Labor
Powell signals higher interest rates. Here’s why Friday’s jobs report will affect Fed’s decision.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said this week that interest rate increases could be higher and come faster if Friday’s unemployment data shows the nation’s labor market isn’t cooling off. Stock indexes fell after his comments.
As Labor Day 2021 approaches, everything we thought we knew about work is wrong
Good policy choices drive down poverty. We have to keep moving forward on that So what can the plight of a little cafe tell you about the state of the American economy and the changing face of work? A lot, as it turns out. The other week, the bistro where my family and I have been grabbing brunch every Sunday since the start of the pandemic announced that....
A fitting conclusion to two decades of neglect
In one of her final acts, outgoing NC Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry declines to help protect workers from COVID-19 It shouldn’t and doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Some things in the world of 21st Century policy and politics – President Donald Trump telling outrageous lies, Senator Phil Berger blocking the expansion of health coverage to hundreds of thousands of struggling North Carolinians, Senator Richard Burr always making sure to look out for Number One – are as predictable as the sunrise.
Trump administration rule change would stymie workers’ suits against employers
“The Future of Work.” It sounds so promising, with its emphasis on flexibility, app-based employment, and following your passion. Some of that future is here now, and it’s not living up to the promise. Workers misclassified as independent contractors lose out on valuable benefits. Workers cobble together multiple “gigs” in a vain attempt to keep […]
Attorney General moves to limit anti-worker “no poaching” agreements
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein took an important step forward in protecting both businesses and workers this week by announcing a new multi-state settlement that prohibits several major fast food companies from forcing their employees to sign “no-poaching” agreements — or contracts that prohibit employees of one franchise from moving to another. Public attention […]
Trump administration moves to curb health and safety rules for workers
The Trump Administration launched its latest attack on working people yesterday, repealing a 2016 rule requiring large employers to electronically report injuries and illnesses to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). And this is just the latest assault. Previous efforts have included privatization of inspections in hog slaughtering plants, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds […]
Underpaid au pair workers settle lawsuit for $65.5 million
Childcare workers who earn less than the minimum wage had a big win this month with the settlement of a lawsuit against 15 companies who recruited so-called au pairs from around the world. The former employees, who traveled from their home countries on J-1 visas to work for U.S. families, were typically paid a salary […]
Under fire, Trump pick for Secretary of Labor withdraws
President Trump suffered his first defeat on confirming his cabinet this afternoon when his pick for the US Department Labor, fast food magnate Andy Puzder, withdrew his name from consideration following weeks of rising controversy over his background. Puzder has come under increasing fire for his questionable labor practices, his failure to properly withhold taxes […]
NC needs good jobs, not more tax cuts
Editor’s note: The following post by Jeremy Sprinkle, communications director at the NC State AFL-CIO, is the latest installment in “Raising the Bar” — a new series of essays and blog posts authored by North Carolina leaders highlighting ways in which North Carolina public investments are falling short and where and how they can be […]
Asians and Latinos: Growing demographics and a history of solidarity
Asian Americans and Latinos are the fastest growing minority groups in the country. Particularly in North Carolina, Asian American population has grown more than 80% from 2000 to 2010 (see Advancing Justice’s recent report on the Asian American demographic in the South here), while Hispanic/Latino populations has grown more than 110%, according to the US […]
It’s amazing that this is still going on in modern America
If you missed it this morning, be sure to take a few minutes to read this morning’s lead story over on the main Policy Watch site: “Twenty-first Century children, Nineteenth Century laws.” The article features a powerful interview with a young woman who describes the pain and hardship she endured for years as a child […]
Labor leader on the power of Moral Mondays and collective action
With today’s Moral Monday focusing on, among other things, the rights of workers in North Carolina, be sure to check out this essay from Saturday’s Raleigh News & Observer by NC AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer MaryBe McMillan. As McMillan notes: “At what cost to the residents of this state do our lawmakers and our governor do the […]