Alexander W. Miller is a student at Harvard Law School.
Following up on our reporting yesterday about state efforts to undermine labor unions in Wisconsin and Iowa, the New York Times looks at the impact of one-party rule in the 25 states where Republicans now control both houses of the state legislature and the state executive. Of note are initiatives in the four states (Missouri, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Kentucky) where Republicans took control of a previously Democratic governorship or upper legislative chamber last November. Lawmakers in those states have moved quickly to enact right to work laws, limit collective bargaining by public employees, and implement school choice laws generally viewed as reducing the strength of teachers’ unions.
The Times also reports on decreasing gender disparities in workplace participation rates among workers in their 60s and 70s, with the number of women working past the age of 65 doubling over the past thirty years. Interestingly, most of the gains appear to be among women with higher levels of education and in higher economic strata.
Workers at Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner plant in South Carolina will vote Wednesday on whether to unionize. South Carolina now has the lowest rate of unionization in the country, with the already slim number decreasing by almost a quarter in the past year. In the lead up to the vote by the approximately 3,000 workers employed at the plant, The State catalogues the history of unionization in the area and some recent tentative successes.
Two weeks ago, President Trump signed an executive order potentially beginning a military buildup over the next several years that could increase by 30% the number of ships in the U.S. Navy. Politico Magazine explores the potential human costs of that buildup, detailing years of safety violations by private shipbuilding firms and highlighting the gaps in legal protections for workers that prevent systemic negligence from being remedied.
Daily News & Commentary
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July 4
The DOL scraps a Biden-era proposed rule to end subminimum wages for disabled workers; millions will lose access to Medicaid and SNAP due to new proof of work requirements; and states step up in the noncompete policy space.
July 3
California compromises with unions on housing; 11th Circuit rules against transgender teacher; Harvard removes hundreds from grad student union.
July 2
Block, Nanda, and Nayak argue that the NLRA is under attack, harming democracy; the EEOC files a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels; and SEIU Local 1000 strikes an agreement with the State of California to delay the state's return-to-office executive order for state workers.
July 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Department of Labor proposes to roll back minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by public defenders over a union’s Gaza statements, and Philadelphia’s largest municipal union is on strike for first time in nearly 40 years. On Monday, the U.S. […]
June 30
Antidiscrimination scholars question McDonnell Douglas, George Washington University Hospital bargained in bad faith, and NY regulators defend LPA dispensary law.
June 29
In today’s news and commentary, Trump v. CASA restricts nationwide injunctions, a preliminary injunction continues to stop DOL from shutting down Job Corps, and the minimum wage is set to rise in multiple cities and states. On Friday, the Supreme Court held in Trump v. CASA that universal injunctions “likely exceed the equitable authority that […]