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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Workers Desire the Freedom to Choose
It is past time to give workers the freedom to choose that they desire.
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Rethinking the National Labor Relations Board
The NLRB has become a highly partisan agency that does more harm than good.
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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,…
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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. …
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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…
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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.
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Can Federal-Employee Unions Continue Automatic Dues Deductions from Retirees?
Siphoning off dues, at the taxpayers’ expense, from federal employee retirees’ benefits is absurd.
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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.
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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. …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Seattle Forced Union Dues Scheme Faces Legal Challenge
In 2015, the City of Seattle enacted a misguided ordinance that allows Uber and Lyft drivers, who operate as independent contractors, the privilege to collectively…
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Columnist Misrepresents Civil Service Reforms
In a recent column, The Washington Post’s Joe Davidson presents a gravely distorted view of Republican civil service reform efforts, which seek to save…
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President Trump Expected to Block Blacklisting Rule
Today, President Trump is expected to approve a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to repeal what is known as the Blacklisting rule. Upon signing,…
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New Report: Federal Employee Union Subsidy Costs $162 million
Last Friday afternoon, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released its biennial report, “Official Time Usage in the Federal Government—Fiscal Year 2014.” The survey…
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Mr. Acosta Goes to Washington
Mr. Acosta came off as smart, accomplished, and an individual who will enforce the laws on the books, not pursue a political agenda.
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Court Slaps Down Overreach of Federal Labor Regulators
President Trump needs to fill the vacancies at the National Labor Relations Board in order to restore balance at the agency.
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Trump Administration Budget Request Targets Union Slush Fund
The White House budget finds savings in the Department of Labor prominently through eliminating or cutting back ineffective or duplicative training programs.
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Takeaways from Browning-Ferris ‘Joint Employer’ Hearing
The National Labor Relations Board’s Browning-Ferris decision upended 30 years of precedent and creates immense uncertainty. Congress needs to step in and pass legislation that…
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Senate Takes Aim at Federal Contractor ‘Blacklisting’ Rule
Senators are considering a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act which would repeal the Department of Labor's "blacklisting" rule.
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Veterans Affairs Employees Spent 1.1 Million Hours on Union Activities
Department of Veterans Affairs employees spend over 1 million hours per year performing union activities instead of fulfilling the mission of the agency.
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Congress: Federal Labor Board Must Be Fair to Both Employers and Workers
The National Labor Relations Board has become an overly political agency that, as currently constructed, does more harm than good. It is in dire need of reform.
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Worker Freedom Extends to Missouri
Today, Missouri became the 28th state to enact right-to-work legislation, which prohibits forced payment of union dues as a condition of employment.
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Pence Shows Interest in Scott Walker-Style Collective Bargaining Reform
Recent conversations between Vice President Pence and Wisconsin governor Scott Walker signal interest in collective bargaining reform for federal employees.
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Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. Employees Set Record Straight on Working for Andy Puzder
This week employees of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. described their experiences working for CKE Restaurants, where Secretary of Labor-designate Andrew Puzder is CEO.
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Congress Puts Dept. of Labor’s Blacklisting Rule in Crosshairs
Congress is taking a first step in rolling back parts of the Obama administration’s costly red-tape put out by the Department of Labor.
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Free-Market Groups Urge Senate to Confirm Labor Nominee Puzder
A coalition of 17 free-market groups is urging the Senate to confirm Andrew Puzder as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.
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Union Membership Hits Rock Bottom
Union membership is on the decline, in part, because many labor unions have become reliant on government to ease union organizing rather than providing value…
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Federal Officials Should Reopen Investigations of Union Activist ‘Worker Centers’
It is certainly time to reinvestigate the issue of “worker centers,” which operate outside of the traditional boundaries of labor law.
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Obama’s Labor Legacy: Overreach and Overregulation
In the past eight years, the Department of Labor has consistently pushed the boundaries of its authority. The agency’s overreach greatly restricted how people work,…
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‘Corporate Campaign’ Deployed against Labor Secretary Nominee Puzder
Democrats, labor unions, and their allies have deployed a coordinated attack against President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of Labor nominee, Andrew Puzder.
