WNBA, players union reach ‘transformative’ agreement in principle
The deal came after the two sides spent the past eight days in intense in-person negotiations that lasted for more than 100 hours.
labor and employment
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Attorneys, businesses await impact of proposed rule to extend OT to more salaried workers
It’s been more than six months since the U.S. Department of Labor announced a proposed new rule to the Fair Labor Standards Act that would extend overtime pay to 3.6 million salaried workers. More concrete action could come by April, but even then the new rule is expected to face legal challenges.
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Workplace unrest: Uptick in union membership seen as reflecting shift in workers’ attitudes
Just as Indiana is marking 10 years since the passage of its “right-to-work” law, more Hoosiers are opting to join unions, and a Starbucks in Clarksville recently became the first in the coffeehouse chain to unionize in the Hoosier State.
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In-house legal departments expecting labor and employment disputes to drive surge in class actions
Separate analytical reports from the law firms of Carlton Fields and Seyfarth Shaw both found work-related issues are continuing to convince employees to take their bosses to court. As a result, class action defense spending is anticipated to keep accelerating after crossing the $3 billion threshold for the first time in 2021.
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COVID-19 religious exemption concerns on shaky ground
Attorneys representing employers and employees alike have seen swells and lulls in incoming calls concerned about COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
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Articles
Greg Weaver: Firings after Kirk assassination could clarify limits on free speech
Public employees are learning that comments they make on social media, even on personal accounts, can end careers. But the courts still have a chance to sort out when such firings are unjustified.
Small business owners breathe easier over labor costs after decision to strike down overtime rule
Small business owners have had a mostly positive reaction to a judge’s decision to strike down an overtime rule that would have qualified more workers for overtime pay.
Rokita investigating Tyson Foods in Logansport for alleged labor trafficking
Attorney General Todd Rokita announced Wednesday he has sent a civil investigative demand to Tyson Foods in Logansport, as his office continues its investigation into alleged labor trafficking in three Indiana cities.
Amazon and Elon Musk’s SpaceX challenge labor agency’s constitutionality in federal court
Attorneys for Amazon and Elon Musk’s SpaceX argued in a federal appeals court Monday that the National Labor Relations Board’s structure is unconstitutional, advancing a legal fight that may last into the Trump administration where Musk is expected to oversee bureaucratic cost-cutting.
Judge blocks new Labor Department rule to expand overtime pay for millions
A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S.
Mail carriers reach tentative pact with Postal Service that includes raises, new trucks
About 200,000 mail carriers have reached a tentative contract deal with the U.S. Postal Service that includes backdated pay raises and a promise to provide workers with air-conditioned trucks.
Should the minimum wage be lower for workers who get tipped? Two states are set to decide
Voters in Arizona and Massachusetts will decide in November whether it’s good policy to continue to let employers pass some of their labor costs to consumers.
Dockworkers’ union to suspend strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract
The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.
Some manufacturers urge president to invoke a 1947 law to try to suspend the dockworkers’ strike
At issue is Section 206 of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, better known as the Taft-Hartley Act. The law authorizes a president to seek a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period for companies and unions to try to resolve their differences.
Retailers brace for potential pain from a longshoremen’s strike
A dockworkers’ strike is threatening to close ports on the East and Gulf coasts beginning this week. If 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association make good on their threat to strike, they could shut down 36 ports from Maine to Texas that handle about half the goods shipped into and out of the United States.
More than 10,000 hotel workers strike during Labor Day weekend
More than 10,000 workers at 25 U.S. hotels were on strike Monday after choosing Labor Day weekend to amplify their demands for higher pay, fairer workloads and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.
Harris and Walz are showing their support for organized labor with appearance at Detroit union hall
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are set to play up their support for organized labor during an appearance at a Detroit-area union hall as the new Democratic ticket lavishes attention on a crucial base of support.
Immigration positively impacting U.S. labor market
A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco suggests the immigrant population is significantly boosting the number of workers in the U. S. labor market, giving the country a little more room to breathe as it continues marching through the post-pandemic era.
Appeals court says some NCAA athletes might qualify as employees under federal wage laws
College athletes whose efforts primarily benefit their schools might qualify as employees deserving of pay under federal wage-and-hour laws, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday in a setback to the NCAA.
Labor Department wants Indy health care owner held in contempt on overtime issues
The U.S. Department of Labor is asking a federal judge to hold the owner of eight Indianapolis-area health care services companies in contempt for allegedly ignoring a 2022 court judgment requiring him to pay overtime to his employees.
7th Circuit reinstates overtime pay lawsuit against steamboat company
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a steamboat bartender who alleged she and her coworkers were wrongly denied overtime pay by the company that employed them.
FTC noncompete agreement rule ripples out into Indiana
A ruling from the Federal Trade Commission could ban the use of noncompetes for all but the highest earners if it survives legal scrutiny.
Starbucks takes on the federal labor agency before the US Supreme Court
After Starbucks fired seven workers who were trying to unionize their Tennessee store, a U.S. government agency obtained a court order forcing the company to rehire them. Now, Starbucks wants the Supreme Court to curb the government’s power in such cases.
Unfair labor complaint filed against Notre Dame over athletes
An unfair labor complaint was filed Thursday against the University of Notre Dame for classifying college athletes as “student-athletes.”