Posts tagged Labor
Commentary: Blatant Lawlessness
August 7, 2025 // A new Yankee Institute report, Blatant Lawlessness: How the CT Department of Labor & Union Leaders Disrespect Union Workers and Ignore the Law, highlights the Connecticut Department of Labor’s (CT DOL’s) failure to enforce vital state laws. These laws require unions to provide financial transparency to their members, and the state’s non-enforcement leaves dues-paying workers vulnerable to potential mismanagement and corruption. Enacted in 1959, Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 31-77 mandates that unions representing public and private sector employees submit verified annual financial reports to the CT DOL and make them available to members.
Nationwide Lowe’s Boycott Planned for August 1: What to Know
July 31, 2025 // Progressive groups have spearheaded the action and expressed concerns over a number of issues, including company tax avoidance and workers' rights, as well as the scaling-back of diversity hiring commitments.
Two unions announce opposition to UP-NS merger (revised)
July 30, 2025 // Two unions — the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, and the Transport Workers Union of America — have announced their opposition to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger proposed today by the two railroads. SMART said it will oppose the merger when it goes to the Surface Transportation Board for approval, while the TWU — which represents some Norfolk Southern workers — said it “strongly opposes” the deal and is urging regulators, lawmakers, shippers and unions to block the transaction. Other unions have also expressed concern about the creation of a coast-to-coast railroad that would cover more than 52,000 miles and employ more than 52,000 people, although few have done so in language as strong as that of TWU International President John Samuelsen. In a statement, he called UP’s safety record “shameful” and said, “There is no world where Union Pacific should be controlling a coast-to-coast rail network.
MICHIGAN: Labor unions praise ‘responsible bidder’ ordinances while contractors warn of workforce shortages
July 30, 2025 // But contractors say some elements of the plan would unfairly impact local bidders. Jeremiah Leyba is the director of engineering for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, which represents more than 500 companies in Michigan. He says not all contractors can easily access federal apprenticeship programs and also rely on trade school diplomas, community college degrees and industry certifications for workforce development. “The city of Lansing would be excluding bidders that are highly qualified, and with dwindling workforces across the state, it is an exclusion no municipality can responsibly afford,” Leyba said. Several localities in Michigan already have responsible bidder ordinances in place, including Jackson, Royal Oak and Detroit.
Cato Institute: Reforming Labor Union Laws
July 29, 2025 // The 1930s labor union laws were premised on the false idea that management and labor are enemies in the workplace, notes Baird. The reality is that individuals and businesses work together to produce products for consumers. Management and labor are complementary, not rivalrous, inputs to value generation in the economy. The new Cato study is a great introduction to federal labor union laws from a libertarian perspective. Baird concludes that American workers would enjoy more freedom and prosperity if the labor laws of the 1930s were repealed.
A quiet victory: Trump rule protecting federal workers survives Biden’s presidency
July 13, 2025 // Despite the Biden administration’s commitment to promoting unions, our arguments must have carried the day, as President Trump was re-inaugerated in January 2025 without the FLRA taking any further action and the pro-worker rule from his first term still in place. As a result, federal employees today continue to have more control over their paychecks and there’s one less item on the new administration’s to-do list.
Sisters wield power as shareholders to force corporate reforms
July 2, 2025 // The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace this year put forth a proposal to require Ford Motor Co. to stop fighting unionizing efforts at its new battery plants and to work with local residents who would be impacted by the new factories. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accepted Ford's request to remove the proposal, so it never went to a vote. Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary co-filed the request. "But we're still at the table and we're still raising the voices of the local community," Francois said. "We just want the neighbors to be in dialogue with Ford." IASJ, formerly the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investing, was started by congregations of religious in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey in 1975.
Florida’s minimum wage will soon go up
June 18, 2025 // The state minimum wage set to rise from $13 per hour to $14 per hour in September. It will go up to $15 per hour in September 2026. This comes amid a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. That bipartisan proposal is gaining traction in Washington. Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is working on the legislation with Democratic U.S. Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont.
Commentary: Workers Need More Transparency from Unions
June 5, 2025 // We’re not labor experts or lawyers. We’re too busy doing our day jobs. Unions should be required to disclose a lot more information. Things such as who funds unionization drives, which other unions or groups they’re affiliated with, and whether they’re paying workers to push unionization. This information could have changed the outcome at my old Trader Joe’s store. The best system would equip workers with the facts well before they’re expected to vote. If workers unionize, unions should be required to more regularly provide some of this timely information. Additionally, the Department of Labor should publish the data more often and in a more user-friendly format. For instance, at my old store, we didn’t know that the union officers would be taking salaries from the union — we only found out 18 months later, and we had never agreed to them, which upset many of my co-workers who had supported unionization.
Cummins workers in Oshkosh remain on strike after rejecting latest labor package via union vote
June 4, 2025 // Cummins workers in Oshkosh rejected the latest contract offer, extending their strike to more than three months. The main points of contention include the expired contract, temporary worker language and mandatory Saturdays. Negotiations between Cummins and UAW Local 291 are scheduled to resume at the end of June. The Oshkosh plant employs 129 workers, a small fraction of Cummins' global workforce of approximately 75,500.