Instead of improving working conditions and paying drivers a living wage, Uber and Lyft announced they will spend tens of millions of dollars to lead a political campaign to undermine the Dynamex decision and strip those same drivers of basic protections on the job. This announcement lays bare the real motivation of multi-billion dollar gig companies. They […]
Read MoreTime to Stop Abuses, Increase Diversity in Arbitration System
American workers are putting in more hours at their jobs than they did decades ago. Yet with a shrinking middle class and widening income gap between the rich and poor, many may be wondering why they are working more and sharing less in the prosperity of our economy. One reason is the rights of workers […]
Read MoreTrump Nominates Anti-Labor Lawyer Eugene Scalia As Labor Secretary
Last week, President Trump announced the nomination of Eugene Scalia for Secretary of Labor. Following in the footsteps of his father, the late ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Eugene has built his career on preserving and expanding power for banks and corporations. The nomination of Scalia raises major red flags due to his staunch […]
Read MoreCA Passes Emergency Rule Protecting Workers Exposed to Smoke from Wildfires
California’s wildfires may continue to worsen, but our ability to protect ourselves from their worst impacts doesn’t have to. That was the goal in mind behind a new regulation, adopted last week, to better protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke-related hazards. On July 18th, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board (OSHSB) unanimously approved emergency regulatory language to […]
Read MoreThe Fundamental Question
What matters more… how you came to America or what you did after you got here? I came to America when I was 3-years old. My mother brought me and my brother here from Mexico. We didn’t have legal documents. Should I be judged based on how I got here or on what I’ve done […]
Read MoreCan Gig Workers Have Flexibility and Protections Afforded to Employees in AB 5? Absolutely
Gig companies like Uber, Lyft and Doordash, desperate to avoid providing basic protections and decent pay to drivers, are engaged in an all-out disinformation campaign to defend their illegal business models and kill legislation that would protect workers. We can’t possibly provide flexibility AND treat our workers with dignity and respect, they say. Nonsense. The […]
Read MoreThe Difference a Union Makes at Legal Services and Advocacy Nonprofits
Many NEU members are employed at legal services and advocacy nonprofits. We’ve secured workplace policies and procedures that make our legal services and advocacy nonprofits more inclusive, accountable, and effective. Here are some examples of how we’ve done this. Foster Manageable Workloads NEU members are committed to the missions of the nonprofits we work for […]
Read MoreThe Uber/Lyft Sleight of Hand on AB 5 and Dynamex
When corporations violate the law by calling some workers “independent contractors” instead of recognizing them as employees, those workers are denied a host of fundamental protections like a minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance and workers’ comp. Without these protections, working people are living on the edge. Every single day. That’s why the California Supreme […]
Read MoreHonor a Promise Made to California’s Garment Workers
Garment workers form the backbone of L.A.’s manufacturing sector. But tens of thousands of garment workers are routinely underpaid—or not paid at all—for work performed. Wage theft is rampant across L.A.’s low-wage industries: Angelenos lose $26.2 million dollars a week in unpaid wages. But more than four in five workers who win their wage theft […]
Read MoreLabor and the LGBTQ+ Community
As corporations kick off their Pride month marketing strategy by selling rainbow items to improve their profit margins while largely ignoring the concerns of LGBTQ+ community, it is imperative that we understand the true meaning of pride. June was chosen as the LGBTQ+ Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end […]
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