Senators Warren and Blumenthal just wrote to NLRB general counsel asking about agency's abandoning its big SpaceX case (www.bloomberg.com/news/article...). Says they want "to determine if the decision to drop the case may have been based on political considerations" ct.symplicity.com/t/wrn/95342a...
one time I reported that someone had rolled their eyes at something during our interview; before publishing, I included that in a fact-checking email in case they wanted to dispute whether their eyes in fact rolled
LATE NIGHT JOINT EMPLOYER NEWS!!!
Scoop: Trump's NLRB general counsel is proposing a settlement defusing one of the agency's most consequential Amazon cases, averting a potential landmark ruling on the company's responsibility for contract drivers it claims not to employ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
one time I reported that someone had rolled their eyes at something during our interview; before publishing, I included that in a fact-checking email in case they wanted to dispute whether their eyes in fact rolled
Scoop: Starbucks union has filed new labor board case accusing company of negotiating in bad faith in the contract talks that resumed this week – a rocky start to the first negotiations in a year www.bloomberg.com/news/article... Union alleges Starbucks backtracked on tentative agreements
“Trump has expressed frustration and disappointment with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer — and is pondering making additional changes to his Cabinet” www.politico.com/news/2026/04...
As long expected, President Trump has named NLRB member James Murphy as the labor board's chairman, the agency just announced. In statement, Murphy says he looks forward to working with colleagues "to protect and advance the rights of American workers."
Scoop: Amazon is offering $1,000 prizes for subcontracted delivery drivers who share stories about why they love their jobs www.bloomberg.com/news/article... Drivers are asked to consent to having their words and image “used by Amazon in external and internal communications”
“‘Unfortunately, he used some of his great leadership to abuse women and children — it’s really awful,’ [Dolores] Huerta said.” www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/u...
Scoop: Atlassian told judge it had the right to fire an engineer because she suggested its billionaire CEO is a "rich jerk" www.bloomberg.com/news/article... NLRB alleges she was fired for repeatedly speaking up about workplace issues, in the spirit of Atlassian's own “No Bullshit” philosophy
Breaking: Starbucks and its union are working to revive long-stalled contract negotiations, @sbworkersunited.org says. The union sent the company a new comprehensive contract proposal last month, and the two sides are discussing how to get back to the table: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Scoop: REI has told staff it plans to cut pay for future hires and reduce benefits for current staff.
REI has also told its union, UFCW, that it plans to unilaterally impose terms from its final offer at recently-unionized stores. Union says that's illegal www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
"WE WILL NOT unlawfully surveil or interrogate you regarding distribution of union materials in non-work areas...during non-work time," says notice Mercedes will be required to distribute. "WE WILL NOT threaten you with the closure and/or relocation..." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Scoop: Mercedes has settled US labor board case over alleged union-busting in the lead-up to 2024 vote in Alabama. Mercedes will make promises including not threatening to move to Mexico. NLRB general counsel office approved settlement despite objections of the UAW www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump's Labor Department will be less likely to pursue enforcement against unionized companies where unions are already robustly enforcing workers' rights, labor solicitor told his attorneys in a memo www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Scoop: Trump Labor Dept. "will give greater scrutiny to employers whose market power permits them to dominate their respective labor markets in ways that can facilitate employment-law violations," labor solicitor Jonathan Berry told staff in a memo today www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Scoop–CFPB just fired employee alexisgoldstein.bsky.social for allegedly disrupting &documenting a meeting a year ago between CFPB & DOGE www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
She says she's being retaliated against after asking DOGE visitors who they were & if they'd completed training on handling info
Couldn’t have imagined this is where this story would land back in 2022.
"The legal system doesn’t feel like it’s working like it’s supposed to, and it doesn’t feel like it’s protecting workers the way it's supposed to… I think that this is a sign of worse things to come in declawing the NLRB" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Context: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Scoop: The US labor board is giving up oversight over Elon Musk's SpaceX, and abandoning its yearslong case over the firing of engineers behind an open letter that criticized Musk www.bloomberg.com/news/article... NLRB prosecutors now say NMB, not NLRB, has jurisdiction over SpaceX
New: UAW reaches landmark tentative contract deal with Volkswagen in Chattanooga Tennessee, including 20% across-the-board pay hikes www.bloomberg.com/news/article... "This contract is proof that if you stand up and stick together, you can win a better life”
Scoop: Trump Administration is reversing its massive cuts to NIOSH, the agency behind most US workplace safety research www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Our September @BW feature on the sweeping consequences of those cuts: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
NIOSH employees were told today that their layoff notices were “hereby revoked.”
“Life-saving research is going to be able to continue,” says union leader and industrial hygienist
"Critical public health functions remain intact and effective," says HHS
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Scoop: Trump Administration is reversing its massive cuts to NIOSH, the agency behind most US workplace safety research www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Our September @BW feature on the sweeping consequences of those cuts: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Trump’s nominee for permanent NLRB GC Crystal Carey was also just sworn in. “I am excited to return to the NLRB and look forward to working with the hard-working NLRB employees to ensure that the Act is effectuated fairly, transparently, and efficiently,” she says in statement.
The NLRB now has a quorum for the first time since last January, after the swearing in today of new Republican members James Murphy and Scott Mayer, the agency says. Trump fired Democratic member Gwynne Wilcox, claiming the law protecting board members from removal without cause is unconstitutional
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Wherever you work, please bring me your stories. And Happy New Year!
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In 2025 I wrote about workers in aerospace, AI, banking, coffee, delivery, energy, gaming, grocery, hardware, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, maintenance, recycling, retail, software, and throughout the newly-upended US government, confronting or trying to foment change.
8 favorite stories: