacle to a deal.” Such requirements would establish that a certain portion of a car’s components be U.S.-made in order to receive duty-free treatment. As the article reports, this would create complications for both Detroit and international auto-manufacturers. The Trump administration has identified reducing the U.S. trade deficit as a “top priority” in renegotiating the Agreement, and the auto sector comprises most of the trade deficit with Mexico.
Last week, the Sixth Circuit held that putting a workplace grievance on hold because the employee files an EEOC charge constitutes retaliation. In Watford v. Jefferson County Board of Education et al., 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-6183, an African American woman and teacher initiated an internal grievance procedure after being fired, claiming discrimination based on her race, sex, and age. She also filed a charge with the EEOC, which, under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the school board and the teachers’ union, triggered a stay in the internal grievance. The court nonetheless determined that the stay in the internal grievance procedure violated the anti-retaliation provisions of Title VII and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), reasoning that there was “not a material difference” between staying and terminating internal grievance procedures, and the latter had been held to constitute retaliation in 2006 precedent.
In addition to yesterday’s Labor Day roundup of labor-themed writing, check out Senator Elizabeth Warren’s review of the Trump administration’s record with respect to workers and the middle class.
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June 2
Proposed budgets for DOL and NLRB show cuts on the horizon; Oregon law requiring LPAs in cannabis dispensaries struck down.
June 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Ninth Circuit upholds a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration, a federal judge vacates parts of the EEOC’s pregnancy accommodation rules, and video game workers reach a tentative agreement with Microsoft. In a 2-1 decision issued on Friday, the Ninth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration […]
May 30
Trump's tariffs temporarily reinstated after brief nationwide injunction; Louisiana Bill targets payroll deduction of union dues; Colorado Supreme Court to consider a self-defense exception to at-will employment
May 29
AFGE argues termination of collective bargaining agreement violates the union’s First Amendment rights; agricultural workers challenge card check laws; and the California Court of Appeal reaffirms San Francisco city workers’ right to strike.
May 28
A proposal to make the NLRB purely adjudicatory; a work stoppage among court-appointed lawyers in Massachusetts; portable benefits laws gain ground
May 27
a judge extends a pause on the Trump Administration’s mass-layoffs, the Fifth Circuit refuses to enforce an NLRB order, and the Texas Supreme court extends workplace discrimination suits to co-workers.