Maia Usui is a student at Harvard Law School.
Hillary Clinton has selected Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate. The choice has drawn a mixed reaction from liberals. While some labor groups — including the AFL-CIO and the SEIU — have shown support for Clinton’s VP pick, lauding Kaine for his “strong record on workers’ issues,” others have expressed skepticism. The Nation writes that Kaine has “a history of breaking with labor and progressives on economic issues,” throwing his support behind the TPP, looser banking regulations, and right-to-work laws.
While Kaine will have the chance to assuage supporters at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, he might have to share the spotlight with striking workers. Workers at the Philadelphia airport have announced their intention to strike next week, promising to “cause as much disruption as possible” in order to draw attention to their fight for higher wages.
Also at the upcoming convention, Clinton is expected to voice her support for President Obama’s executive actions on immigration — making clear her opposition to Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-immigration stance. Politico takes a look at this “deep partisan split” over immigration, arguing that it will make reform more difficult.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles is one step closer to “banning the box,” according to The Atlantic. “The Fair Chance Initiative” — an ordinance prohibiting employers from asking job applicants about their criminal record — is expected to be considered in the coming months. If it passes, L.A. will become the second-largest city in the country to embrace the ban-the-box movement (after New York), making it easier for former inmates to find work.
Daily News & Commentary
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May 9
Philadelphia City Council unanimously passes the POWER Act; thousands of federal worker layoffs at the Department of Interior expected; the University of Oregon student workers union reach a tentative agreement, ending 10-day strike
May 8
Court upholds DOL farmworker protections; Fifth Circuit rejects Amazon appeal; NJTransit navigates negotiations and potential strike.
May 7
U.S. Department of Labor announces termination of mental health and child care benefits for its employees; SEIU pursues challenge of NLRB's 2020 joint employer rule in the D.C. Circuit; Columbia University lays off 180 researchers
May 6
HHS canceled a scheduled bargaining session with the FDA's largest workers union; members of 1199SEIU voted out longtime union president George Gresham in rare leadership upset.
May 5
Unemployment rates for Black women go up under Trump; NLRB argues Amazon lacks standing to challenge captive audience meeting rule; Teamsters use Wilcox's reinstatement orders to argue against injunction.
May 4
In today’s news and commentary, DOL pauses the 2024 gig worker rule, a coalition of unions, cities, and nonprofits sues to stop DOGE, and the Chicago Teachers Union reaches a remarkable deal. On May 1, the Department of Labor announced it would pause enforcement of the Biden Administration’s independent contractor classification rule. Under the January […]