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Union Front Groups Deploy Dishonest Tactics against Nominee Puzder
Pro-union activist groups are pulling out all the stops to derail the nomination of Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, to head the Department of…
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A Federal Gift Clause Could Help ‘Drain the Swamp’
If President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are serious about coming through on the campaign promise to “drain the swamp,” it would serve them…
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Worker Freedom Coming in the New Year
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Labor and Employment Reforms for the Next Congress
In the arena of labor and employment policy, the next Congress has its hands full in reversing eight years of red-tape that unduly burdens the…
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Court Strikes Down Another Unlawful Labor Rule
On December 12, 2016, the federal Northern District Court of Texas put the final nail in the coffin of the Department of Labor’s misguided persuader…
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Obama Overtime Rule Would Have Wreaked Havoc Starting Today
Today, the Obama Department of Labor’s new overtime regulation was scheduled to go into effect. Thousands of businesses, universities, nonprofits, and local and state governments…
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Court Blocks Overtime Rule
Labor Secretary Thomas Perez learned a harsh lesson this month. Public servants at federal agencies cannot allow their political preferences to guide their regulatory agenda.
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Courts Reject Department of Labor Decrees
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Report: Nationwide Grading of Government Union Laws
At the federal level, the two primary labor and employment statutes—National Labor Relations Act and Fair Labor Standards Act, have remained relatively untouched for decades.
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Worker Freedom Wins Big on Election Night
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Permitting Government Employee Strikes is Bad Policy
On Tuesday, the Transportation Workers Union Local 234 (TWU) union bosses ordered nearly 5,000 public employees who work for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)…
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Congress: Do the Economy a Favor, Defund Harmful Labor Regulations
Research from the National Association of Manufacturers estimates that the aggregate costs of labor regulations imposed just this year by the Obama administration’s Department of…
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Communications Union Holds Sham Trial against Verizon Workers
In April, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union ordered 36,000 Verizon employees to strike. Despite the fact that Verizon offered a fair deal in…
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Proposed Labor Law Overhaul Would Decrease Worker Choice, Increase Union Power
The Center for American Progress (CAP) released a report that calls for an overhaul of U.S. labor law. It cites increasing income inequality and dwindling…
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House Considers Bill Delaying Department of Labor’s Overtime Rule
Today, the House Rules Committee will consider Representative Tim Walberg’s bill to delay implementation of the Department of Labor’s overtime rule.
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How the Next President Can Improve Labor and Employment Policy
With the presidential election heading into the first debate, what can the next president do to improve national labor and employment policy?…
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Arizona Supreme Court Rules Taxpayers Should Be Forced to Subsidize Government Unions
Yesterday, the Arizona Supreme Court determined that there is no better way to spend tax dollars than to give them to government unions so that…
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Michigan State Legislator Introduces Worker’s Choice Bill
Yesterday, a state representative from Michigan introduced novel legislation that would provide public-sector workers’ choice.
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Texas Constitution Bans Taxpayer Subsidies to Private Parties
It may seem obvious, but tax dollars are supposed to be used for purely public purposes, not the private benefit of an individual, corporation, or…
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Labor Day Highlights Need for Labor Law Reform
Labor Day is a time when we show respect and celebrate the achievements of American workers. However, a better way to respect workers this Labor…
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Problems Ahead for Grad Student Unionizing
There seems to be an Obama administration wide dictate to ensure as many individuals as possible are to be considered employees. The reason for this…
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NLRB’s New Joint Employer Standard Strikes Again
Just about one year ago, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) dramatically changed the rules on how companies are allowed to contract with other businesses…
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Government Wage Mandates Bad for Business and Workers
Wage and hour mandates have seen an uptick of late at the federal, state, and local level.
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Learn Your Workplace Rights with National Employee Freedom Week
The supposedly non-partisan NLRB is woefully inadequate in educating workers on their rights related to opting out of paying full-fledged union dues.
