Edward Nasser is a student at Harvard Law School.
Motherhood largely drives the gender pay gap, reports the New York Times. The gap widens most during a woman’s late 20s to mid-30s, when many women have children. Mothers carry a disproportionate share of a family’s labor at home and more likely to give up job opportunities for their husband’s job. Sari Kerr, an economist at Wellesley College, notes that couples often decide that the person who earns less, usually a women, should take on more of the household and childcare burden. But because employers often assume that this will be the case, it is a reason women earn less in the first place.
The state pension system of Puerto Rico, which owes workers $49 billion in benefits, is scheduled to run out of money as soon as July, according to Bloomberg. The impending shortfall pits workers against the Commonwealth’s creditors, primarily hedge funds who own one third of its bonds. Puerto Rico’s federal oversight board anticipates a 10 percent cut in pension benefits, but some workers expect an even larger reduction.
The New York Times offers an in depth look at China’s plan to remake the global economy. Through the initiate, called “One Belt, One Road,” China plans to invest $1 trillion in massive infrastructure projects around the world. China will be exporting not just its goods but also its labor, staffing foreign projects with domestic workers. The country hopes to expand its diplomatic influence at a time when the United States is expected to turn inward and focus on “America first.”
Though President Trump scrapped the Trans-Pacific Partnership on his first day in office, may spend the rest of his term trying to pursue similar deals, reports the Wall Street Journal. The TPP included labor and environmental provisions that the Obama administration hoped would raise standards for workers around the globe.
Daily News & Commentary
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August 12
Third Circuit affirms dismissal of driver’s bias and retaliation claims against CBS and Teamsters; employment litigation surges in Washington state; MIT Sloan professor argues the rise of “disposable workers” is transforming American employment.
August 11
Rideshare drivers nearing union certification in California; UFCW campaigns against electronic shelf labels; Teamsters support NYC delivery driver bill.
August 10
Employee sues for a fossil-fuel-free 401(k) plan as a religious accommodation; DHS submits a proposed rule eliminating 60-day grace period for H-1B workers; Eighth Circuit dismisses constitutional challenge to the FMSHRC.
August 7
Starbucks beats claims it denied shifts to union workers; Center for State Labor Innovation aims to address labor law shortcomings.
August 6
Taylor Farms faces scrutiny over labor practices; Bipartisan labor bill gains momentum.
August 5
Clash over potential change to Canada’s labor code; Harvard’s Center for Labor and a Just Economy releases model sectoral bargaining laws; NJ sues Amazon for antitrust violations.