Posts tagged free speech
How the Faster Labor Contracts Act could hurt workers
May 7, 2026 // Contracts can take a long time to negotiate because one or both sides are new to the process, have unreasonable demands, and are negotiating complex terms that will affect all future contracts. It’s not uncommon for collective bargaining agreements to address dozens of workplace provisions (well beyond just pay and benefits) and to span hundreds of pages. A Bloomberg Law analysis of first contracts reached between 2004 and 2021 found an average length of 409 days between election certification and contract ratification. The Faster Labor Contracts Act would provide a maximum bargaining period of 120 days — 90 days of bargaining followed by 30 days of mediation — before either party could invoke mandatory arbitration.
US court will not block Trump from ending union bargaining for federal workers
February 28, 2026 // A U.S. appeals court on Thursday rejected a bid by unions to block President Donald Trump's administration from stripping hundreds of thousands of federal employees of the ability to engage in union bargaining with U.S. agencies, reversing a lower court's ruling.
William F. Buckley’s Forgotten Contribution to the War Against Union Oppression
February 17, 2026 // In his 1970 lawsuit, Buckley noted that he joined AFTRA when the show was launched in 1966 because union membership and dues were a condition of employment imposed by New York’s WOR-TV, where the show was produced, and its parent company, RKO General, Inc. Later, he came to resent having to support an organization whose values clashed with his own and sought to opt out — just as hundreds of thousands of public employees have since Janus v. AFSCME affirmed their First Amendment right to do so in 2018.
Ford employee who heckled Trump got suspended from his job
January 19, 2026 // A message seeking comment from Ford to confirm if the worker was fired or suspended was not immediately returned on Tuesday evening. The worker has since been identified by the Washington Post as 40-year-old TJ Sabula, a line worker and member of UAW Local 600. Sabula told the paper he has "no regrets" about what happened at the factory. "I don't feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity," Sabula told the Post. "And today I think I did that."
VIDEO: CPAW Launches New Ad Spotlighting a Pro-Worker Course Correction at the NLRB Under the Trump Administration
January 13, 2026 // “New Day” draws a clear contrast between the Biden administration’s politicized NLRB that empowered union leadership’s political agendas and President Trump's pro‑worker approach that puts employees back at the center of labor policy. The message is straightforward: it’s a new day for American workers, with an NLRB focused on fairness and freedom in the workplace.
Texas cracked down on teachers for posts about Charlie Kirk, union lawsuit says
January 8, 2026 // The lawsuit says a Texas agency has received more than 350 complaints about individual educators.
Protected Wage Talk: Ninth Circuit Reaffirms Employees’ Right to Discuss Wages
December 9, 2025 // The court also addressed several constitutional challenges raised by NMFA, including the NLRB's for-cause removal protections, adjudication scheme, and combined investigatory and adjudicatory powers. However, it found no merit in NMFA's argument that the NLRB's combined investigatory and adjudicatory functions violated the Fifth Amendment right to due process. The court noted that the NLRB's structure separates investigatory and adjudicatory functions between the General Counsel and the Board, respectively, and NMFA failed to demonstrate any unconstitutional potential for bias.
Unions sue over Trump administration’s political ‘loyalty’ hiring plan
November 7, 2025 // Unions representing federal workers filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to include what they said is a partisan "loyalty question" in more than 1,700 job posts since October's start.
Shasta County Board of Supervisors to Appeal Ruling in Free Speech Case Against California Public Employment Relations Board
October 15, 2025 // The lawsuit, filed on March 17 by the Freedom Foundation on behalf of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors and a county employee, challenges California statutes that prevent public employers from informing employees about their First Amendment right to opt out of union membership. Two specific statutes within the California Government Code restrict the board’s ability to communicate freely about union membership options and infringe on employees’ constitutional right to receive truthful information. These statutes can best be characterized as California’s Gag Rule statutes because they force public employers into silence regarding a matter of public concern.
Hollywood stars, unions and fans erupt with outrage after ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel off air
September 21, 2025 // The outrage over ABC’s decision spilled over into the streets on Thursday, as members of WGA rallied outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California, as part of a protest co-organized with the group Burbank Against ICE. The protesters carried signs that read “Defend Free Speech” and “ABC Bends the Knee to Fascism” as they walked the sidewalks to the sound of approving car horns on Alameda Boulevard. WGA President Meredith Steihm said she was at a members meeting Wednesday night when news of Disney’s decision to pull the show began to spread. “This felt like a siren last night,” Steihm said. “We put a statement out, but the question was ‘What are we going to do?’ The first thing we did was gather here.”