While many countries explore shorter workweeks, Greece has sparked controversy by introducing a six-day workweek for certain industries. The decision, driven by labor shortages, faces backlash from unions and experts who warn of potential negative consequences on worker wellbeing and productivity.
Satnam Singh, an Indian laborer, died in northern Italy after being abandoned by his employer following an accident. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has condemned the treatment and called for humane treatment of workers. The employer has been arrested, and India has raised the issue with Italian authorities demanding prompt action.
A proposal to give farmworkers protections under Maine’s minimum wage law has been vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills. The Labor and Housing Committee had amended the bill to allow farmworkers to pursue private litigation in response to alleged violations, which Mills opposed due to concerns about the potential financial impact on farmers. Advocates for farmworkers criticized the veto, saying it sends a message that farmworkers are of second-class status. The bill passed the House of Representatives with narrow margins, but a two-thirds vote in each chamber is needed to override the governor’s veto, which is seen as unlikely.
Despite declining union membership in the US, support for unions among Americans reached a decades-high in 2022. However, establishing new unions faces significant hurdles, exemplified by the United Auto Workers’ decade-long struggle to unionize the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
This episode explores the challenges unions face in setting up, using the Chattanooga plant as a case study. It highlights lessons that other unions can learn from the UAW’s unsuccessful efforts.
President Biden has secured the endorsement of the North America’s Building Trades Unions, adding to his growing list of union support. The endorsement came during an event where Biden and union leaders criticized former President Trump’s business record and fitness for office. Biden accused Trump of being incapable of running anything, citing his inability to pass infrastructure legislation and his callous treatment of workers. The endorsement adds to Biden’s efforts to win over blue-collar voters, a demographic that has traditionally supported Republicans.
The Biden administration has finalized a new federal rule that will expand overtime protections to millions of workers who are currently excluded under current law. The Labor Department’s regulation will ensure that salaried workers who earn less than $58,656 per year will automatically be entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week, starting in 2025. The “overtime salary threshold” would then be updated every three years, starting in 2027, to account for inflation.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has voted to ban for-profit employers from making employees sign non-compete agreements, a move that could affect tens of millions of workers. The agency estimates that one in five U.S. workers is bound by a non-compete clause, which can restrict their ability to switch jobs, lower wages, stifle innovation, and block entrepreneurship. The ban will apply nationwide, overriding state laws on non-compete agreements. However, senior executives earning more than $151,164 annually may still be subject to such agreements. Despite the ban, legal challenges from employers and business groups are expected, potentially delaying or even preventing its enforcement.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is expected to ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers’ competitors. The rule aims to increase worker mobility and suppress their pay, according to the FTC. The proposal has faced criticism from business groups who argue that noncompetes protect trade secrets and promote competitiveness. The rule, if approved, would require companies to scrap existing noncompete agreements and inform employees that they will not be enforced. The FTC estimates the rule could increase workers’ earnings by nearly $300 billion per year and improve job opportunities for 30 million Americans.
The Confédération des syndicats nationaux has filed an application to represent 200 workers at Amazon’s DXT4 warehouse in Laval, Quebec. If the Administrative Labour Tribunal finds that a majority of the warehouse workers have signed union cards, the union will be certified as the representative of all employees covered by the application.
