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Until Tuesday of this week, if you’ve heard much about Costco Wholesale at all, especially in the context of how the company treats its workers, it was probably positive news. Costco, the big box wholesale warehouse retailer, was getting plenty of good press in the past few years as the anti-Wal-Mart, the company doing right …

Costco: Paragon of Corporate Virtue, or a Company that Discriminates Against Women? Read More »

While members of Congress and countless Americans enjoy their summer vacations between now and Labor Day, there lies a huge piece of unfinished business on the Congressional agenda–one that could make the summer for those average Americans much less enjoyable after August 23.  Congress has adjourned for its traditional summer recess without doing anything to …

Congress Vacations, Workers Can’t: No Overtime Fix Yet Read More »

The noise undoubtedly has reverberated up and down Wall Street, if not throughout the country, after a $54 million settlement was reached yesterday in Manhattan, just before trial was to start. For a class of female employees of Morgan Stanley, this settlement may never be enough to compensate them for their earning potential before they …

Hear the Tinkling Glass? It’s a Glass Ceiling Shattering (…and some champagne toasts too) Read More »

Getting ready for the long Fourth of July Weekend, you might have missed the observance of a very important anniversary on Friday, July 2: the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Those of you who regularly read our blog undoubtedly have more than a passing interest in Title VII, …

Civil Rights Act Anniversary: 40 Years Just a Beginning Read More »

Unless you’ve been holed up under a rock for the past week, you have probably heard by now about the ruling allowing the most massive sex discrimination class action case ever to go forward against Wal-Mart Stores. And at this point, there probably isn’t much left that hasn’t been said about it already, because such …

Wal-Mart Ruling Creates a Media Firestorm, and Systemic Change to Come Read More »

Almost lost in the flurry of cases released by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week was the Court’s decision in Pennsylvania State Police v. Suders, involving the liability of an employer when an employee finds conditions so intolerable that she quits. Admittedly, this decision would have been hard-pressed in any event to compete with …

New Supreme Court Sexual Harassment Ruling: Splitting the Baby Read More »

Those attending last week’s conference sponsored by the Campaign for America’s Future in Washington, DC (like myself) were treated to a steady stream of rousing speeches and policy advocacy from some of our nation’s leading politicians, strategists and activists. But the message which overwhelmingly stood out for me after two and a half jam-packed days …

Workers of the U.S., Unite at the Polls! Read More »

The California Assembly has just passed a hike in the state minimum wage, to $7.25 (and eventually to $7.75 in 2006) from the current minimum of $6.75. However, even if the proposal passes both houses of the California Legislature, the state’s residents shouldn’t bank on the increase any time soon, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is …

California Executive’s Opposition to Minimum Wage Increase Paralleled on the Federal Level Read More »

After weeks of relative quiet in our nation’s capital, at least when it came to workplace issues, those in Washington have been very busy in the last two weeks doing all kinds of things that could affect the workplace in the months and years to come. Whether it’s overtime, judicial nominations, or unemployment benefits, what’s …

Wild Weeks for Workers in Washington Read More »

One of the most pressing concerns today for many reaching retirement age is whether they will be able to afford adequate health insurance, given the inadequacies of Medicare. One of the most pressing concerns today for those working for major employers throughout the United States is whether their employer’s promises–the basis for a lifetime of …

Retiree Health Benefits: An Endangered Species? Read More »