Alexander W. Miller is a student at Harvard Law School.
United Airlines announced on Friday that it had reached new agreements with the unions representing its flight attendants and mechanics, moving forward the continued integration of Continental Airlines, acquired by United in 2010. Though terms of the mechanics’ deal have yet to be finalized, flight attendants will receive raises of between 18 and 31 percent by the end of the year. The agreements end contentious negotiations and protests by flight attendants that outside analysts suggest compromised the airline’s reliability.
This morning, Neil Gross of the New York Times examines how a stronger labor movement might have prevented the rise of Donald Trump. Drawing on Seymour Martin Lipset’s 1959 study of blue-collar workers’ political attitudes and more recent looks at American and European elections, Gross suggests that union membership actively pushes working class voters away from far-right political movements, even when those voters otherwise closely resemble movement participants demographically.
The Post-Tribune examines elements of that thesis in the context of the Indiana gubernatorial race, reporting on Democratic candidate John Gregg’s outreach to union steelworkers in the Republican-voting Demotte, Indiana.
Following up on earlier reporting about Labor Department efforts to boost state and local paid family leave programs through a $1.1 million grant program, the Washington Post compares paid maternity leave policies around the world. According to the Post, the United States is one of only nine countries to guarantee no paid leave, and by far the most advanced economy lacking such a program.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
June 27
Labor's role in Zohran Mamdani's victory; DHS funding amendment aims to expand guest worker programs; COSELL submission deadline rapidly approaching
June 26
A district judge issues a preliminary injunction blocking agencies from implementing Trump’s executive order eliminating collective bargaining for federal workers; workers organize for the reinstatement of two doctors who were put on administrative leave after union activity; and Lamont vetoes unemployment benefits for striking workers.
June 25
Some circuits show less deference to NLRB; 3d Cir. affirms return to broader concerted activity definition; changes to federal workforce excluded from One Big Beautiful Bill.
June 24
In today’s news and commentary, the DOL proposes new wage and hour rules, Ford warns of EV battery manufacturing trouble, and California reaches an agreement to delay an in-person work mandate for state employees. The Trump Administration’s Department of Labor has advanced a series of proposals to update federal wage and hour rules. First, the […]
June 23
Supreme Court interprets ADA; Department of Labor effectively kills Biden-era regulation; NYC announces new wages for rideshare drivers.
June 22
California lawmakers challenge Garmon preemption in the absence of an NLRB quorum and Utah organizers successfully secure a ballot referendum to overturn HB 267.