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Late last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision in D.R. Horton, Inc., ruling that companies cannot prevent employees from bringing workplace grievances as a class in all judicial venues under mandatory arbitration agreements. The decision didn’t come as much of a shock to anyone familiar with the details of the case. Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), employees have full freedom to come together and engage in concerted activity to address workplace concerns. In clear violation of the Act, D.R. Horton enforced its arbitration agreement by dividing a group of workers facing overtime violations into single units. In other words, workers had to seek justice as individuals rather than as a group—even though they shared the same complaint against their employer. Read more » When Craig Becker’s recess term on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) expired in December, the outlook didn’t look good for workers in 2012. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the NLRB needs three members to exercise its authority, so without new appointees, the Board would have been forced to shut down—leaving workers and employers alike in the lurch. But yesterday, President Obama announced the recess appointments of Sharon Block, Terence F. Flynn, and Richard Griffin to the NLRB. Read more » Yesterday was a big day for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—and for workers’ rights. First, the Board voted to approve a resolution that includes some but not all of the proposals set forth in its recent rule to ensure a fairer union election process for workers. Several hours later, corporate-backed politicians in the U.S. House of Representatives struck back with a bill that, rather than addressing the problems in the current union election process, mandates a delay. This “Election Prevention Act” stands almost no chance of passing the Senate (whew!) but it certainly shows just how far anti-worker lawmakers are willing to go to pad the pockets of the 1 percent, even when it comes at the expense of their constituents. This August the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a rule that requires private sector employers to post a notice advising employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)—rights they’ve had for more than 70 years. Like other notices of workplace laws regarding safety and health, compensation, and discrimination, the poster raises awareness without unduly burdening employers. But anti-worker politicians and corporate interest groups are up in arms over this modest step forward for everyday Americans. So we put together this short video on the poster to expose the right-wing hysteria for what it really is: political theater intended to undermine even the most basic protections for the 99 percent. Read more » Today, April 12 , is Equal Pay Day in the United States. Strategically chosen, the date marks how long it takes women to make up for the disparity in pay between genders. Just think, 102 days passed this year before women finally earned the same salary as men in comparable jobs during the past year. Weeks of protests across Wisconsin let unionbusting legislators know that workers won’t stand for ideologically motivated attacks on their rights. And this week’s Supreme Court race took that message from Madison to the polls. Read more » Guest Post by Author and Labor Scholar Brigid O’Farrell. When my phone rang in Moss Beach, California, I was surprised to find a young girl calling from a small town in Ohio, not far from Columbus. She and her friends in eighth grade were writing a play about Eleanor Roosevelt for a school project. She saw my book on the internet, She Was One of Us: Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Worker. They wanted their drama to address the workers in Ohio and Wisconsin. “Eleanor Roosevelt went into a coal mine, didn’t she?” the girl asked. “Do you think she would be supporting the workers today?” Read more » Earlier this week, we described how entertainers and sports stars – most union members themselves – have taken to Twitter, the blogosphere, and other mediums to express solidarity with workers in Wisconsin and states across the country who are fighting to protect their basic rights. While it’s great to see the outpouring of celebrity support, the sheer volume of messages can make tracking difficult. So we’ve assembled a roundup of their tweets, posts, and statements to make their messages easier for workers’ rights supporters to access. |
Posts Tagged ‘labor law’
The California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (AB 889), introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), offers the almost 200,000 domestic workers in California basic labor rights from which they have been excluded for decades. If signed into law, California will become only the second state in the country, after New York, to extend labor protections to domestic workers – the caregivers, housekeepers, and babysitters providing vital services to families across California. Union Shop
