Courts Labor Rights

Union Organizers No Longer Able to Speak to Workers on Farm Property, Supreme Court Rules

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court decided that a California law allowing unions to talk to agricultural workers on farm property is unconstitutional. The ruling is a major blow to union organizers and migratory farmworkers.   In 1975, the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act was passed to remedy the difficulty unions frequently faced reaching migrant workers, […]

Economy Labor Rights Ms. Magazine Sister Sites

Half of U.S. States are Leaving Women Workers Behind

This piece originally appeared on Ms. Magazine’s digital site After a year that has put parents—especially women—through unimaginable strain as they’ve struggled to keep a roof over their families’ heads and care for their children, Republican governors in 24 states now want to rip out the rug from under them by ending state participation in federal pandemic unemployment programs.  These […]

Health Labor Rights On the Hill

Congresswoman Maloney, Congressional Maternity Care Caucus, and Black Maternal Health Caucus Co-Chairs Introduce Bill to Protect Breastfeeding Rights to Working Moms

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, with Congressional Maternity Care Caucus co-chairs Congresswomen Jaime Herrera Beutler and Lucille Roybal-Allard and co-chairs of the Black Maternal Health Caucus Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood, introduced the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act will close a coverage gap in […]

Health Labor Rights

New Mexico Governor Signs Bill Requiring Paid Sick Leave

Last week, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill into law that will make New Mexico one of 15 states requiring employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees, regardless of the size of the business. The union-backed legislation guarantees that employees can accrue one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked—up […]

Economy Labor Rights

The Pandemic & Its Detriment to the Female Workforce

“Women have never experienced an unemployment rate in the double digits since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began reporting data by gender in 1948 – until now.” Women’s unemployment was almost 3 points higher than men’s in April, and has not experienced the same amount of recovery as men’s in subsequent months. This is due […]

Global Health Labor Rights

After Weeks of Negotiation, Health Care Workers Win Pay Increase in France

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, French healthcare workers have been demanding higher pay, increased funding for hospitals, and more staff. France has been one of the hardest hit countries in Europe, with over 200,000 infections and 30,000 deaths. This year, after seven weeks of tense and fraught negotiations with trade unions, the French government finally gave […]

Immigration Labor Rights

Trump Suspends Multiple Temporary Work Visas Through End of Year

The Trump administration announced Monday a suspension of new temporary employment-based visas at least through the end of this year. The sweeping order will halt temporary visas for workers in specialized fields and many seasonal workers. Multinational companies will also be prohibited from transferring foreign employees to temporarily work in the United States. New restrictions […]

Health Labor Rights

States Tell Workers Return to Work During Pandemic or Lose Unemployment Benefits

Some states, including Iowa and Texas, have begun to reopen their economies amidst the coronavirus pandemic and have warned residents that employees who refuse to return to their jobs will be ineligible for unemployment benefits. These policies force workers to decide between their health and unemployment insurance and could facilitate the spread of COVID-19. Congress […]

Activism Economy Health Labor Rights

Instacart, Amazon Workers Strike for Coronavirus Protections

Workers at Instacart and Amazon struck yesterday and today, critiquing the companies for not prioritizing their safety in response to coronavirus. Instacart, an app-based delivery service, employs gig workers to go into grocery stores, pick up orders and deliver orders to homes. The company wrote in an official statement, “As the crisis unfolds, our teams […]

Economy Labor Rights

Pay Gap Expected to Worsen Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Activists’ work to close the gender pay gap may be undermined by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to experts, as women take time off or are laid off in order to care for others, any advances could be reversed. The International Labor Organization (ILO) reports that women earn approximately one-fifth less than their male counterparts across […]

Labor Rights LGBTQ Other Issues

U.S. Jobs Report Includes Data on Same-Sex Couples in Historic First

Today, the U.S. government has released their monthly jobs report of historical significance. This monthly report will be the first time which the Bureau of Labor Statistics will include same-sex couples in its count of workers within the U.S. economy, allow for greater LGBTQ+ representation in government statistics. This is not the only significant change […]

Labor Rights Other Issues

Staffers Say Sexism Runs Deep At The Washington Post

Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez has been receiving death and rape threats following a tweet she sent out with a link to a story about sexual assault allegations against Kobe Bryant, shortly after the NBA player’s death. Sonmez’s home address was published online by an angry member of the public. Upon receiving this information, Sonmez’s […]

Activism Education Labor Rights

25,000 Teachers Strike in Chicago for Increased Resources in Public Schools

Chicago Public School teachers have gone on strike with a list of changes that they wish to see in the city’s education system, including reducing class sizes, tackling the increasing rates of homelessness among students, and hiring more nurses, social workers, and bilingual educators. More than 25,000 teachers and 300,000 students are out of the […]

Labor Rights

Amazon Workers Strike during Prime Day

Amazon workers across the globe are striking because of grueling production demands, unsafe working conditions, and many other issues during the company’s largest two-day sales event—from July 15 to July 16th—known as Amazon Prime Day. Amazon released a statement in response to workers striking, claiming, “Events like Prime Day have become an opportunity for our […]

Labor Rights

Employers to be Held Accountable For Workplace Sexual Rumors

Last Friday, the Fourth Circuit of Appeals unanimously reversed a district court’s ruling on Parker v. Reema Consulting Services, Inc.; the panel explained that the rumors involving a female employee having sexual relations with her male boss to obtain a promotion or special treatment make her employer liable under the Title VII for sex discrimination. […]