Tag: Union Station

On May 26, the New Orleans Civil Service Commission ruled that the city’s first responders, including paramedics, fire fighters, and police officers, are not eligible for emergency pay for their work during the COVID-19 outbreak. The city made the following statement on the commission’s decision: “Payment for our police officers and firefighters is governed by…

On May 14, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) submitted his proposed budget revision to the state Legislature. He has proposed several spending reductions, including cuts to public-sector salaries and education spending, in an effort to close an estimated $54 billion budget deficit. That deficit has resulted, in large part, from the effects of the COVID-19…

On April 23, Sen. Paul Feeney (D) introduced S2700, which would grant liability protections to unions that advise their members of their right to refuse to work due to abnormally dangerous conditions. What does the bill propose? Section 2 of the bill proposes that “it shall be unlawful to file a civil action for damages…

On April 30, a U.S. district court judge rejected an attempt by two New York state public school teachers to obtain refunds of fees they were required to pay to their union prior to Janus v. AFSCME. In Janus, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that compelling public-sector employees who are not union members to pay…

The COVID-19 outbreak, and the debate surrounding governmental responses to it, has understandably dominated the news cycle in recent weeks. The outbreak has touched every aspect of American life, and public-sector labor policy is no exception. This week, we take a look at some noteworthy recent events in which COVID-19 and public-sector labor policy have…

On April 15, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected an attempt by two Connecticut state employees to obtain refunds of fees they were required to pay to their union prior to Janus v. AFSCME. In Janus, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that compelling…

Local governments in Nevada have suspended more than 25 public-sector collective bargaining agreements in the past month in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The suspensions have affected at least 18,000 public-sector workers, including all unionized employees of Clark County and the city of Las Vegas. A collective bargaining agreement, or union contract, is a…

On March 31, the Missouri Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s decision striking down a state law barring public-sector workers from picketing. Picketing encompasses any form of protest against an employer, including, but not limited to, striking. Neither court’s decision had any bearing on Missouri’s prohibition against public-sector worker strikes. Who were the parties to…

On March 31, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews denied a request from the Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA), an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, seeking an injunction regarding the state’s COVID-19 guidelines for government workers. The ASEA informed members on March 23 it would seek a court order…

On March 19, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that would allow federal workers to stop paying union dues at any time after a statutory one-year period of dues payment. Up to this point, federal workers have only been permitted to rescind their union-dues assignments at one-year…