Labor and employment roundup

  • “The tie that binds public employee unions and Wall Street” [Daniel DiSalvo] “Unions Manipulate New York City’s Public Pension Funds To Punish Their Enemies” [NYT via Jim Epstein, Reason]
  • Illinois latest state to pass “ban the box” law restricting employers’ inquiries on criminal records [Workplace Prof]
  • Two ex-football pros file suit claiming union conspired with owners on concussions [Bloomberg]
  • Average Illinois public retiree’s pension rapidly narrowing gap with average salary of worker still on job [Jake Griffin Daily Herald via Reboot Illinois] By 2006, 1,600 California prison guards were making $110K+, plus more on tendency of state/local government pay to outrun private [Lee Ohanian via Tyler Cowen]
  • Great moments in employment law: Seventh Circuit says other employees’ having sex on complainant’s desk not hostile work environment when not targeted at gender [Eric B. Meyer]
  • Next step signaled in SEIU fast food protest campaign: unlawful property occupations [AP, Chicago Tribune, arrests in May]
  • Trial lawyer win: Obama federal-contractor fiat will forbid pre-dispute agreements to submit bias claims to binding arbitration [AP, AAJ jubilates]

2 Comments

  • The illegally occupied fast food outlets may come across a problem I had when faced with an organizing drive in Flint, MI in the 80’s. The local police, members of a union, refused to enforce the trespass law against the union occupiers, asserting it was the organizers’ “right” to invade our premises. It was only when we retained local counsel, and went after the DA and Police officials with threats of a Writ of Mandamus that we were able to get a response for our request to clear out our store.
    That was about 30 years ago, and, given the extent of organizing amongst our civil servants these days, I do not hold out hope that the local unionized cops will do the right thing.

  • Seventh Circuit says other employees’ having sex on complainant’s desk not hostile work environment when not targeted at gender

    To be fair, the employee in question apparently also had sex on someone’s desk, so I don’t think she can complain TOO hard.