In late March of 1969, Dominick Manoli, an associate general counsel at the National Labor Relations Board, appeared before the Supreme Court to deliver oral arguments in National Labor Relations Board v. Gissel Packing Company, Inc. At issue in the case was the NLRB’s policy regarding labor unions formed by “card check,” a process that …
Like the infamous McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit, this is one of those cases that leaves an absurd first impression but earns sympathy when its details are explored. In April, a jury awarded a man $450,000 after he sued his former employer for throwing him a birthday party at work. However, there is more to the …
Although its effects can be hidden, substance abuse is one of the most common social issues affecting the modern workforce. According to research, more than 20 million American adults are in recovery from some type of substance use disorder. What’s more, the bulk of those individuals are part of the national labor force. Individuals in …
When news spread April 1 that the independent Amazon Labor Union (ALU) had won its union election at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island in New York, the initial response from anyone who supports the labor movement was exultation at this unprecedented — and unexpected — victory for the working class.he secondary response was a …
The Amazon Labor Union Victory Shows That Jurisdiction Is Dead Read More »
As tens of millions of workers—more than one-fifth of the U.S. workforce—were losing their jobs at the start of the pandemic, worker advocates sounded another important alarm: In many states, being laid off would not release workers from “non-compete” agreements they had signed with their employers, which would restrict what future job offers they could …
Limiting Non-Compete Agreements is Key to a Just Recovery Read More »
Wells Fargo is once again making headlines for being a terrible, unethical company even by the poor standards of the financial industry. Just over two years after the bank paid a $3 billion fine for opening millions of fake accounts in the names of actual customers, current and former employees are alleging that they were told to conduct …
From fake customer accounts to fake job interviews, Wells Fargo is just the worst Read More »
Against all odds, Amazon workers in New York organized a successful union against one of the biggest companies in the world. Here’s how. Hey, Jeff Bezos, I’m going to let you know something today: We are just getting started,” Chris Smalls declared at an August 2020 protest in Washington, D.C. August 2020 was the month Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became the …
These Are The Workers Who Took on Amazon, and Won Read More »
No more arguing over territory or industries—we need multi-union coalitions capable of organizing on a national scale. When news spread April 1 that the independent Amazon Labor Union (ALU) had won its union election at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island in New York, the initial response from anyone who supports the labor movement was exultation at this unprecedented?—?and unexpected?—?victory for …
The Amazon Labor Union Victory Shows That Jurisdiction Is Dead Read More »
Unions have increasingly bargained for the common good in recent years, as when teachers negotiate lower class sizes and more school nurses or counselors, or nurses negotiate for improved staffing ratios so they can give every patient the attention they deserve. Union opponents often try to claim that these are really self-interested measures that only …
Unionized nursing homes were safer in the pandemic, this week in the war on workers Read More »
From Starbucks and Amazon to political campaigns and digital media, workers in historically unorganized occupations are forming unions—and breathing new life into the U.S. labor movement.
Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.
