Is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard of Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slater’s profanity filled tirade and exit down the emergency chute carrying beer? From the Asian animation of his battle with the passenger, 140,000 Facebook fans and T-Shirts, we finally have an authentic working class hero who symbolizes all the frustrations of …
Amid the anger among progressives over White House spokesman Robert Gibbs’ attack on the”professional left,” a leading cause of the wide-ranging disenchantment with President Obama that threatens Democrats in November remains untouched: long-term joblessness. The new, scaled-down legislation signed by Obama yesterday to save teachers’ jobs and help states pay for Medicaid won’t help the nearly 30 million …
As Netroots Rage at Gibbs, Long-Term Jobless Left Behind Read More »
On August 5, 2010, the California Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision concerning the type of evidence a worker can rely upon to prove an employer discriminated against him or her. The Court’s decision concerns the so-called “stray remarks doctrine.” Justice Sandra Day O’Connor coined the term in a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision, writing …
Last week, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s July ruling that a proposed state constitutional amendment that sought to restrict how workers can vote in union representation elections was unconstitutional. Not surprisingly, it’s being pushed by opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act. But that hasn’t stopped Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) and the Republican-controlled …
Ignoring Courts, Arizona Gov. and Legislature Move Anti-Union Measure Read More »
Two Chinese companies have agreed to manufacture in America, instead of in China, a significant portion of the wind turbines needed for a Texas wind farm. The deal is a result of white collar Chinese executives negotiating with blue collar union officers to create green collar jobs in the U.S. The agreement defies stereotypes about unions as constantly combative, excessively expensive and environmentally challenged. The United Steelworkers union, which struck the deal, has a track record of engaging with enlightened CEOs for mutual benefit. It has a long green history. And it has worked to return off-shored jobs to the U.S.
Have you heard about Mark Hurd, the superstar who turned around HP? He was on track to earn $100 million payday for his efforts. Until he was shown the door last week. Turns out that he had falsified payments to a contractor. Corporate sleuths determined that approximately $20,000 of expenses reports relating to this contractor …
The consumer and civil rights communities are closely watching AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, a case that will be argued in the Supreme Court this November. Depending on how broadly the Court reads the question presented in Concepcion, the case could decide the fate of consumer and employee class actions for years to come. The Corporate …
Will the Supreme Court Issue a Wildly Activist Decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion? Read More »
It may not seem credible that gender discrimination remains widespread and systemic in American workplaces. Women outnumber men in colleges and graduate programs; they have entered the workforce in force; women run some companies, universities, states, and departments of the federal government. Despite all this progress, though, discrimination persists. Women are only 17% of Congress …
Settling Gender Discrimination Class Actions (Part II) Read More »
Illinois employers who shortchange or don’t pay their employees will face felony charges for repeat offenses and, in all cases, will be forced to pay back wages plus interest and fines under a new law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn (D) last week. The new law, which experts say is the toughest anti-wage theft law …
Shuttered U.S. factories and off-shored manufacturing are sapping American strength. Late in April, 58 percent of 1,000 likely voters told pollsters they believed America’s economy no longer led the world. They also said they supported enacting a national manufacturing policy to promote resurgence of domestic production — a return to the days of a robust Rosie the Riveter and a country that could secure its independence with dynamic manufacturing capability. Rosie said, “We Can Do It.” Americans believe we can still do it.
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.
