Blog
A New Day in Labor-Management Relations
While it is important for the NLRB to restore longstanding precedent that was upended, Congress needs to pass legislation that ensures worker freedom and relieves…
Blog
How Government Unions Plan to Keep Members and Dues Flowing After Janus
Government unions are preparing for a world where they can no longer force non-members to pay dues in the public sector. That is because a…
U.S. News and World Report
The High Cost of a Bad Overtime Rule
Former Department of Labor Wage and Hour Administrator David Weil urges Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta to defend an Obama era overtime regulation in a recent…
Blog
Illinois Outlaws Local Worker Freedom Laws
Employers in Illinois really didn’t need another reason to bypass or move out of the state, but the legislature gave them one. On October 24,…
Blog
Time to Eliminate Hidden Taxpayer Support of Union Activities
Tax dollars should exclusively support the public’s business. But a Mackinac Center for Public Policy open records request show this is not the case in…
Blog
Joint Employer Deception from Democrats
Democrats in Congress need to be honest about their opposition to restoring a commonsense joint employer definition.
Blog
Small Business Needs Relief from Federal ‘Joint Employer’ Scheme
Today, the Save Local Business Act was approved by the House Education and Workforce Committee, a great step forward from clearing up the confusion caused…
Blog
Executive Order Disbands National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations
President Trump has signed an executive order disbanding the National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations.
News Release
CEI Leads Coalition Supporting NLRB Joint Employer Fix: the Save Local Businesses Act (H.R. 3441)
Today, CEI sent a coalition letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in favor of the Save Local Business Act (H.R. 3441), which would restore and harmonize standards on when two…
National Review Online
The Supreme Court Will Probably Strike a Huge Blow to Public-Sector Unions
National Review Online covers Janus v. AFSCME and CEI’s brief in the case. The Supreme Court has announced that it will hear the case…
InsideSources
Supreme Court Accepts Case to End Forced Union Dues
InsideSources covers Janus v. AFSCME and a statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to hear it by Trey Kovacs. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to…
News Release
CEI Praises Supreme Court Decision to Hear Forced Union Dues Case Janus v. AFSCME
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will hear a crucial lawsuit challenging forced union dues for public sector workers. CEI labor policy expert …
Lexology
Senate Confirms William Emanuel; Republicans Now Control the NLRB
Lexology covers the confirmation of William Emanuel to the National Labor Relations Board with a statement by Trey Kovacs. On September 25, the…
Blog
Crafting a Sensible Overtime Rule
It is important that the Trump administration avoid the pitfalls the Obama Department of Labor fell into on overtime regulation.
The Hill
Senate Confirms Second Trump Nominee to Labor Board
The Hill discusses the confirmation of William Emanuel to the National Labor Relations Board with Trey Kovacs. The Senate confirmed President Trump’s second pick…
InsideSources
Senate Confirms Trump’s Last Labor Board Nominee
InsideSources discusses the confirmation of William Emanuel to the National Labor Relations Board with Trey Kovacs. President Donald Trump had his last federal labor…
The Washington Examiner
Senate OKs Trump pick for NLRB
The Washington Examiner discusses the confirmation of William Emanuel to the National Labor Relations Board with Trey Kovacs. The Senate on Monday confirmed business…
The Washington Free Beacon
GOP Controls Labor Board
The Washington Free Beacon discusses the confirmation of William Emanuel to the National Labor Relations Board with Trey Kovacs. Republicans hold majority on the…
News Release
CEI Praises Senate Confirmation of NLRB Nominee William Emanuel
The Senate voted September 25 to confirm Trump nominee William Emanuel to the powerful National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). CEI labor policy expert …
Comment
CEI Comments to the Department of Labor on Overtime Rule Regulations
View Full Document as PDF The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is pleased to submit these comments in response to the Department of…
Blog
Will Government Union Gravy Train Come to an End?
