In an attempt to reign in the Washington State Budget, a group of House Democrats put forward a proposal that seeks to make more moderate changes to the State's Labor & Industries program than a prior proposal unveiled in the State Senate. As we have reported before here, Washington State's Workers' Compensation Program is projected to run into insolvency in whole or in part within the next five to ten years. KATU.com reports, "The system had about $499 million in reserves as of Dec. 31, … [Read more...]
Tsunami Aftermath: Disaster, Contract Labor, and Workers’ Comp
April 12, 2011 by ·
They have become known in the press around the world as the "Fukushima 50," the 50 anonymous workers who venture into the dark, flooded depths of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the wake of the March earthquake and tsunami that sent the plant's systems spinning perilously out of control. Ethicists and labor rights activists wring their hands over the morality of sending in civil workers into what is certain to be a radioactive environments while editorials and politicians praise … [Read more...]
The Future of Labor Rights: The Supreme Court, Wal-Mart & Class Action Suits
April 8, 2011 by ·
On Tuesday, March 29, The Supreme Court heard arguments in what might be the largest, most important class action lawsuit in American history. The top court is not deciding whether the women in the case were indeed victims of large-scale sex discrimination. At issue is a procedural question: can a large, diverse group of women across the country claim class status? The stakes are quite high: class actions are a legal tool that "makes it much easier for little-guy and little-gal victims of … [Read more...]
Court Won’t Certify Class Action in Blow to Workers’ Rights
April 2, 2011 by ·
The Corporate Food Industry has often been the scene of labor rights abuses ranging from dodging minimum pay laws to mandating long hours linked to the ebb and flow of customer patronage at food establishments. Many a waiter and waitress will tell you that they rarely are given the mandatory breaks required by State law. Recently, employees of Joe's Crab Shack in California banded together in a Class Action lawsuit against the restaurant claiming their employers failed to, among other … [Read more...]
