Whether it is exposing legislation and regulations that benefit unions, lawyers or management at the expense of workers, detailing the folly of occupational licensing laws; supporting the expansion of state right-to-work laws; or highlighting the overreach of lawmakers, bureaucrats, and courts; CEI advances reforms in this crucial, often overlooked policy area. Our op-eds, policy papers, media appearances, coalition work, and innovative research serve as crucial counterweights to the aggressive efforts by unions and their allies to frame the policy debate.
Labor and Employment Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Blog
Supreme Court likely to decide fate of federal unions
A matter likely to end up before the Supreme Court soon is the right of federal government employees to form unions. Whether they retain that…
Blog
‘With you or without you’ – The growing rift between unions and Democrats
A rift is growing between the Democratic Party and the labor movement. It was caused in large part by the party’s inability to move the…
News Release
Economy adds 139,000 jobs in May, labor market growth slows: CEI analysis
May added 139,000 jobs to the economy, with the unemployment rate staying unchanged at 4.2 percent. Trump’s policies, namely his mission to shrink the…
Search Posts
Los Angeles Times
Supreme Court’s deadlock on union fees could be the first of many tie votes
The Los Angeles Times quotes Trey Kovacs on the Supreme Court deadlock over the Friedrichs case. “With a divided court, thousands of public…
News Release
Supreme Court Deadlocks on Friedrichs Labor Union Case
The U.S. Supreme Court announced a deadlock, 4 to 4 decision, in a major case involving forced labor union dues, Friedrichs v. California Teachers…
Blog
Freedom of Contract at Risk in Carcano v. McCrory
Virginia’s Dillon rule prevents cities and counties from regulating the employment practices of private businesses. That bars them from setting minimum wages higher than…
Blog
Illinois’ Narrow Road to Pension Reform
On March 24, the Illinois Supreme Court struck down a Chicago pension reform bill that sought to address the city’s considerable pension shortfall. In…
Blog
NLRB Case against McDonald’s Shows Need for Labor Law Reform
At the beginning of the month, the National Labor Relations Board and McDonald’s trial began. The case will determine whether McDonald’s is a joint…
Blog
The Public Pays for Union Political Activity
Taxpayer dollars in state and municipal governments across the country are, normally without public knowledge, used to subsidize government union political undertakings. Clearly, this is…
Republican American
Union business
Republican American reports on Connecticut state employees taking union time funded by taxpayers, and cites Trey Kovacs's report for the Yankee Institute. The Yankee report was prepared…
Blog
Congress Proposes Bill to Nullify Overtime Regulation
This week, the Department of Labor took the last step before the final overtime rule is published and implemented. DOL sent the rule to…
Blog
DOT Compromises Safety and Efficiency for Union Favoritism
Today, a draft proposed rule from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration has been making the rounds. It will be published in the…
Blog
NLRB vs. McDonald’s: The Trial Begins
The long awaited McDonald’s trial in National Labor Relations Board joint employer case begins today. In RealClearPolicy, I discuss the less-than-transparent proceedings leading up…
Real Clear Policy
Labor Regulators Target McDonald’s
Imagine the government brings charges against you but won't tell you what you're accused of. The judge insists you should know and proceeds with the…
Daily Caller
McDonald’s Fights Feds For The Soul Of Its Business Model
The Daily Caller speaks with Trey Kovacs on the McDonald's National Labor Relations Board joint employment trial. “These hearings are scheduled to go…
Study
Union Time on the Taxpayer’s Dime
Originally published at the Yankee Institute Full Document Available in PDF As of early 2016, Connecticut was in collective bargaining negotiations…
Blog
Not Much Business Sense on Capitol Hill
Members of Congress, even some Democrats, are finally coming to terms that the Department of Labor’s proposed overtime rule may be bad for business. Why…
Blog
Obama Administration Policy Threatens Youth Job Opportunities
The National Labor Relations Board’s long-awaited trial involving McDonald’s will begin this week on March 10. The case puts the franchise model in the…
Townhall
Who Ya Gonna Call? How To Tackle The “Ghost Teacher” Problem
Townhall mentions Trey Kovacs's report on the practice known as release time and its cost to taxpayers. The abuse of “ghost teachers” in Philadelphia…
Blog
Uber Publishes Core Principles to Guide Seattle’s Union Election Procedures
Uber maintains that Seattle’s recent ordinance that extends collective bargaining privileges to ridesharing drivers is illegal. However, to cover its bases, Uber issued a letter…
Washington Times
Hindering worker opportunities
Congress passes laws that can upend entire industries, hinder worker opportunities, and raise prices on consumers. But when such laws impact Congress itself,…
Federal News Radio
Pressure mounts on official time as bill moves to House floor vote
Federal News Radio discusses with Trey Kovacs a bill that requires Office of Personnel Management to submit reports on official time. Trey Kovacs, policy…
Bloomberg BNA
FLSA Litigation’s Greatest Hits: Taking Care of Business, and Working Overtime
Bloomberg BNA discusses the Department of Labor's proposed overtime rule with Trey Kovacs. Trey Kovacs, a labor policy expert at the Competitive Enterprise…
Blog
Minimum Wage: The End of Teenage Work Experience?
