Posts tagged Labor
Lefty NYC labor bill would kill Amazon, UPS jobs, warns dire letter
October 20, 2026 // Business groups are demanding the City Council block a controversial labor bill backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his progressive comrades — arguing it will slap crippling mandates on crucial job providers. The coalition, including the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and the American Consumer Institute, fired off a letter to the Democratic-led council and Speaker Julie Menin on Tuesday warning that the proposed Delivery Protection Act would come at “substantial cost’’ to companies such as Amazon and UPS — and thus consumers.
Commentary: What happens when environmental justice nonprofit workers unionize?
October 19, 2026 // OVECU filed an unfair labor practice claim with the NLRB, which ruled that OVEC had unlawfully suspended and discharged one employee and discharged another because of their unionizing efforts, which was a protected concerted activity. In July 2021, workers voted in an NLRB-supervised election to certify the union. Four months later, in November, OVEC’s board voted 10-1 to dissolve the 34-year-old organization
Editorial: Against the Hollywood bailout
October 1, 2026 // The greatest job decline after Covid was in 2023, before Hollywood’s chief competitor, the U.K., expanded its film subsidies. That was the year of the industry’s “double strike,” when actors and writers simultaneously walked off studio lots for months. Hundreds of projects were delayed or outright canceled as filming rolled to a halt, costing the entertainment industry billions of dollars. When studios finally signed contracts to end the strikes, they had to accept unions’ core demands, ballooning their compensation in perpetuity. Is it any wonder they have looked to film elsewhere? The proposed federal tax credit would bail out the union workers who bargained for more than they were worth. It would subsidize almost all labor costs — for employees and contractors, both pre-production and post-production — of film crews, animators, special-effects artists, writers, actors, and even producers and directors. There are no limits on eligible compensation, so taxpayers would pick up a good chunk of the salaries of Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise.
Illinois’ new rideshare union law could hurt drivers, passengers
September 23, 2026 // The law could lead to job losses for rideshare drivers if they become more expensive to the companies than emerging self-driving technologies. Companies such as Waymo are already replacing human drivers with autonomous vehicles. In February, Waymo started the process of mapping out the city of Chicago for its fleet of driverless vehicles and announced that “we look forward to serving the city in the future.” While autonomous vehicles haven’t rolled out in Illinois yet, Waymo will be ready if lawmakers approve legislation to allow them to operate.
The ‘No Surprises’ warning for mandatory labor arbitration
September 23, 2026 // The Faster Labor Contracts Act passed the House of Representatives earlier this year and remains pending in the Senate. Under this proposal, a newly recognized labor union and employer have a strict 120-day timeline — comprising 90 days of negotiation and 30 days of federal mediation — to reach an initial collective bargaining agreement. If they fail to do so, the dispute goes to a binding arbitration panel that sets the terms and conditions of employment. Proponents say the prospect of arbitration would prevent delay and encourage serious bargaining. The No Surprises Act shows why that assumption deserves skepticism.
Trucking groups challenge bill that expands labor arbitration
August 7, 2026 // Representing American Trucking Associations as president, Chris Spear described the bill as government-mandated contracting instead of collective bargaining. He said if passed, the changes would eliminate employees from voting to approve an arbitration-imposed contract.
Report dispels AI jobs doomsday fears
July 10, 2026 // A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report examines what the AI revolution will mean for the future of labor by examining technology disruptions of the past. “Technology advances like artificial intelligence can breed fear that ‘progress’ will destroy jobs and livelihoods,” said Sean Higgins, CEI research fellow in labor studies and author of the report, Don’t Panic! A Skeptic’s Guide to the AI Jobs Doomsday. “History teaches us labor-related technology fears are usually misplaced.”
Hochul Extends Program to Hire Government Workers Faster. Mamdani Opts Out.
July 9, 2026 // But opting into NY HELPS could risk blowback from city unions like DC37 and the United Federation of Teachers, which are generally allied with the pro-labor mayor and were among the unions that sued to block Adams’s attempt. “We have thousands of workers already on the civil service list who have taken the exams, who have gone through the process of paying the fee, who have taken all the necessary requirements to qualify,” DC37 executive director Henry Garrido said of NY HELPS at an April City Council hearing. “It’s not fair to those people who have done so.”
Op-ed– MY TURN: Washington’s one-size labor law doesn’t fit Alaska
July 9, 2026 // Forced arbitration doesn’t resolve disputes. It delays them and adds uncertainty to project timelines that are already difficult to manage. For the major energy and infrastructure projects Alaska is now positioned to advance, that uncertainty isn’t just an inconvenience. It could be catastrophic. America needs bold steps toward a more robust energy future, and shortsighted federal mandates stand in the way of that.
How United Auto Workers grew from small Detroit union into national force
May 27, 2026 // "Prior to the sit-down strike at GM, they had 75 members," Marchioni said. The strike lasted 44 days and ended with General Motors recognizing the UAW. Afterward, union membership surged. "Two weeks later, they had 2,000 members and a year later, they had 75,000 members," Marchioni said.