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West Virginia Court Blocks “Right-to-Work” Law, Restricts Worker Choice
Workers in the state to have most recently enacted right to work, West Virginia, have lost their freedom to choose whether or not to financially…
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Joint Employer Liability Stifles Small Business
In Hillary Clinton’s nomination acceptance speech at the DNC convention, she said “Way too many dreams die in the parking lots of banks.” Obtaining financing…
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Cooperative Agreement on Wage and Hour Rules Could Backfire on Employers
As I discussed earlier this week, Subway came to terms with the Department of Labor (DOL) in what is being considered a cooperative agreement. Its…
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Corporate Social Responsibility Policies May Suffer under “Joint Employer” Standard
Companies adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies has been in vogue for a while now. According to the Financial Times, in 2014, U.S. and UK…
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Subway Labor Agreement Could Lead to Problematic “Joint Employer” Status
It has been just about one year since the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision that rocked the franchise-franchisee world, which dramatically altered…
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DNC Email Leak Shows Cozy Relationship between Democrats and Unions
The Democratic Party and labor unions are consistently accused of having a quid pro quo relationship, and for good reason. Emails from the DNC email…
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Democratic Party Platform Seeks to Curb Worker Choice and Opportunity
The policies set forth in the Democrat platform are misguided – in order to help American workers really succeed in the 21st century, we should roll…
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Labor Regulators Set Sights on Microsoft
It has almost been one year since the National Labor Relations Board dramatically changed the definition of “joint employer” in Browning-Ferris.
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Worst Procedural Abuses of the Obama Era: Regulation by Guidance
Federal agencies are to publish a notice of rulemaking and allow the public time to comment on the rule before it becomes final, or legally…
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CEI Supports Defunding Obama’s Joint Employer Standard in House Appropriations Bill
This week, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee will markup the Fiscal Year 2017 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. CEI commends the…
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CEI Commends Rep. King’s Amendment to Halt Enforcement of Davis-Bacon
This week, the House is scheduled to vote on the Fiscal Year 2017 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill (H.R. 5538). CEI commends Rep. Steve King’s…
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NLRB Overturns Precedent, Makes Organizing Two Workplaces At Once Easier
In a case involving Browning-Ferris Industries, a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision overturned longstanding precedent regarding joint employer status—when two employers in a contractual…
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Feds Threaten the Independence of Small Business Owners
We value our independence in the country, and not just from imperial foreign governments like the British 240 years ago.
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The Fight for Union Dues Independence
This holiday weekend, we celebrate the birth of our great country. Two hundred and forty years ago, the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence…
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Federal Labor Agencies’ Actions Threatens Worker Opportunity
During the course of the Obama administration, federal labor agencies have turned labor and employment policy on its head via a slew of regulations, sub-regulatory…
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Congress Fights Back Against DOL Attack on Flexible Work and Small Business
Congress may have missed an opportunity to defund the Department of Labor’s overtime rule via the appropriations process, but they have not given up the…
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Speaker Ryan’s Deregulatory Report: Clamp Down on Federal Labor Agencies’ Overreach
Today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) released his plan for how to modernize our federal regulatory system in order to jumpstart the economy. This is…
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House Committee Examines Overtime Rule’s Negative Impact on Non-Profits and Universities
The House Education & Workforce Committee held a hearing today that examined the Department of Labor’s recent overtime regulation’s impact on non-profits and universities.
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Heavily Scrutinized NLRB Joint Employer Standard Heads to Court
Most people can pretty easily tell you who their boss is, but the Obama administration has made that a difficult question. In a decision last…
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NLRB Downplays Pro-Union Threats
Union bias permeates the actions of the current National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This is hardly surprising since a former union lawyer, Richard Griffin,…
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White House Supports Bill that Exempts Puerto Rico from New Overtime Regulation
Progressives praised the Department of Labor’s new overtime rule as a way to fatten workers’ pockets and a means to strengthen the middle class. If…
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Free Market Organizations Call on Congress to Block the DOL Overtime Rule
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute along with 16 other organizations sent a letter to Congress in support of the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity…
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Members-Only Unions Benefits Unions and Individual Workers
There has been a surge in right-to-work laws over the past couple of years. Since 2012, four states (Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and West Virginia) revoked…
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Small Businesses and Nonprofits Ill-Equipped to Handle DOL’s Overtime Rule
The Department of Labor's overtime rule may be published as early as next week. The rule's "one-size-fits-all" nature is set to harm small businesses the…