In today’s news and commentary, Biden urges an auto deal; Starbucks’ civility rule is struck down; Hollywood studios make a new proposal to writers; and the invalidation of a Puerto Rican employment law is affirmed.
President Biden issued a statement yesterday urging the United Auto Workers and the nation’s “big three” carmakers to reach a deal before the union’s contracts expire on September 14th. Biden credited UAW with helping to “create the American middle class” and stressed the importance of a fair transition from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles. UAW seeks to end a system of tiered wages for different workers and has proposed a set of other wage and benefit increases. Automakers claim their finances are constrained by recent investments in battery plants and other electric technology. Many major unions have endorsed Biden for the 2024 Presidential election, but UAW has not. The lack of an endorsement is widely seen as related to the President’s focus on electric vehicles.
Starbucks’ civility rule for employees has been struck down by a judge applying the National Labor Relations Board’s new Stericycle standard, which Elyse covered earlier this month. The ruling is an early example of how the Board may invalidate broad workplace rules with the potential to chill workers’ exercise of labor rights. The Starbucks rule banned “vulgar or profane language” and required workers to communicate “in a professional and respectful manner at all times.” In his decision,...
The Department of Homeland Security is directing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to craft new policies to crack down on immigration attorneys if they aid in filing fraudulent asylum...