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
Trump’s tariffs: Look for the union label
One of the biggest boosters of President Trump’s tariffs has been the United Auto Workers (UAW). The venerable union wants to see domestic factories expanded…
Blog
Why government reform may hinge on ending federal unions
President Trump’s executive order ending collective bargaining for a wide swath of federal cabinet agencies and other government entities is a laudable attempt…
News Release
March adds 228,000 jobs ahead of a rocky economic road: CEI analysis
The job numbers report for March show 228,000 jobs were added to the economy, with the unemployment rate staying steady at 4.2 percent. While…
Search Posts
The Washington Free Beacon
Critics: Trend to Raise Minimum Wage Will Cost Potentially Millions of Jobs
The Washington Free Beacon cited Fellow Ryan Young on minimum wage: Ryan Young, a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a free market…
Fox Business
A Reversal of this Obama-Era Job-Killing Rule is ‘Urgently’ Needed: NLRB
The National Labor Relations Board is on the verge of restoring sanity to a hugely important yet little-known government rule that impacts the future existence…
Blog
Oregon Introduces Taxpayer-Funded Union Subsidy
Earlier this week, I took a look at legislation that has been enacted to undercut the Supreme Court’s decision last year in Janus v. AFSCME.
LifeZette
Democrats Unveil Bill to Raise Federal Minimum Wage to $15
LifeZette cited Policy Analyst Trey Kovacs on minimum wage: Minimum wage research has been fairly mixed in terms of impact The Heritage Foundation, a…
Blog
In Aftermath of ‘Janus’ Decision, Blue States Push Pro-Union Bills
Prior to the landmark Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, government unions were already devising ways to keep members and dues flowing. In a…
The Washington Examiner
Even After Janus, Unions are Still Wrongly Forcing Speech on Public Employees
Despite a Supreme Court ruling last year that forcing public workers to pay union fees as a condition of employment goes against First Amendment free…
Blog
Time to Restore Traditional Joint-Employer Standard
This week the public comment period closes in regards to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) proposed rule to modify the standard for joint employment. This…
News Release
Federal Minimum Wage Hike Would Cost Jobs, Opportunity, CEI Experts Warn
House Democrats are expected to introduce legislation on Wednesday to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024 - a policy that…
Blog
Teachers Paid to Walk Off the Job?
The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union contract negotiations with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have broken down. UTLA president Alex Caputo-Pearl called…
Comment
CEI Comments to NLRB on Proposed Joint Employer Rulemaking
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit the following comments in response to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Notice of…
Investor's Business Daily
Minimum Wage Hikes in 2019 Will Hurt Minority Youth by Killing Jobs
Investors Business Daily cited Senior Fellow Angela Logomasini on minimum wage hikes for the coming year. As the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Angela Logomasini recently…
News Release
CEI Urges Supreme Court to Hear Lawsuit Against Exclusive Union Representation Mandate
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) in an amicus brief asked the Supreme Court to hear a lawsuit arguing that exclusive labor union representation violates the…
Blog
Great Jobs Numbers Don’t Assuage Trade War Worries
Today’s jobs numbers were a surprise to everyone—312,000 jobs added in December was almost twice the consensus view of economists of 176,000. Strong wage growth…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amicus Curiae of CEI in Support of the Petitioner in Uradnik v. Inter Faculty Organization, et al.
View Full Document as PDF In Janus v. AFSCME, this Court recognized the importance of this issue in its holding…
The Washington Examiner
States Ring in New Year with Job-Killing Minimum Wage Hikes
The sound of small-business storefronts slamming closed could replace bright, ringing sounds of the holiday season as state minimum wage laws were phased in last…
Products
Free to Prosper: Labor and Employment
View the full chapter on labor and employment here Increases in productivity, not artificial increases in labor prices, are the key to economic growth…
Blog
Year in Review 2018: Labor and Employment
There was a mix of good and bad news in the labor and employment policy space in 2018. A tremendous gain was made in the…
Blog
New Joint Employer Rule Means More Jobs, Not Lower Wages
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is in the process of implementing a regulation that would restore the traditional standard for when a worker is…
NewsOk
Point of View: Walking off the Job at Taxpayers’ Expense
Some teachers in Oklahoma got paid by taxpayers to walk off their jobs in April, newly released information reveals.
