Weekend News & Commentary — November 5-6, 2016

AT&T’s recent announcement that it would attempt to acquire Time Warner, creating a communications and media behemoth, has drawn new attention to federal antitrust policies.  Though often viewed from the perspective of consumers, the Seattle Times looks at how increasing corporate consolidation may be hurting workers and organized labor.

Lost somewhat among the national storylines this election cycle has been the campaign in four states to raise the minimum wage.  Voters in Washington, Maine, Arizona, and Colorado will all decide Tuesday on ballot measures to increase the wage floor to nearly double the federal minimum.  Though polling has been sparse, majorities in each jurisdiction support the measures.

Another campus labor dispute appears headed for a walkout.  Almost 600 workers at UCLA have voted to strike, and are coordinating with 200 workers at UC San Diego to bring pressure on the UC system to raise wages for skilled tradespeople closer to the prevailing local level.

The New York Times has an in-depth report on the growing power of the Culinary Union in Nevada politics.  The union has more than 50,000 members, primarily Latinos,  and has become a key supporter of local Democrats.  The story follows a worker at the Trump property the NLRB recently ordered back to the bargaining table, and her efforts to organize colleagues.