Posts tagged Employment
New Research Quantifies Harms To Independent Contractors Of California’s AB5
January 23, 2024 // Despite AB5 proponents’ claims that the law would increase full-time employment and offer benefits and protections, the researchers found “robust evidence that AB5 is significantly associated with a decline in self-employment and a decline in overall employment.” · AB5 reduced the level of self-employment by 6.7 percentage points to 28%. · AB5 reduced the level of overall employment by 7.3 percentage points to 14%. · The researchers did not find significant evidence that AB5 increased W-2 employment.
California’s Attack on Gig Work Predictably Drove Workers Out of Jobs
January 19, 2024 // Last week, the DOL announced a new set of rules for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Like with California's A.B. 5, those proposed federal rules are meant to crack down on what the government sees as a deliberate effort to misclassify workers as contractors—which can change, among other things, the benefits that an employer is obligated to pay. Most gig workers and independent contractors are content with their more flexible, less structured employment arrangements—so in some sense, these governmental efforts seem to be trying to save workers from their own choices.
Opinion: REI is Right to Question Unions
November 17, 2023 // Following the landmark 2018 Janus decision, public sector unions can’t mandate dues on non-members because it violates their First Amendment rights. The Freedom Foundation reports four of the largest public sector unions have lost a whopping 733,745 members since June 2018. An inconvenient truth: The unionized workforce is rapidly dwindling, making up 10.1% of the U.S. workforce. In comparison, the freelance workforce has grown to 45%—with 72 million individuals engaging in independent contracting full-time, part-time, or occasional. Even if I disagree with their politics, companies like REI demonstrate they can offer better benefits and perks over third-party entities like unions.
23 American Industries With the Highest Union Membership Today
September 29, 2023 // The most highly unionized U.S. sector is educational services, where nearly 30% of workers are union members and one in three workers are covered by union representation. This includes nearly 3.5 million of the country’s 9 million elementary and secondary school teachers who are part of organized labor. Public administration is the second-most unionized industry with about 28% union membership. For example, about 41% of the nearly 2.8 million workers involved in justice, public order, and safety activities — a category that includes police officers and firefighters — carry union cards. In third place: One out of five transportation and warehousing workers are union members.
Trojan Horse Alert: Teamsters Using Dirty Tricks to Unionize CT Businesses
July 12, 2023 // The Teamsters Local 671, of Bloomfield, is teaming up with the Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to recruit individuals to infiltrate businesses with the explicit objective of unionizing the workplace. In a June 23 email, the organizations invited their “comrades” to a virtual meeting, posing questions such as “Are you looking for a job?” and “Do you want intensive organizing training?” They then emphasized “that it is the right time” to engage in “SALTING” — the act of intentionally taking a job at a workplace with the goal of unionizing. The meeting — called “Salting Information Session” — was held on Thursday (June 29) where organizers covered the basics of salting and union organizing; why socialists should salt; and how socialists are currently salting in Connecticut (but they did not specify where).
Americans are taking more control over their work lives – because they have to
January 6, 2023 // In research I’ve been conducting on side hustles in the sharing economy, I am finding that many people take these gigs to compensate for limited control in their “traditional” jobs. Although gig work comes with its own set of challenges – lack of benefits is a key one – people feel liberated by greater control over where, when and how they work. Switching on an app shifts allegiance from one company to another. Turning off an app ends the workday in an instant. People rely on side hustles to earn additional income but also because of the freedom that comes from being an independent worker. Another benefit of portfolioing is hedging risk. Sudden layoffs, such as those recently affecting the tech industry, leave people feeling exposed to financial hardship and identity loss from being involuntarily sent to the exit. When facing difficult times at one job, people can turn to other parts of their career portfolio for security and stability.
Right-to-work is a sure bet in an uncertain economy
September 7, 2022 // As economic uncertainty looms, the promise of a sure thing becomes more valuable than ever. Perhaps now is the time for states without right-to-work protections to consider the data and revisit the benefits these laws could bring. They will not only strengthen the economy but also meaningfully improve quality of life for citizens.
House, Senate GOP Workforce Leaders Demand Investigation into NLRB Misconduct
August 25, 2022 // Today, House Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC); Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Republican Leader Richard Burr (R-NC); House Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Republican Leader Rick Allen (R-GA); and Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee Republican Leader Mike Braun (R-IN) sent a letter to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Inspector General David Berry to request an immediate investigation into allegations that NLRB officials intervened inappropriately in ongoing union organization efforts at Starbucks stores across the country. Inspector General David Berry,
Some older workers are being welcomed back to the workforce
July 19, 2022 // Return Utah is currently unique among state governments. Odds are it won’t stay that way for long. Governments at all levels in the competition for talent are increasingly attracted to recruiting experienced workers looking to relaunch their careers. For example, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston joined the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematical) Re-entry Task force and partnered with iRelaunch and the Society of Women Engineers to recently establish its Fed Resurgence program. The career re-entry initiative is designed to attract professionals who took a career break and are now looking to relaunch their careers. Tad Greener, iRelaunch, Career Break,
Great Resignation: Study finds 40% of workers plan on changing jobs next 6 months
June 16, 2022 // Robert Half, a global talent solutions firm, reports 4 in 10 workers plan to look for a new job in the next 6 months. The findings indicate a continuation of what has been called the 'great resignation' as many workers opted to change companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the company's Job Optimism Report, the top reasons for a career change cited by workers includes earning more money (65%), greater advancement opportunities (39%), and a change sought due to burnout (34%). Adrian Mojica