News & Commentary

May 26, 2017

Maddy Joseph

Maddy Joseph is a student at Harvard Law School.

Maryland’s governor vetoed a paid sick leave bill yesterday, saying the measure would be  “disastrous to our state’s economy.”  The bill would have required employers with over 15 workers to provide at least five days of paid sick leave.  The bill, which garnered enough votes to overcome a veto, may be overridden in the 2018 legislative session.  Governor Larry Hogan had supported an alternative bill, which would have covered companies of 50 employees or larger.

Tesla announced a new VP of HR earlier this week, on the heels of a new report about unsafe working conditions at the sustainable car company’s Fremont, California factory.  As Buzzfeed News reports, Tesla has recently dealt with revelations about hazardous working conditionsracial and sexual harassment, and unfair labor practices.  (You can find some of our previous coverage about the UAW organizing efforts that led to the unfair labor practice allegations here.)  This was the third Tesla HR executive to leave this year.

The reports about President Trump’s budget continue.  AP highlights the proposed elimination of the Senior Community Service Employee Program, a 50 year-old program that gives unemployed seniors training and part-time minimum-wage jobs.  The New York Times details myriad proposals with implications for undocumented immigrants.

Boston Review published an essay about the right to strike, along with a dozen responses. Its most recent issue also features a series debating a universal basic income.

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