Workplace Issues Today
Daily News for Friday, May 24, 2013
Selected by the Catherwood Library Reference Staff each Monday through Friday, excluding University holidays, WIT is a free alert service, providing abstracts and links to workplace-related news stories covered in the major media. Subscribe to WIT »
Established in 1999, this service also includes a searchable archive.
Elections disappoint L.A. unions
The defeat of Wendy Greuel in Tuesday’s mayoral runoff came as a disappointment to organized labor. Greuel had the support of about 30 unions and locals, who made hefty financial contributions to her campaign. Her opponent, Eric Garcetti, was able to convince many voters that these means were an end to buying the election. The defeat of Greuel as well as two other union-backed candidates has sparked questions about the future of labor’s role in elections.
See “Elections deal a blow to L.A. unions,” by James Rainey and Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, May 24 2013 (NS)
Union protestors escorted out of Cablevision meeting
Police were called in at Cablevision Systems Corp.’s annual meeting on Thursday to disperse a group of protestors disgruntled about an ongoing labor dispute with the company. Tension leading up to the incident began over a year ago when the Communications Workers of America accused Cablevision of firing 22 Brooklyn employees who chose to join the union. The case is set to appear before the NLRB. The protestors were made up of shareholders associated with the CWA. Cablevision stated that the protestors had violated a “clear set of rules” that outline shareholder meetings.
See “Union Protesters Disrupt Cablevision Meeting,” by Shalini Ramachandran, The Wall Street Journal, May 24 2013 (NS)
Wal-Mart accused of unfair labor practices
Two activist groups have filed formal complaints accusing Wal-Mart of various labor violations. The advocacy association “Our Walmart” has presented the NLRB with a list of over 30 complaints, alleging that the company mistreated workers who expressed opposition to certain company activities. Another group, “Warehouse Workers United,” filed a complaint with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health accusing a warehouse that stores suitcases for the retailer of forcing employees to work under hazardous conditions. One employee reported that facility lacked fans, air conditioning, or cold water to drink. Wal-Mart has not yet responded to the complaints.
See “Two activist groups accuse Wal-Mart of unfair labor practices,” by Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times, May 24 2013 (NS)