No worker should be forced to financially support an organization against his or her will. For too long, government employee unions have possessed the power…
Study
Shrinking Government Bureaucracy
View Full Document as PDF Shrinking Government Bureaucracy is a series of policy proposals by Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) experts to rein in…
Washington Examiner
Labor Day: Give Workers, Not Labor Unions, More Rights
With Labor Day around the corner, it’s an appropriate time to examine federal labor policy in relation to worker rights. Upon examination, it becomes clear…
Blog
Texas Court Strikes Down Costly Obama Overtime Rule
Today, the Eastern Texas District Court struck down the Obama administration’s misguided overtime rule. This is a crucial victory for the rule of law and…
Reason
Report: Florida Unions Milk Taxpayers for Millions Through ‘Release Time’
Reason covers a new report co-authored by Trey Kovacs on public uninon release time in Florida. Taxpayers in Miami have spent more than…
Blog
Subsidy Forces Florida Taxpayers to Pay for Union Work
Most hardworking Americans would be shocked to learn that public employees at all levels of government—federal, state, and local—conduct union business that is totally unrelated…
News Release
Union Subsidy Wastes Millions of Taxpayer Dollars in Florida
Florida has a problem with taxpayer giveaways to labor unions due to a practice known as “release time,” explains a new report from Florida’s James…
Study
Union Time on the Taxpayer Dime
View Full Document as PDF Published with the James Madison Institute Over the past 20 years, Floridians have consistently made conscious decisions…
Reason
Instead of Filling Vacancies, Congress Should Abolish the NLRB
Reason discusses the National Labor Relations Board vacancies with Trey Kovacs. The U.S. Senate voted earlier this month to confirm Marvin Kaplan’s appointment…
Blog
Congress Expands Investigation into Inappropriate Federal Employee Political Activity
U.S. Postal Service employees and union engaged in a “systematic violation” of the Hatch Act, a law placing limits on political activity performed by federal…
U.S. News & World Report
Why Google Could Lose
The fired and now-infamous Google engineer James Damore may have a federal case against his former employer. In the aftermath of Damore’s 10-page memo criticizing…
Blog
Workers Desire the Freedom to Choose
It is past time to give workers the freedom to choose that they desire.
Blog
Rethinking the National Labor Relations Board
The NLRB has become a highly partisan agency that does more harm than good.
InsideSources
Worker Choice — Pay Dues, or Not
Forcing workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment may soon become a policy of the past, at least for government employees. As…
InsideSources
REPORT: Why the Federal Labor Board Should Be Dismantled
InsideSources covers Trey Kovacs’ suggested reforms for the National Labor Relations Board as part of CEI’s most recent publication Shrinking Governmnet Bureaucracy. The…
OneNewsNow
Min. Wage Study Suggests a Robot Works for Free
OneNewsNow discusses a new report by the National Labor Relations Board with Trey Kovacs. A new study has concluded what many people have…
Study
Rethinking the National Labor Relations Board
View Full Document as PDF The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency that oversees private sector labor relations in the…
Blog
NLRB Fails to Explain Departure from Joint Employer Precedent
Today, for the second time this week, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a decision that…
News Release
Court Ruling in NLRB Joint Employer Case Against CNN Points to Urgent Need for Reform
Today the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals gave a partial win to news network CNN in a labor dispute with the National Labor Relations Board…
Washington Examiner
Senate Confirms Marvin Kaplan for NLRB
Washington Examiner covers Marvin Kaplan’s confirmation to the National Labor Relations Board. The Senate on Wednesday approved President Trump’s pick of Marvin Kaplan…
The Washington Free Beacon
Senate Confirms Second GOP Board Member to NLRB
The Washington Free Beacon covers Marvin Kaplan’s confirmation to the National Labor Relations Board. Republicans are no longer the minority at the National…
News Release
Urgent Labor Reforms Depend on Senate Confirming Trump Labor Nominees
Update: The Senate voted on August 2, 2017 to confirm Marvin Kaplan to the National Labor Relations Board. The Senate is expected to vote today…
The Daily Signal
One Union’s Desperate Effort to Unionize Automakers in the South
A union organizing campaign at one workplace does not normally generate national headlines, but the 10-year-plus effort by the United Auto Workers to unionize the…
InsideSources
House Introduces Bill to End Joint-Employment Uncertainty
InsideSources discusses joint employer with Trey Kovacs. House lawmakers are looking to add clarity to a patchwork of legal interpretations Thursday by introducing…
Blog
Senate Committee Advances Union Subsidy Transparency Bill
The Senate took a great step forward today to bringing transparency to the wasteful practice of official time. Now it is time to finish the…
Blog
Congress Introduces Cure to Job-Killing ‘Joint Employer’ Standard
It is of the utmost importance to repeal regulations, like the joint employer rule, that stifle small businesses.
