Posts tagged federal antitrust law
Big Labor’s Rise to Power, or Big Labor Never Lets a Tragedy Go to Waste
May 21, 2026 // It contrasts Samuel Gompers’ early emphasis on voluntarism (“No lasting gain has ever come from compulsion”) with later leaders, such as Owen Bieber, who embraced “the persuasion of power.” Compulsory unionism—forced membership or dues as a condition of keeping or having a job—began in the private sector in 1935, and with the federal government’s help, it spread like a “cancer” to government workers, and it has eroded worker rights, public services, and democratic processes while enriching labor union treasuries and many union officers.
FTC Moves to Allow Independent Contractors to Collectively Bargain
January 14, 2025 // The Clayton Act’s labor exemption provides protections for workers seeking to organize and clarifies that such activity does not violate federal antitrust law, which prohibits anticompetitive business practices. Importantly, this exemption only applies to traditional employees. Independent contractors, on the other hand, cannot engage in collective bargaining, as it is currently viewed as a means of colluding over prices. A policy statement allowing independent contractors to collectively bargain with no fear of liability would be a significant change to federal antitrust law.
FTC Moves to Allow Independent Contractors to Collectively Bargain
January 10, 2025 // On January 7, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its tentative agenda for its January 14 open commission meeting. One of the topics for discussion centers around whether the agency should issue a policy statement allowing independent contractors to collectively bargain.