A new report from JP Morgan Chase & Co. finds that the summer employment rate for teenagers is nearing a record low at 34 percent. The…
Blog
NLRB Undercuts its Own Employees’ Rights
If the NLRB cannot respect the rights of its own employees, is it really capable of governing all private-sector labor relation disputes?…
Daily Caller
Obama Owes His Success To What Other Dems Are Trying To Destroy
The Daily Caller reports on how raiding minimum wage will decrease work for teenagers and discusses how youth will miss out on important skill learning…
Daily Caller
PA School District Spent $1.3M Taxpayer Dollars on Union Salaries
The Daily Caller cites Trey Kovacs study on the costs of "official time" for the federal government and taxpayers. The practice also exists…
Blog
Sharing Economy in the AFL-CIO’s Crosshairs
The AFL-CIO is meeting in San Diego to shape its policy initiatives for the upcoming year. One increasingly popular type of work arrangement is…
Blog
House Oversight Committee Demands Agencies Reveal Union Subsidy Data
On February 12, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee sent out letters to federal agency heads to provide more information on union “official…
Citation
FLSA Litigation’s Greatest Hits: Taking Care of Business, and Working Overtime
Bloomberg BNA discusses the issues with the Department of Labor's overtime rules with Trey Kovacs. Trey Kovacs, a labor policy expert at the Competitive…
Bloomberg BNA
FLSA Litigation’s Greatest Hits: Taking Care of Business, and Working Overtime
Bloomberg BNA discusses the issues with the Department of Labor's overtime rules with Trey Kovacs. Trey Kovacs, a labor policy expert at the Competitive…
Blog
Regulatory Threats to Flexible Employment & Worker Freedom: What Can Congress Do?
The Competitive Enterprise Institute hosted a panel of experts last week to discuss the regulatory threats to flexible employment and worker freedom. The panel also…
Blog
A Majority of States Now Right to Work
Today's historic vote in West Virginia means that now in a majority of states, workers can’t be fired from their job if they choose not…
Daily Caller
Congress Expresses ‘Serious Concern’ Over New Overtime Rules
The Daily Caller reports on CEI's labor congressional briefing which discussed the impact of new overtime rules. The president signed a memo in March…
News Release
Report: Obama Overtime Rule Has Big Costs, Few Benefits
The Obama administration overtime pay mandate will put a big burden on small business and won’t necessarily lead to higher wages, a new report from the Competitive…
Study
Department of Labor’s New Overtime Rule Puts Flexible Work Arrangements and Paths to Success at Risk
Full Document Available in PDF On March 13, 2014, President Obama sent a memorandum to the Secretary of Labor to update and…
Blog
Overtime Rule Is a Threat to Workers and Small Business
By statute, Congress delegated to the Secretary of Labor “the authority to define and delimit the terms of the [overtime] exemptions.” But that doesn’t mean it…
Blog
West Virginia Set to Enact Major Labor Reform with Prevailing Wage Repeal
West Virginia, which appears poised to become the nation’s 26th right to work state, may soon enact another major labor law reform. The state Senate is…
Blog
West Virginia: Prospect for a Right to Work Majority
West Virginia may soon become the nation’s 26th right to work state—making the number of right to work states a majority for the first time.
Study
NLRB’s New Joint Employer Standard Threatens Business Formation and Job Creation
What can we expect from new joint employer standards? Roadblocks to entrepreneurship and job creation.
Blog
Lyft Drivers Remain Independent Contractors
A California class-action lawsuit against ridesharing company Lyft has been settled without trial. In the settlement, Lyft agreed to pay its drivers, their lawyers, and…
Blog
NLRB’s Joint Employer Ruling Challenged in Court
CEI applauds Browning-Ferris’ stand against the National Labor Relations Board's upending of employment liability and flexibility, otherwise known as the new joint employment standard. The…
One News Now
Analyst foresees tension between businesses and DOL
One News Now discusses the Department of Labor's new joint employer standard with Trey Kovacs. "They're not hiring and firing these people, they…
Blog
Labor Policy Developments to Watch in the New Year
Labor policy reform was a fast-moving issue during in the past year. At the federal level, labor policy became more tilted in favor of union…
Daily Caller
How The Obama Admin Forced Through Failed Union Giveaways
The Daily Caller discusses the Department of Labor's new joint employer rule with Trey Kovacs. “Federal labor agency action during the Obama administration…
National Review
The Administration Is Ruling by Decree
Yesterday, the Department of Labor unexpectedly issued a new rule (which it called an interpretation) that will upend thousands of businesses’ established practices. It did…
Michigan Capitol Confidential
In West Virginia Right-to-Work Debate, Unions Re-Use Scare Story Script
The Michigan Capitol Confidential discusses the impact right-to-work law on states with Trey Kovacs. Trey Kovacs, a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute,…
News Release
CEI Responds to Department of Labor’s Announcement on Joint Employer Liabilities
CEI labor policy expert Trey Kovacs offered the following response to the sudden announcement from labor regulators imposing new joint employer liabilities: "President…
California Political Review
A Union Bank with a Goal: Victory for the Left
The California Political Review discusses the Amalgamated Bank, a union-owned bank, with Ivan Osario. Ivan Osorio, editorial director at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (and…
Real Clear Policy
Obama Should Rein In the NLRB
In President Obama's State of the Union address, he echoed a theme that has been constant throughout his tenure: "How do we give everyone a…
Blog
How Do We Give Workers a Fair Shot? Remove Regulatory Roadblocks
In President Obama’s State of the Union address, he echoed a theme that has been constant throughout his tenure, saying, “how do we give everyone a…
Blog
Union Subsidy Eliminates So-Called “Free Rider” Problem
On January 11, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a case that could provide right to work…
Blog
Will SCOTUS Friedrichs Case Lead to Member-Only Unions?
Government employee unions have a lot at stake in Supreme Court case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association—especially access to millions of dollars in compulsory “agency…
