Maia Usui is a student at Harvard Law School.
The postmortem continues, as commentators seek to understand the reasons behind Donald Trump’s win this week. Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Professor Michael Kazin argues that the decline of unions had an important role, creating an institutional vacuum that left white working-class workers vulnerable to Trump’s brand of populism. NPR breaks down the numbers, suggesting that the GOP’s huge gains in certain states — especially among uneducated white voters — are a sign of the Democrats’ “cratering with blue-collar white voters.”
Meanwhile, questions abound over what a Trump presidency will mean for workers. On the campaign trail, President-elect Trump talked tough on trade and promised to keep jobs in the United States. Now, his supporters are counting on him to keep those promises. The Christian Science Monitor takes a look at whether Trump can deliver on his promise to coal country to “bring the . . . industry back 100 percent.” And The New York Times shares the perspective of factory workers in Indiana who — having cast their ballots for Trump — now expect him to stop their plants from moving overseas.
Commentators have also started to speculate over the details of the next President’s labor policies. Fast Company offers a few predictions, including new restrictions on hiring foreign workers and a potential reshaping of the NLRB. POLITICO weighs the chances that the Labor Department’s overtime rule, set to take effect this December, will survive the Trump administration unscathed. JD Supra looks at how the Trump administration could shake up the EEOC, starting with personnel changes and a tighter budget.
And finally, lest we forget another big winner in this week’s election, The National Review discusses the renewed momentum of the right-to-work movement. Republicans who campaigned on right-to-work platforms in three states — Kentucky, Missouri, and New Hampshire — could now be in a position to pass legislation making union dues optional. Moreover, now that the GOP will be filling the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, the 4-4 split in Friedrichs could also tilt in their favor, extending right-to-work to government employees nationwide.
Daily News & Commentary
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March 16
Starbucks' union negotiations are resurrected; jobs data is released.
March 15
A U.S. District Court issues a preliminary injunction against the Department of Veterans Affairs for terminating its collective bargaining agreement, and SEIU files a lawsuit against DHS for effectively terminating immigrant workers at Boston Logan International Airport.
March 13
Republican Senators urge changes on OSHA heat standard; OpenAI and building trades announce partnership on data center construction; forced labor investigations could lead to new tariffs
March 12
EPA terminates contract with second-largest union; Florida advances bill restricting public sector unions; Trump administration seeks Supreme Court assistance in TPS termination.
March 11
The partial government shutdown results in TSA agents losing their first full paycheck; the Fifth Circuit upholds the certification of a class of former United Airline workers who were placed on unpaid leave for declining to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons during the pandemic; and an academic group files a lawsuit against the State Department over a policy that revokes and denies visas to noncitizens for their work in fact-checking and content moderation.
March 10
Court rules Kari Lake unlawfully led USAGM, voiding mass layoffs; Florida Senate passes bill tightening union recertification rules; Fifth Circuit revives whistleblower suit against Lockheed Martin.