Posts tagged autonomy

    Op-ed / Commentary Research ● Labor Unionization Unions

    Testimony: Rachel Greszler: Labor Law Reform Part 1: Diagnosing the Issues, Exploring Current Proposals

    October 10, 2025 // SummaryToday’s challenges—from the rise of artificial intelligence to the expansion of independent work and the growing demand for flexibility, autonomy, and new skills—necessitate modernized labor laws that are pro-worker and pro-employer, regardless of the type of workplace. Heavy-handed government interventions and attempts to bring back the 1950s’ ways of work are not the answers. American labor laws should preserve the freedom, dignity, and opportunity that make American work exceptional.

    agency shop Alexander T. MacDonald arbitration panel Artificial Intelligence Association Health Plans Act automation autonomy BLS California Chattanooga collective bargaining agreement condition of employment Congress contract ratification DEI disabled discriminate DOL economic conditions Employee Rights Act entrepreneurship F. Vincent Vernuccio Fairness and Transparency Office Faster Labor Contracts Act federal labor law Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service flexibility forced arbitration freedom of association freedom of speech gig workers health and safety Heritage Foundation independent contracting Independent Retirement Fairness Act injury rates Janus v. AFSCME joint-employer standard Labor Law Reform NLRA older opt-out overweight paid family leave personal information political activities politicization pregnant presidential administrations private businesses pro-employer pro-worker productivity Public Sector Workers quotas Raise Act regulation remote work Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees (RAISE) Act right-to-work SALT Act Save Local Business Act secret ballot elections self-employment Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee Senate Hearing Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act Strikes Supreme Court Tennessee testimony U.S. citizens UAW unelected bureaucrats union dues union extortion union shop union violence union wage premium Unionization Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act Volkswagen Wage and Hour Division Warehouse Worker Protection Act warehouses Worker Enfranchisement Act workplace benefits

    Op-ed / Commentary ● Labor Unionization Unions

    Editorial: Unionizing Uber and Lyft drivers may speed up their robotic replacement

    July 2, 2025 // Here’s the issue for drivers. Labor talks are playing out as Uber and its competitors are investing heavily in driverless vehicles, just like Tesla. Uber isn’t hiding that future. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi even told The Wall Street Journal this year he expects AVs to gradually overtake human drivers.

    Atlanta Austin autonomy benefits cab California Chicago collective bargaining rights Driverless vehicles elderly Elon Musk EV flexibility Georgia gig work health insurance Illinois Illinois Drivers Alliance labor peace agreement legislation Lyft New York ordinance paid leave RIDESHARE rideshare drivers Robotics San Francisco side gig Small Business Taxi technology TESLA Texas transit Uber Unionization

    Op-ed / Commentary Research ● Independent Contractor Rule Labor

    Independent Contractors Take Center Stage for ‘Empowering the American Worker’

    May 27, 2025 // However, expert witness Dr. Liya Palagashvili showed data of the deliberate harm done through California’s law AB5 and its ABC test that is also embedded in the federal Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO) Act and other statewide legislation seeking to restrict the work of independent professionals. Now, these results are causal, meaning we can definitely say that ABC tests cause these negative outcomes. No other studies to date have found positive employment effects from these laws. The research shows that restrictive ABC tests do not create more work opportunities. They eliminate both independent and W-2 jobs.

    ABC test Alabama American Trucking Association app-based drivers autonomy California Congress Democrat DOL Employment Law Project Empowering the American Worker Empowering the Modern Worker Fight for Freelancers flexibility freelance writers gig workers Greg Casar House Committee on Education & Workforce independent contracting independent contractors Kentucky Kevin Kiley Kim Kavin Labor Law Laura Padin Liya Palagashvili Lyft Mary Miller Medicaid Modern Worker Empowerment Act Modern Worker Security Act Nathan Mehrens New Jersey Nicole Moore opportunity Pennsylvania portable benefits PRO Act Randy Fine ride share Rideshare Drivers United Ryan Mackenzie Social Security tax dodging Tennessee Tim Walberg Trump Administration Uber unemployment insurance union activist union-busting Utah W-2 employment

    Op-ed / Commentary ● Labor PRO Act

    How This Labor Department Nominee Threatens 59 Million Workers

    January 13, 2022 // Weil’s efforts to attack independent workers, would not only dampen their bright outlooks, but could put their entire livelihoods and ways of living on the line. One of the Biden administration’s and Weil’s primary goals it to implement the PRO Act—a Big Labor wish list that includes upending independent contracting.

    autonomy be-your-own boss childcare contracting David Weil DOL Franchise freelancing gig work increased flexibility Independent work Judge Amos L. Mazzant III labor union Mandates Obama administration OSHA Pandemic PRO Act Rachel Greszler regulatory measures right-to-work Secondary boycotts Secret Ballot self-employment statutory limits of administrative authority testing The Daily Signal Trump Administration Upwork vaccine wage and hour