Last Friday, President Obama announced his intention to nominate Craig Becker and Mark Pearce as Members to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the government agency that administers the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector. Click Here to read the White House Press
Oregon Moves to Keep Its Disability Law in Tune With the ADA
The Oregon Legislature is taking steps to keep Oregon’s disability discrimination laws consistent with the federal Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADA). Last week, Senate Bill 874 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 4-1 vote. SB 874 will amend existing Oregon disability law to adopt the changes made to the ADA in 2008…
10 Worst Employees of 2008
Every employer and HR manager is sure they have dealt with the worst employee of all time, but how do your experiences stack up? Compare your most dreadful employees to this list of the 10 worst employees of 2008, courtesy of Careerbuilder.com.
If you haven’t heard yet, these two Domino’s employees are topping the list…
Age Discrimination Claims on the Rise
According to the Wall Street Journal, discrimination filings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) went up 15 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, and age discrimination suits in particular showed a dramatic 29 percent increase over the previous year. Click here to read the WSJ Article.
The conventional wisdom is that discrimination claims go…
It’s okay to tell your boss where to stick his job – in New Zealand
We love New Zealand! It’s land of Peter Jackson, Flight of the Conchords, Crowded House, and Steinlager beer. It’s also the land of being able to tell your boss where to stick your job and getting away with it.
According to the New Zealand Employment Relations Authority, a man did not resign his employment when…
Nevada Minimum Wage Increase Effective July 1, 2009
Nevada’s minimum wage will increase effective July 1, 2009, pursuant to state law that requires the Nevada Labor Commissioner to adjust the minimum wage to reflect increases in the cost of living.
The minimum wage for employees who receive qualified health benefits from their employers will increase from the current $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour…
IRS, DOL Publish New Info on COBRA Subsidy
Today the Department of Labor expanded its FAQs on the COBRA subsidies included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Click here to read the DOL’s new COBRA FAQs.
Wondering what the tax implications of the subsidy are, or whether the person asking for the subisidy is truly eligible? Click here to…
Supreme Court: Arbitration Provisions in Collective Bargaining Agreements Enforceable on Statutory Claims
Today the United States Supreme Court issued a decision of paramount importance to union employers, holding that arbitration clauses in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) are enforceable as to statutory claims. Click here to read the decision in 14 Penn Plaza LLC v. Pyett.
In Penn Plaza, several union members asserted claims against their employer under the…
Arlen Specter, Joe the Plumber Oppose EFCA
More news on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA): last week, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, long considered a critical swing vote for both sides, came out in opposition to EFCA. Click here to read the New York Times’ coverage. Specter’s "no" means that the pro-EFCA senators will fall short of the 60 votes they…
Costco, Whole Foods and Starbucks Offer Olive Branch on EFCA
According to the Washington Post, executives from three progressive employers, Costco, Whole Foods and Starbucks, have offered a compromise of sorts on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Their proposed compromise would drop the card-check and mandatory arbitration provisions of the act, but give unions greater access to employees and guarantee union elections within a…