Nikita Rumsey is a student at Harvard Law School.
Maryland’s Republican governor Larry Hogan vetoed a statewide paid family and medical leave bill this week. The bill would have guaranteed up to 12 weeks annually for workers with medical need or up 24 weeks for a parent requiring medical need during pregnancy followed by parental leave. However, the state legislature passed the bill with more than the three-fifths majority needed for a veto override, so the bill may yet become law. The legislature will likely need to take another vote before their regular session adjourns on April 11.
Meanwhile, as Bloomberg reported, David Weil, former DOL Wage and Hour administrator during the Obama administration, withdrew his name from consideration for the role this week after failing to garner the necessary support among Senators to advance his nomination. Republicans and business community allies accused Weil of stifling franchising and independent contracting due to his criticism of gig-economy companies’ labor practices and support for broad joint employer rules. Additionally, three moderate Senate Democrats joined Republicans to oppose Weil’s nomination.
In the other news, the historic union victory by the fledgling Amazon Labor Union at the JFK8 fulfillment center may face a protracted legal battle. Amazon filed an appeal this week seeking to overturn the election, outlining 25 objections, including a claim that ALU did not meet the required threshold of employee signatures to compel a vote as well as an objection to undue influence of the NLRB. According to Bloomberg, labor experts do not expect the Board to grant Amazon’s petition, but the ensuing legal fight could hinder the ALU for months or years to come.
Daily News & Commentary
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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.