“Wages were supposed to rise. Instead, they’ve fallen.” More …
Employment
Trump signs executive orders to make it easier to fire federal employees
“A series of executive orders, signed by President Trump on Friday, will make it easier to lay off federal government employees and “[roll] back the prerogatives of unions that represent them … ” More…
Supreme Court rules employers can ban class action lawsuits in arbitration
“In a 5-4 ruling on a trio of cases penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the court’s Republican majority sided with businesses whose employment contracts include mandatory arbitration clauses that prevent class action lawsuits. Instead, workers who take to the courts against an employer must do so as individuals.” More …
Tax Breaks for Products That Were Once Made in America
“President Trump has vocally opposed companies that relocate overseas. But Congress could soon make it easier on them to import goods.” More …
Trump Administration Wants to Train Teens in ‘Hazardous’ Jobs
“The DOL will propose relaxing current rules—known as Hazardous Occupations Orders (HOs)—that prohibit 16- and 17-year-old apprentices and student learners from receiving extended, supervised training in certain dangerous jobs, said the two sources. That includes roofing work, as well as operating chainsaws, and various other power-driven machines that federal law recognizes as too dangerous for youth younger than 18.” More …
The New ‘Giant Sucking Sound’ You Hear Is Changing the Economy and Disrupting Politics
To understand two of the most volatile currents in modern politics, the best place to start is with a fundamental shift in the geography of economic opportunity. More …
OSHA Scrubs Worker Deaths from Home Page
“The new fatality list, buried on an internal page, does not include incidents where a worker was killed if the company was not cited for violations.” More …
US Workforce in Danger of Losing Protections
“The U.S. government has tried for decades — and with considerable success — to make workplaces safer; to provide free access to research, information and guidelines to inform best practices for businesses of all sizes; and to enforce the law when unscrupulous companies put workers at risk. In a flurry of recent activity aimed at cutting the budget and rolling back protections, the Trump administration is compromising worker safety. If you work, or know someone who does, you need to pay attention — people’s lives are literally at stake.” More …
Quit Your Job For a Better One? Not If You Live in Idaho
“Idaho achieved a notable distinction last year: It became one of the hardest places in America for someone to quit a job for a better one. The state did this by making it easier for companies to enforce noncompete agreements, which prevent employees from leaving their company for a competitor.” More …