The Paycheck Fairness Act of 2019 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, giving women stronger protections against sex-based pay discrimination and helping ensure pay equity for all women.
Supreme Court Rules Against Public Sector Unions
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against public-sector unions in Janus v AFSCME, deciding that unions can no longer collect fees from public employees who opt not to be union members yet are covered by and profit from all of the benefits that unions achieve. This ruling reversed precedent from the 1977 ruling in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education.
Women’s and Labor Rights Advocates hold Enough is Enough Summit on Sex Harassment
Last week the Enough is Enough Summit and Briefing on Capitol Hill harnessed the momentum of the #MeToo movement to bring together a diverse group of lawyers, activists, and policy makers to think through comprehensive survivor-centered policy solutions to the sexual harassment and violence epidemic in workplaces and schools.
Appeals Court Hands Down Major Equal Pay Win
Yesterday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that it is illegal for employers to consider a woman’s previous salary when determining pay for her new job, as it perpetuates pay discrimination between men and women. The groundbreaking decision came the day before the national Equal Pay Day, which marks the point into 2018 […]
Title VII Covers Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation Says Court
On Monday, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that sexual orientation is protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination against employees based on sex.
West Virginia Teachers Enter Third Day of Strikes
Teachers in West Virginia participated in a third day of strikes on Monday to demand higher salaries and better benefits, closing every public school in the state’s 55 counties and impacting nearly 277,000 students. This is the first ever state-wide teacher walk out.
Austin Passes Mandatory Paid Sick Leave
Last week, the Austin City Council voted to become the first city in Texas, and the first in the entire South, to mandate that all employers offer paid sick leave. More than 200 people testified in favor of the measure, which received a final vote of 9-2.
Supreme Court to Hear Major Labor Rights Case
This coming Monday the Supreme Court will hear one of the most important labor rights cases of the 21st century. The decision in Janus v. AFSCME will determine whether or not public sector unions can require public employees to pay “fair share fees”, even if the employee opts out of being a member of that union.
Equal Pay Day for Asian American and Pacific Islander Women
Today is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Equal Pay Day, the day into 2018 that AAPI women would need to work to in order to earn the same amount that white men earned in 2017 alone. There are currently 10 million AAPI women, transgender, and gender non-conforming people living in the United States.
Labor Department Audited after Reports it Misled Public on Proposed “Tip Stealing” Rule
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Labor (DOL) announced Monday that it will audit the Department’s rulemaking process for its proposed tip rule after a report from Bloomberg BNA that the Department intentionally hid its own economic analysis showing that the proposed rule would cost tipped workers billions of dollars in income.
Time’s Up on Workplace Sexual Harassment at Golden Globe Awards
On Sunday evening, attendees of the 75th Golden Globe Awards honoring achievement in film and television dressed in black and wore Time’s Up pins to participate in a blackout that showed support and solidarity for the movement to combat workplace sexual harassment.
Over a Dozen Women Allege Sexual Harassment or Assault by Harvey Weinstein
Over a dozen women have come forward accusing Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, and multiple women have alleged they were also sexually assaulted by the media mogul. Since the story of Weinstein’s decades long record of sexual harassment was brought to light by the New York Times last week, Weinstein has been fired from the company that bears his name, and four members of his all-male board have resigned.
North Carolina Labor Federation Elects First Woman President
Last week, MaryBe McMillian became the first woman to be elected President of North Carolina’s Labor Federation (NC AFL-CIO).
Trump Administration Shuts Down Initiative to Combat Gender-Race Wage Gap
The Trump administration has announced that they will shut down a 2016 Obama-era initiative that empowered the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to collect pay data sorted by gender, race, and ethnicity from businesses with 100 or more employees.
Trump Budget Proposal Aims to Reduce Civil Rights Enforcement Throughout Federal Agencies
According to the White House’s proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year, the Trump administration is set to disband the Labor Department division that has been tasked with policing discrimination among federal contractors for nearly forty years. Such budget cuts are not limited to the Labor Department, but are also seen in the budgets of a wide array of agencies as part of efforts to limit federal government programs that promote and protect civil rights.
Thousands Turn Out for May Day Protests
This year the crowds were larger than average, a testament to the fear, anxiety and anger that many feel towards the new President’s mass deportation policies and more.
More Sexual Harassment Allegations Plague Fox as Advertisers Flee
Ten days ago, the New York Times broke a story about five women to whom 21st Century Fox has paid out around $13 million to address allegations of abuse and sexual harassment at the hands of Fox News star, Bill O’Reilly. In addition to these five women who reached settlements, there have been at least two more who also allege sexual harassment on the part of O’Reilly.
Trump Repeals Fair Pay Order
mplemented by President Barack Obama, the 2014 Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces order ensuring that companies with federal contracts are held accountable to fourteen labor laws. This same order goes to lengths to protect women in the work place by addressing two major workplace concerns: pay transparency and proceedings of sexual assault and discrimination claims.
Today is Equal Pay Day
Today is Equal Pay Day, marking the point into the year 2017 that women in America need to work to in order to accumulate the same amount of income that men earned in 2016. The commemorative day is always held on a Tuesday to represent how far into the next week women must work to earn the amount made by men in the previous week.
Puzder Withdraws and a New Labor Secretary is Nominated
Today, President Trump announced Alexander Acosta, a former federal judge and current law school dean, as his nominee to serve as secretary of the Department of Labor following Andrew Puzder’s Wednesday afternoon withdrawal of his nomination.