Fox Business
Lessons from the GM layoffs: End the tariffs and the subsidies
General Motors announced on Monday it will be laying off 14,700 workers, closing five factories, and discontinuing several car models. This has caused some soul-searching in the…
The Hill
A Solution to Stop Our Veterans from Dying While Waiting for Medical Care
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has a simple but crucial mission. The agency’s website quotes President Lincoln’s promise to veterans to describe it:“To care…
Blog
Massachusetts Teachers Union Dues Do Not ‘Stay Local’
Labor unions like to promote the narrative that dues payments stay local. If you peruse union websites, a consistent message appears that reads something like this:…
GOP USA
‘Union Business On The Taxpayer’s Dime’: Trump Administration Cracks Down On ‘Official Time’ At VA
GOP USA cited CEI’s Policy Analyst Trey Kovacs on Virginia union policy. The Department of Veterans Affairs this week will stop paying employees in…
Blog
National Labor Relations Board Member Cleared of Ethics Conflict
Republican appointees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have become the target of an ongoing campaign by Democrats to silence their voices and ability…
Citation
Veterans Department Puts Medical Professionals Back to Work for Veterans Instead of Labor Unions
The U.S. Department of Veterans has long been paying certain employees to conduct labor union business on the taxpayer dime, but today the agency announced…
Blog
What Do the Midterms Mean for Labor and Employment?
The primary labor and employment statutes—National Labor Relations Act and Fair Labor Standards Act—have not been substantially amended for decades. A divided government is not…
Inside Sources
Displaced Workers Could Benefit From Apprenticeships, but for One Labor Regulation in the Way
By most measures, the economy is booming. Unemployment is at a 49-year low of 3.7 percent. The economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.5 percent last quarter.
Blog
AFL-CIO’s Own Workers Threaten a Strike
AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka frequently lambasts companies for not “sharing the wealth” with employees. Joining a union is a surefire way to see an increase…
News Release
October Brought 250,000 New Jobs, Despite Bad Trade Restrictions
The American economy added 250,000 jobs in October, the U.S. Labor Department announced today. The unemployment rate was meanwhile unchanged from last month, at 3.7…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Opposing Section 202 of S.3278 of the Protecting Taxpayers Act
The 17 undersigned organizations together ask Congress to oppose Section 202 of S. 3278, the Protecting Taxpayers Act, and similar efforts to grant the IRS…
Blog
Labor Department Listens to Public Input on Overtime Rule
Yesterday, I attended the Department of Labor’s final overtime listening session. It was an opportunity for the DOL to hear from the public on how…
ABC News
Inside America: How Steelworkers View The Midterm Elections
ABC News cited CEI’s Fellow Ryan Young on the steel industry job market. Despite the deal with Canada and Mexico, the trade war…
Washington Examiner
Conservatives Ask Senate To Block Chuck Schumer-Favored Labor Board Nominee
Washington Examiner cited CEI’s rejection of NLRB nominee Mark Pearce. A coalition of conservative groups urged Senate lawmakers to oppose the renomination of Mark…
The Washington Times
Conservative Groups Call On Senate To Reject Trump Nominee To NLRB
The Washington Times cited CEI’s rejection of NLRB nominee Mark Pearcet. Conservative groups are urging a Senate committee to reject President Trump’s nomination of Democrat …
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Letter to Senate Opposing Mark Pearce Nomination to the NLRB
The undersigned organizations strongly oppose the nomination of Mark Pearce to serve on the five-member National Labor Relations Board. Pearce’s legacy as Chairman of the…
VOA
US Steel Workers Questioning Value Of Trump’s Tariffs
VOA cited CEI’s Vice President for Strategy and Senior Fellow Iain Murry on U.S. tariffs. Ian Murry is a labor expert with the…
Daily Caller
Politics Undermines Ethics Rules at the National Labor Relations Board
Republican appointees to the nation’s most powerful labor policy-making board have become the target of an ongoing campaign to sideline their voices and votes.
Blog
Deregulation Coming from Labor Department
Deregulation is a topline goal of the current administration. Leading the pack in terms of costs savings from reducing red tape is the Department…
Voice of America
Are US Labor Unions Souring On Trump’s Tariffs?
