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.
