Posts tagged Marty Walsh
Biden’s regulatory machine wants to stifle the freedom of the American worker
October 31, 2022 // Frankly, workers are not helpless. They are perfectly capable of choosing their own lifestyles and can evaluate their labor choices along with the compensation and benefits each provides. We currently have an economy in which, for the entirety of 2022, the number of job openings has nearly outnumbered unemployed workers 2-1. If these “gigs” were so horrible, these people would seek other employment. Moreover, the Biden administration’s mandated reclassification would significantly increase the cost of doing business for both small businesses and large companies such as Uber, Doordash, and others that provide unique economic opportunities for gig workers. This heavy-handed regulatory approach will discourage entrepreneurial innovation and result in added costs that will be passed along to the consumer.
Independent Contracting – Proposed Department of Labor Rule
October 19, 2022 // The Biden Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new independent contractor rule on October 11, 2022 to address what Secretary Walsh deems “misclassification” of workers. This would replace a current DOL rule from the Trump administration that went into effect in March 2021 – a rule which the Biden administration improperly attempted to rescind that provided clarity to the “economic realities” test used to determine the employment status of workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Department of Labor spikes Trump apprenticeship program detested by unions
October 14, 2022 // Apprenticeship programs allow workers to receive training at their place of employment to develop necessary skills and achieve higher wages. Prior to IRAP, this was all done at the federal level through the DOL Registered Apprenticeship Program, which has nearly 600,000 active apprentices and which continues to exist. The majority of workers who participate in this federal apprenticeship program do so through joint labor management, which is a partnership between employers and labor unions. This is in part due to the prevalence of apprenticeship programs in construction-related industries, which have high rates of unionization. These industries are also largely white and male, which goes against the Biden administration's policy of promoting equity through federal action.
‘Dubious at best’: Railroad workers’ rejection of new contracts revives strike fears
October 13, 2022 // For consumers, the result would be empty shelves and delayed shipments during the time of year they rely on them most. Passenger rail systems around the country, including many Amtrak routes, were also gearing up to shut down before negotiations prodded by the Biden administration yielded a tentative deal in mid-September. “It is a trade union principle that if a railroad union goes on strike, other railroad unions honor that strike,” said Peter Kennedy, who directs strategic coordination and research at BMWE. And at this point, reaching a new tentative agreement seems “dubious at best.” Deputy Labor Secretary Seth Harris,
Biden Proposal Could Lead to Employee Status for Gig Workers
October 11, 2022 // The proposal is intended as a so-called interpretive rule that doesn’t have the legal force of a regulation specifically authorized by Congress, and it applies only to laws that the department enforces, such as the federal minimum wage. States and other federal agencies, like the Internal Revenue Service, set their own criteria for employment status, and the rule would not directly affect what they decided about the status of gig workers. But many employers and regulators in other jurisdictions are likely to consider the department’s interpretation when making decisions about worker classification, and many judges are likely to use it as a guide. As a result, the proposal is a potential blow to gig companies and other service providers that argue their workers are contractors, though it would not immediately affect the status of those workers.
U.S. Labor Secretary willing to help as CNH strike in 22nd week
October 7, 2022 // Walsh is meeting with Iowa labor leaders this morning to discuss federal tax breaks available for so-called green energy projects like large solar arrays, wind power storage and carbon capture pipelines.
Biden administration jumps into rail, union talks hoping to avert strike
September 8, 2022 // Such a work stoppage runs the risk of stymieing the U.S.’ supply chain at a point when the system is already strained, prices are historically high, and the peak season for agricultural commodities is just around the corner. Thirteen unions representing U.S. railroad workers have spent years renegotiating their contracts with carriers represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee. SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson, BLET President Dennis Pierce,
Opinion: Amidst inflation, President Biden should refocus his efforts on expanding flexible work careers for Americans
August 9, 2022 // Why is championing flexible work through reforms so important? Independent contractors make up a sizeable portion of the 59 million freelancers in the U.S. economy, employ tens of millions of additional workers under their contracts as small businesses, and are often the entrepreneurs that grow successful new businesses in communities. Modern Worker Empowerment Act, California Supreme Court
Biden spotlights effort to rescue union pensions
July 7, 2022 // Reassuring frustrated blue-collar voters, President Joe Biden on Wednesday visited Ohio iron workers to highlight federal action to shore up troubled pension funding for millions now on the job or retired — and to make his political case that he’s been a champion for workers in the White House. Bill DeVito, Jeffrey Carlson, Rob Portman, Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, Republican J.D. Vance,
West Coast port dispute poses latest threat to supply chain
July 1, 2022 // The tenuous West Coast port contract negotiations, which began in May, have centered around wages, worker safety and automation. The union has pointed to ocean carriers’ record-smashing profits during the pandemic, while shippers have insisted that port workers enjoy competitive salaries that average six figures. The ILWU has pushed back on shipping companies’ push to automate port systems over the threat of job losses, while shippers claim that U.S. ports must be modernized to boost efficiency. Jess Dankert, Jay Timmons,