News & Commentary

September 4, 2017

In honor of Labor Day, most of the major news outlets have labor-themed editorials and op-eds today.  OnLabor has a wrap up of them here.

Politico reports that, according to sources familiar with President Trump’s thinking, the White House has decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) with a six-month delay.  DACA is an Obama-era program that grants work permits to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.  This decision, which Trump has wrestled with for months, is expected to be announced formally on Tuesday and is likely to be the most contentious of his administration thus far.

The New York Times analyzes President Trump’s labor policy and observed a consistent worldview: “that entrepreneurship is the highest economic calling and the entrepreneur is the economic actor most deserving of respect.”  Even though Republican administrations typically pursue business-friendly labor policies, Trump’s view is somewhat at odds with typical partisan alignments in that it seems to elevate entrepreneurs above business executives and corporate managers.

Sharp differences in labor standards in Mexico versus Canada and the United States surfaced during Sunday’s negotiations to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  Reuters reports that labor union leaders in the two wealthier nations have made labor a major battleground for NAFTA negotiations, framing the issue as a potential deal breaker.

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