Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where I am slowly succumbing to a cold, but I gotta keep working to pay the bills.
$175 Raised Towards $435 Health Insurance Fund
Good news is that we are making steady progress towards paying for this month’s health insurance. $175 was raised towards paying this month’s health insurance bill.
Only $260 needed to pay off this month’s health insurance.
Donate today to help me stay healthy this winter in Pittsburgh. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our recurring donors today.
Wisconsin Collective Bargaining Reinstated for Public Employees
Nearly 12 years ago, former WIsconsin Governor Scott Walker passed Act 10, which forbade collective bargaining for public employees. Now, a Wisconsin judge has ruled that the law is invalid and that public employees can begin to bargain.
Many Democratic municipalities in the state are expected to begin bargaining immediately in a boost to unions.
“This historic decision means that teachers, nurses, librarians and other public-sector workers across the state will once again have a voice in the workplace,” said Jeff Mandell, Law Forward president and general counsel, to the Wisconsin Examiner. “Every Wisconsin family deserves the chance to build a better future through democratic participation in a union. As an organization dedicated to protecting and strengthening democracy, Law Forward is proud to have been a part of this important case.”
For more, check out veteran labor reporter Harold Gunn at The Wisconsin Examiner.
US Postal Service Goes After NLRB
In an unusual move, the United State Postal Service, a government-owned corporation, is going after the NLRB. The NLRB is challenging the constitutionality of “make whole” provisions that force employers, who illegally fire employees, to offer them full back pay.
The fact that a US Government-owned corporation is challenging a key tenet of labor law has many union activists worried, especially with the Trump Administration coming into power.
“For now, what the USPS has done in this case doesn’t really matter. They challenged the make-whole remedy knowing that the NLRB would reject that challenge,” wrote labor lawyer Matt Bruening on his blog NLRBEdge. “But the reason you would normally do something like that is to set up for an appeal into a circuit court”.
Biden Proposes Rule To End Sub-Minimum Wage For Workers With Disabilities
In one of his last acts in office, President Joe Biden has proposed to end the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities employed largely by nonprofits in supposed “job training” programs. It’s unclear if the Trump Administration would challenge these rules as the rules would largely affect nonprofits.
“Employers today have more resources and training available to recruit, hire, retain and advance workers with disabilities in employment at or above the full minimum wage, and this proposed rule aligns with that reality,” Assistant Secretary of Labor Taryn Williams said in a statement.
For more, check out Dave Jamieson at HuffPost.
1 In 3 Neurodivergent Workers Worry They’ll Be Fired, Per Research
A new study shows that 1 in 3 neurodivergent workers fear that they will be fired. From Forbes:
“EduBirdie surveyed 2,000 people between the ages of 20 to 40 with neurodivergent conditions (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, Tourette's syndrome, mental health disorders and others) to understand how these conditions have affected their professional lives. Results reveal alarming struggles of neurodivergent workers. The main findings include:
- One in three neurodivergent workers worry they'll be fired if they share their condition.
- One in four have experienced bullying or harassment in the workplace.
- 75% feel that hiring processes are biased—either they're overlooked because of their condition or hired merely to meet inclusivity quotas.
- Half choose not to disclose their neurodivergence during job interviews, worried it will hurt their chances.
- 42% only reveal their condition when necessary, and 91% mask their symptoms at work, even after getting the job.”
Gaza Soup Kitchen Founder Assassinated by Israel
For more than a year, I’ve loved to watch the viral videos of the Gaza Soup Kitchen founder Mahmoud Almadhoun preparing to cook for thousands in Gaza. This week, he was targeted and killed in a drone strike by the Israelis.
“My brother Mahmoud was targeted and assassinated in the morning of Saturday at 9 a.m. He left the house, walked about 30 yards, and a drone was waiting for him and just launched its rocket, killing him on the spot,” said his brother Hani Almadhoun on Democracy Now yesterday. “He was headed to Kamal Adwan Hospital, where for the past three or four weeks he’s been supporting the hospital with food, delivering food for them, delivering produce from other parts of Gaza, and, you know, even blankets.”
For more, watch the full tribute to Mahmoud Almadhoun on Democracy Now
News & Headlines Happening Elsewhere
- Tennessee employers already don’t have enough people to fill jobs & worry about deportation
- Trump says he will block Japanese firm’s takeover of US Steel
- Rival union official says Atlantic City casino union boss should resign for opposing a smoking ban
- Agricultural giant Cargill to lay off thousands of workers
- Tesla Cybertruck factory workers reportedly told 'you do not need to report to work' for 3 days this week
- Helsinki Airport worker walkout prompts flight cancellations, delays
- Finally, a look at how musicians’ unions are helping jazz musicians in a tough time.
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, comments, ideas, and cooking recipes to melk@paydayreport.com
Donate to help us pay health insurance this month. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our recurring donors today. Thanks again for all of your support.
Melk