News Release
CEI Praises House Plan to Roll Back NLRB Joint Employer Rule
Today, Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) will introduce a bipartisan bill to roll back the National Labor Relations Board’s controversial joint employer ruling from 2015. The ruling…
Blog
Bills Allow States to Protect Workers from Identity Theft and Stalking
Protecting workers from identity theft and stalking should be a bipartisan issue. While Republicans and Democrats can hardly agree on whether the sky is blue,…
Citation
CEI Responds to Secretary of Labor Acosta’s Comments on Job Creation
Ahead of President Trump’s “Made in America” roundtable event, Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta offered comments on job creation. Competitive Enterprise Institute Policy Analyst…
Blog
Union Seeks to Protect Jobs of the Past Rather than Train Members for Jobs of the Future
The better way to defray the negative impact on workers from automation is through better education, skills development, and removing restrictions on work and entrepreneurs.
InsideSources
Amazon Faces Union Pressure in Whole Foods Merger
InsideSources discusses union pressure in the Whole Foods-Amazon deal with Trey Kovacs. A major union with members in the retail food industry released a…
Blog
Gosar Amendment on Labor Costs a Test for Republicans as Party of Fiscal Responsibility
For far too long, the federal government has squandered countless tax dollars by inflating the cost of public works projects.
Blog
Time to End Democrat Majority at the National Labor Relations Board
Filling the vacant seats on the NLRB is imperative to returning the agency to a body of impartial members that represents the public interest in…
Blog
Joint Employer Standard an Obstacle to Job Creation and Entrepreneurship
Congress is working on legislation to address and clarify joint employment in a way that enables entrepreneurs to start businesses without regulatory roadblocks. …
Bloomberg BNA
FedEx Freight Drivers in NC Decertify Teamsters
Bloomberg BNA discusses the decertification of Teamsters by FedEx Freight in North Carolina with Trey Kovacs. FedEx Freight drivers in Charlotte, N.C., voted…
Washington Examiner
NLRB Policy Could Stifle Expansion of Apprenticeships and Worker Training Opportunities
As extremely partisan as Congress has become nowadays, there are glimmers of hope for agreement on reforms to help boost jobs and economic opportunity. Republicans,…
Blog
Conservatives Oppose Forced Unionism, not Unions
The July/August edition of The Atlantic features an article by Jonathan Rauch, “The Conservative Case for Unions,” in which he cites Barry Goldwater and…
The Columbus Dispatch
Act Makes Union Bosses Listen to Workers
President of the AFL-CIO Richard Trumka recently delivered a heap of advice on “compromise” in a commencement speech to Penn State Fayette Graduates. His college…
Washington Free Beacon
Sudden Death for Obama OT Rules
The Washington Free Beacon covers the Trump administration’s decision not to defend President Obama’s proposed overtime regulations. The Trump administration will not defend…
News Release
CEI Praises Trump Decision on Labor Overtime Rule
The decision not to defend the controversial Obama-era mandate is a much-needed step toward repealing the misguided regulation.
