Deanna Krokos is a student at Harvard Law School
Before the California legislature’s session ending on Friday, lawmakers brought a broad variety of labor issues to the forefront. As Jared reported, the legislature passed AB5, a bill that would largely codify the Dynamex decision and potentially correct the misclassification of independent contractors in the state, ranging from janitors to gig workers. They also passed several anti-retaliation measures that would both lengthen the time for fired employees to file a claim with the Labor Commissioner and create a “rebuttable presumption” of unfair retaliation is a worker is fired within 90 days of filing a harassment claim.
Further, the legislature passed a bill requiring employers to provide facilities for employees to pump breastmilk. The bill was originally introduced and passed last year, but blocked when former Governor Jerry Brown vetoed it. Each measure will require Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature by October 13th, and go into effect January of next year.
While correcting misclassification remains big news in California, a group of Massachusetts drivers are bringing similar claims against a familiar defendant. Represented by Boston’s Fair Work PC, a former Dynamex driver won class certification this week to represent drivers in the state who claim they were misclassified as independent contractors. The class is comprised of about 100 drivers who delivered packages through the courier service.
The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team continued their legal fight for pay equity in court this week, moving for class certification to include all “past, present, and future” players as plaintiffs in their suit. Their lawsuit was filed in International Women’s Day earlier this year, and followed from broader public discussions of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s traditionally disparate payments to the men’s and women’s teams. Public opinion followed as the Women’s Team went on to win the 2019 Women’s World Cup. If granted, class representatives would include players Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn.
Finally, the Wall Street Journal reported that for the second consecutive month, job postings have fallen below last year’s metrics.
Daily News & Commentary
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February 27
The Ninth Circuit allows Trump to dismantle certain government unions based on national security concerns; and the DOL set to focus enforcement on firms with “outsized market power.”
February 26
Workplace AI regulations proposed in Michigan; en banc D.C. Circuit hears oral argument in CFPB case; white police officers sue Philadelphia over DEI policy.
February 25
OSHA workplace inspections significantly drop in 2025; the Court denies a petition for certiorari to review a Minnesota law banning mandatory anti-union meetings at work; and the Court declines two petitions to determine whether Air Force service members should receive backpay as a result of religious challenges to the now-revoked COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
February 24
In today’s news and commentary, the NLRB uses the Obama-era Browning-Ferris standard, a fired National Park ranger sues the Department of Interior and the National Park Service, the NLRB closes out Amazon’s labor dispute on Staten Island, and OIRA signals changes to the Biden-era independent contractor rule. The NLRB ruled that Browning-Ferris Industries jointly employed […]
February 23
In today’s news and commentary, the Trump administration proposes a rule limiting employment authorization for asylum seekers and Matt Bruenig introduces a new LLM tool analyzing employer rules under Stericycle. Law360 reports that the Trump administration proposed a rule on Friday that would change the employment authorization process for asylum seekers. Under the proposed rule, […]
February 22
A petition for certiorari in Bivens v. Zep, New York nurses end their historic six-week-strike, and Professor Block argues for just cause protections in New York City.