IN THIS EDITION, YOU WILL FIND:
- Updates and more good news from the Department of Labor
- UFCW joins Labor voices supporting Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, as she prepares for her historic confirmation hearing.
- News around the nation and in your region.
Federal Legislative and Policy Updates
- A new Treasury report found that corporate concentration and anti-competitive practices – such as requiring noncompete agreements and misclassifying employees as independent contractors – have stifled wages for workers and reduced their power in the marketplace. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh joined a White House roundtable this week to discuss the report’s findings with workers who have experienced anticompetitive barriers firsthand.
- The US Department of Labor will kick off a series of meetings this week to get input on its upcoming overtime proposal. The agency is expected to meet with impacted groups including labor unions to expand the number of workers who could become eligible for overtime benefits if the rule were to be expanded.
- Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will begin her historic confirmation process with hearings starting on March 21st, lasting for four days. Judge Brown Jackson has been praised for her pro-union record by many labor leaders, including UFCW International President Marc Perrone.
- Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announces new resources to combat retaliation against workers who inquire about: their rights, pay, hours, working conditions, and filing a complaint with or cooperating in an investigation with WHD.
News From Around the Nation
- Connecticut lawmakers have introduced a premium pay bill that would grant as much as $2000 to essential workers, including grocery workers.
- The Maryland House of Delegates approved legislation to submit marijuana legalization to a ballot initiative this November. It will now be taken up by the MD Senate. The Democrats hold veto-proof majorities in both chambers.
- The state of Washington could be on its way to adopting a law with big implications for the gig economy. State lawmakers have passed a bill that offers ride-hailing drivers some new benefits. The bill bars them from being classified as employees and was sent to Governor Inslee (D) on March 10th.
- Oregon is headed towards becoming the eighth state to mandate overtime pay for farmworkers. The pay bill passed its final legislative hurdle on Thursday and heads to Gov. Kate Brown, who appears ready to sign the new requirement into law. That means an estimated 86,000 farmworkers next year will get overtime pay – a benefit they haven’t been legally entitled to for more than 80 years.