Roll Call
Trump Nominees for Labor Board Could Nix Obama-era Rules
Roll Call discusses President Trump’s NLRB nominations with Trey Kovacs. President Donald Trump’s nomination of two attorneys to serve on the National Labor…
Blog
New Bill Requires VA Employees to Serve Veterans Instead of Union
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has introduced legislation to ensure federal employees working at the Department of Veterans Affairs serve veterans instead of performing union business.
Blog
Can Federal-Employee Unions Continue Automatic Dues Deductions from Retirees?
Siphoning off dues, at the taxpayers’ expense, from federal employee retirees’ benefits is absurd.
Washington Free Beacon
Trump Set to Give Employers a Leg Up at NLRB
The Washington Free Beacon covers President Trump’s NLRB nomination and a statement by Trey Kovacs. The Trump administration may give Republicans a majority at…
News Release
CEI Comments on Amazon’s Plan to Buy Whole Foods
Amazon’s recent announcement of its plan to buy the grocery chain Whole Foods has set off a series of questions and speculation. CEI experts on…
Blog
Should Whole Foods Employees Fear Amazon?
Yes, individuals will lose their jobs to automation, but increases in productivity will boost demand that will, ultimately, require more human workers.
Blog
Five Big Reforms for Trump Labor Nominees
It is imperative for the Senate to confirm President Trump’s nominees so they can bring fairness and predictability to agency decisions. …
Washington Examiner
Trump Is Dismantling Obama’s Workplace Law Legacy
Washington Examiner discusses President Trump’s rollback of labor regulations with Trey Kovacs. The White House is systematically dismantling former President Barack Obama’s legacy…
Inside Sources
Trump’s DOL Rescinds Obama-Era Franchise Rule
Inside Sources discusses the rollback of the joint employer rule with Trey Kovacs. The Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew Wednesday from an Obama-era…
Washington Free Beacon
Labor Department Rolls Back Obama Franchise Rules
The Washington Free Beacon discusses the rollback of the joint employer rule with Trey Kovacs. The Department of Labor will roll back an Obama-era…
The Hill
Curtailing Use of ‘Official Time’ in VA Will Benefit Veterans Care
A recent op-ed in The Hill by Jeff Shapiro, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees’ Veterans Affairs Council, (“A true labor-management partnership at…
News Release
CEI Praises Move by Trump Labor Secretary to Withdraw Rules on Independent Contractor, Joint Employer Liability
Today Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta reportedly rescinded Obama-era rules on joint employer and independent contractor liability, according to a Bloomberg BNA reporter. CEI labor policy…
Blog
Janus v. AFSCME Could End Forced Union Dues in Public-Sector
Today, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the Liberty Justice Center asked the United States Supreme Court to hear a case…
Blog
New York City Passes Automation-Inducing Labor Laws
In the ongoing battle between New York City and San Francisco to enact the nation’s costliest labor laws, the Big Apple may have just pulled…
The Hill
Congress Introduces Legislation to Reverse Obama’s Big Labor Agenda
Federal labor agencies issued numerous regulations during the Obama administration in hopes of boosting union membership rolls. It didn’t work. The latest data published by…
Blog
Paid Parental Leave Proposal Increases Cost of Employment and Burdens States
President Trump’s first budget proposal includes an unfunded mandate that likely will lead to tax hikes. This comes in the form of a paid family…
Inside Sources
House Republicans Target Taxpayer Funded Union Work
Inside Sources discusses the “Official Time” bill with Trey Kovacs. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday aimed at providing further oversight into a…
News Release
Labor Union Official Time Bill Set For May 24 House Vote
On Wednesday, May 24, the House is expected to vote on a plan, H.R. 1293, requiring better reporting on labor union “official time” –…
Blog
Greater Government Economic Intervention Isn’t the Only Way for Workers to Receive More Paid Leave
President Trump, along with his daughter Ivanka, have frequently advocated for mandated paid family leave. Most recently, on Mother’s Day, Trump touted his desire…
Inside Sources
Congress Considers Plan to Improve Workplace Flexibility
Sometimes people need extra time off work to take care of loved ones or tend to life’s other demands and goals. But for many, that…
Fortune
This Overlooked Labor Rule Could Be a Huge Drag on U.S. Businesses
On May 10, 13 Democrats in the House of Representatives sent a letter to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) expressing concerns over the…
News Release
CEI Calls Working Families Flexibility Act “Common-Sense Legislation”
Blog
Celebrate National Small Business Week
There is no better way to celebrate National Small Business Week than for the Trump administration to rollback red tape that discourages business formation and…
News Release
CEI Priorities for New Labor Secretary Acosta
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Alexander Acosta to head the U.S. Department of Labor. CEI experts on labor and financial policy, respectively, offered their thoughts…
Blog
Time to Repeal Special Interest ‘Prevailing Wage’ Laws
If Congress passes a massive infrastructure spending plan, it is imperative to ensure the best rate of return for tax dollars spent on these projects.
