Posts tagged Department of Labor
COLORADO: Stephen Varela investigated for alleged misuse of union funds
February 23, 2024 // When Stephen Varela became president in 2016 of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2430 in southern Colorado, former union officers say one of the first things he did was ask the bank for a debit card for the union’s account. Local 2430, a union representing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employees, explicitly states in its bylaws that its president and treasurer must both sign checks covering any union expenditures. That way there can be oversight of union money and how it’s spent. Debit cards are not normally allowed.
House Committee Grills Labor Chief Over Independent Contractor Crackdown
February 22, 2024 // Chair Kiley called upon the committee members to address Looman with their questions or comments. Administrator Loomis could not, or did not, choose to answer many of the questions asked such as Chair Kiley’s questions about different occupations (real estate brokers, truckers, journalists) who would be classified as an independent contractor under the new rule. Looman not only appeared to be unfamiliar with the language within the 339 pages of the rule but also was unaware (or pretended to be) that the rule is written in such a way that classifying any profession as anything other than an employee is next to impossible.
Op-ed: Watch out — California’s damaging gig workers law is going nationwide
February 20, 2024 // The rule is slated to take effect on March 10. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) have both declared they will use the Congressional Review Act to have this rule rescinded. Previous legislation has been tendered in support of small businesses and the self-employed. The “Fight for Freelancers” group of female writers and editors has filed a lawsuit challenging this rule, which serves to appease Big Labor in the same manner as AB5.
Ranking Member Cassidy Urges HELP Committee Chair to Hold Hearing on Renomination of Julie Su
February 16, 2024 // I respectfully request that you hold a hearing for Ms. Su’s renomination so that Senators may question her record, and that you hold a public mark-up on her nomination,” continued Dr. Cassidy. “Any other act will circumvent this Committee’s constitutionally mandated advice and consent role for Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS) positions.”
A Lawsuit Seeks to Stop the National Destruction of Trucking Through the DOL Indep. Contractor Rule
February 14, 2024 // The U.S. DOL is using bureaucratic means to make an end-run around already failed legislation (see The PRO Act) in order to destroy independent professionals and small businesses across the nation. The Rule embeds the same tenets found in the ABC Test, which supports AB5, and we all know how well that went in California. The state's trucking industry, in particular, continues to fight hard against AB5, and their battle is being watched by the rest of the industry in other states. Now, a Louisiana business has filed a lawsuit to stop the rule, which is scheduled to take effect on March 11.
Flexibility is no longer just a perk; it’s the crown jewel of employment
February 14, 2024 // A striking 78 percent of American workers say flexibility in their job is “one of the most or a very important” factor in looking for a job
Collateral Damage in the War on ‘Gig Work’
February 12, 2024 // A new Department of Labor rule regarding independent contractors is likely to hurt overall employment.
OPINION: The SEIU’s fake fast food union
February 12, 2024 // Struggling at the national level, the union turned to its legislative allies in California. It worked for several years to enact the so-called “Fast Recovery Act,” a scheme to create a new council that would regulate wages and working conditions for fast-food workers. The idea: Save the union the unproductive hassle of signing up new workers, and instead make all of them subject to a union-controlled government board. Though it took the union two legislative sessions to pass it, over fierce resistance from restaurants, it eventually got to the Governor’s desk in 2022. He signed it on Labor Day that year.
600 Columbia-area Westinghouse workers could unionize in ‘right-to-work’ SC
February 8, 2024 // Some 600 workers at a Columbia-area nuclear fuel plant are expected to vote on whether to unionize after filing a petition with the National Labor Relations Board last week. A group of employees working for the nuclear arm of Westinghouse Electric Company, which employs more than 900 people in a facility near Congaree National Park, has petitioned to join the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers (IBEW) union.
Labor Department Sued Over New Rule That Stands To Impact Independent Contractors in Promo
February 7, 2024 // “While the Labor Department believes the new rule will merely result in the independent contractor becoming an employee, insignificant consideration is given to the other alternative: Namely, that the employer could opt to end the position,” attorney Chuck Machion, senior vice president and senior counsel at ASI, has said.