Oct
2015 22
2015 22
WV AG Eliminates Consumer Protection Job, Uses the $100,000 to Hire Re-Election Operative
West Virginia Democrats are crying foul after Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey created a new position in his office and filled it with a long-time political operative. Lance James Henderson is not an attorney and has no legal experience, yet will earn nearly $100,000 a year as Morrisey’s Deputy Chief of Staff. All at…
Oct
2015 15
2015 15
Pick Your Jaw Up: OSHA Awards Merit to Just 1.8% of Whistleblower Cases
Earlier this year we highlighted the failures of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s Whistleblower Protection Program, which is responsible for investigating claims of whistleblower retaliation in over 22 different sectors including the airline, pipeline, and environmental industries. The piece focused on Darrell…
Oct
2015 2
2015 2
Despite Insane Profits, Contractors and Unions Say Apple Owes Them Millions for Flagship Store Job
NOTE: One article this post points to went behind paywall after publication Contractors who worked on the new Apple flagship store in San Francisco claim they have yet to be paid, sparking a conflict between one of the world’s largest companies and local contractors and unions. Build Group says a $5.2 million bill is [&hellip…;
Sep
2015 29
2015 29
St. Louis Ironworkers’ Gesture for Young Cancer Patient Spurs Union to Raise $10,000 for Family
It began with two construction workers waving to a two-year-old cancer patient, isolated in a Children’s Hospital room. Then one day, they took a few seconds to write “get well soon” on a steel beam they were placing on a new construction opposite her window. A friendship was sparked. The pair of Ironworkers Local…
Sep
2015 21
2015 21
AFL-CIO Report: 2015 Represents Biggest Collective Bargaining Expansion in Modern History
A new report from the AFL-CIO’s Center for Strategic Research shows that in the first half of the year working people have earned major victories, marking the most expansive period of collective bargaining in modern labor history. An estimated 5 million American workers have bargained for new contracts, the report asserts. The wages…
Sep
2015 8
2015 8
Holy Wage Theft! Televangelist Sued for Child Labor, Minimum Wage Violations
The Department of Labor (DOL) has charged televangelist Ernest Angley with various violations of the Fair Labors Standards Act (FLSA) after an investigation of his Cathedral Buffet in the Akron suburb of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. According to the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division Angley paid his employees illegally low wages and engaged in…
Aug
2015 20
2015 20
Nail Salon Crackdown Expands to CT; 23 of 25 Randomly Selected Shops Closed for Violations
A Department of Labor Wage and Workplace Standards Division investigation into 25 nail salons in Connecticut resulted in 23 closures due to wage violations. State Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer reported that the state recovered more than $62,000 owed to employees, mostly for minimum wage violations. Palmer indicated that the state…
Aug
2015 20
2015 20
NLRB Leaves Locker Room Door Ajar for Future College Athlete Unionization Fights
On Monday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced that Northwestern football players could not unionize. The move overturns a March 2014 decision by the NLRB’s Chicago office that the players were employees under the common law definition and could move forward with a union election. In its unanimous decision, however,…
Aug
2015 19
2015 19
Gallup Poll Finds Big Upswing in Union Support; Women, Young People Most Enthusiastic
A recent Gallup poll shows that America’s support for labor unions has jumped 5 percent in the past year, bringing it to 58 percent. This is the highest such figure since 2008 when 59 percent approved. The poll was conducted between August 5th and 9th and is part of Gallup’s annual Work and Education [&hellip…;
Aug
2015 12
2015 12
Olsen Twins’ Entertainment Co. Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Intern Abuse
Hard work for no pay? You got it, dude! A lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court alleges that the Olsen twins’ company, Dualstar Entertainment, overworked and failed to pay or provide college credit to interns. The lawsuit seeks class action status for an estimated 40 workers and argues that the workers were misclassified…
Aug
2015 5
2015 5
A Dollar a Day Keeps ICE Away: LA Times Exposes Imprisoned Immigrants Working for Pennies
A story from Monday’s Los Angeles Times highlights a growing problem in our country’s family detention centers: detainees are being paid as little as $1 a day through a voluntary work program. Some even claim their labor isn’t voluntary. The article tells the story of Delmi Cruz, who along with her 11-year-old son Alexis [&hellip…;
Jul
2015 16
2015 16
J-1 Visa Lawsuit Claims Systematic Guest Worker Abuse on State Department’s Watch
A group of aux pairs have filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Denver claiming they came to America based on promises that were eventually broken and have been underpaid. The lawsuit accuses the 15 au pair sponsor programs registered with the U.S. Government of conspiring to set wages below the minimum [&hellip…;