Blog
Senate Moves to Confirm Acosta as Labor Secretary
There is much work to do at the Department of Labor. The Obama administration’s DOL spent eight years imposing huge costs on the economy and…
Blog
Labor and Employment in Trump’s First 100 Days
The White House should fill key personnel positions at labor agencies so that they can get to work on repealing numerous roadblocks erected by the…
Daily Caller
Report: Taxpayers Subsidize Thousands Of Federal Workers Conducting Union Business
The Daily Caller highlights Trey Kovacs’ report on the practice of official time. Thousands of federal employees are likely spending 100 percent…
Washington Free Beacon
Report: Taxpayers Potentially Paid Thousands of Union Officials
The Washington Free Beacon reports on Trey Kovacs’ study on the practice of official time. An analysis by a pro-free-market think tank estimates…
InsideSources
Report: Ending Taxpayer Funded Union Work
InsideSources reports on Trey Kovacs’ study on the practice of official time. Official time allows federal employees to do union tasks instead of…
Washington Examiner
Estimated 700 Federal Employees Do Only Union Work
Washington Examiner reports on Trey Kovacs’ study on the practice of official time. The estimate is from a study by the Competitive Enterprise…
Blog
Stop Paying Federal Employees to Perform Union Business
There are an estimated 1,000 federal employees who spend 100 percent of their work hours on labor union business instead of actual government work.
News Release
Report: Taxpayers Spend Millions to Subsidize Government Unions
Congress should end a multi-million dollar taxpayer subsidy to federal government unions, a new Competitive Enterprise Institute report urges. “The practice called ‘official time’…
Study
It Is Time to End Official Time
View Full Document as PDF For years, federal employee unions have enjoyed a government subsidy that enables their members to perform union…
The Hill
Overtime Pay Isn’t A Cure-All: Make Work Flexible Without The Red Tape
Proponents of the Obama-era overtime rule claim that arbitrarily raising the cost of labor at a new, higher salary threshold would help workers achieve a…
Blog
A Time for Choosing: Will Trump Side with Taxpayers or Unions?
If keeping construction unions as an ally comes at the expense of efficient use of tax dollars and competition, the White House must side with…
Blog
Increasing Worker Satisfaction Shouldn’t Be an Unfair Labor Practice
Companies should be permitted to establish a system so they can receive feedback from employees and remedy worker dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, national labor law generally prohibits…
News Release
Court Injunction on Unionization for Rideshare Companies Wins Praise From CEI Labor Expert
Today, a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary injunction against a Seattle law on unionization for rideshare companies. CEI labor policy expert Trey Kovacs praised…
Blog
Time to End Official Time
The Official Time Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 1364) would prohibit federal employees from conducting political activity on union official time. Union official time…
Blog
SEIU Spending Big on Fight for $15
Why has the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) spent at least $19 million last year and $90 million since 2012 financing the Fight for…