Voice of America cited CEI’s Vice President for Strategy and Senior Fellow Ian Murry on U.S. tariffs. But U.S. steel companies may be…
Inside Sources
Displaced Workers Could Benefit From Apprenticeships, but for One Labor Regulation in the Way
By most measures, the economy is booming. Unemployment is at a 49-year low of 3.7 percent. The economy grew at an annualized…
Blog
National Labor Relations Board Responds to Democrats’ Invented Ethics Concerns
On September 17, Sen. Warren sent a letter to the NLRB warning that it must “fully comply with federal ethics regulations during reconsideration” of whether…
Blog
New Federal Labor Directive Holds Unions Accountable to Workers
Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel’s office issued a directive that provides clarification for when field offices should pursue charges “against unions…
Blog
Elizabeth Warren Imagines Another Ethics Concern at National Labor Relations Board
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is attempting to undermine another case before the National Labor Relations Board. In a transparent political stunt, the senator is pushing…
Spero News
Trump Administration Marks Victory in Labor Relations Board Ruling
Spero News cited CEI’s Policy Analyst Trey Kovac on NLRB proposed rule announcement. Trey Kovacs of the Competitive Enterprise Institute released a statement…
Blog
CEI Seeks Communications between National Labor Relations Board and Senate Committee
A political campaign to obstruct the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from properly administering the National Labor Relations Act is in full…
The Daily Caller
Trump’s Labor Board May Overturn Obama’s Joint-Employer Rule
The Daily Caller cited CEI’s Policy Analyst Trey Kovacs on NLRB’s Joint-Employer Standard proposal. “The NLRB’s proposed rule seeks to restore longstanding principles on what establishes…
News Release
NLRB Retools Joint Employer Rule: CEI Statement
Today, the National Labor Relations Board put out a proposed rule establishing a new “joint employer” standard on when two employers would be liable for…
Bloomberg BNA
Trump Nominates Pearce for Third Term on Labor Board
Bloomberg BNA cited policy analyst Trey Kovacs on President Trump’s Labor Board nominee. Business groups continue to oppose Pearce’s confirmation, despite the talk…
USA Today
This Labor Day, Consider A Labor Reform That Both Democrats And Republicans Can Get Behind
Labor Day was established in the late 19th century as a way to honor all the workers who contribute to the wealth and prosperity of…
Blog
Trump Renominates Pro-Union Advocate to Labor Relations Board
Late last night, the White House cut a deal with Senate Democrats to renominate Mark Pearce to the National Labor Relations Board, according to…
News Release
In Horse-trading Deal, Trump Renominates Problematic NLRB Democrat
Last night, President Trump renominated a controversial Democrat for another five-year term at the powerful National Labor Relations Board,…
Blog
Judge Strikes Down Trump Executive Orders on Federal Employment
In a lengthy decision, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia effectively struck down a package of…
American Radio Journal
AUDIO: Trey Kovacs Discusses the Possible Re-Appointment of an Obama Member of the National Labor Relations Board
Policy Analyst Trey Kovacs discussed the possible re-appointment of an Obama Member of the National Labor Relations Board on the American Radio Journal. Listen to…
Citation
Labor Watchdogs Back Trump’s Dues Skimming Crackdown
The Washington Free Beacon cited Policy Analyst Trey Kovacs on labor unions. The move earned high praise from labor watchdogs, who have long objected…
The Washington Examiner
Conservatives Urge Trump to Leave Labor Board Seat Empty
The Washington Examiner cited Policy Analyst Trey Kovacs on the National Labor Relations Board. “President Trump cannot allow Democrats to grind the NLRB…
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Letter Opposing the Renomination of Mark Pearce to the National Labor Relations Board
The undersigned organizations urge President Trump not to renominate National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Mark Pearce. The NLRB is an independent agency made up…
Blog
Republicans Must Take Back Control of National Labor Relations Board
Since Republicans reclaimed the majority at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Democrats and unions have been conducting an obstruction campaign against the Board by…
Blog
Celebrate National Employee Freedom Week 2018
Every worker should be able to decide whether union membership is right for them. And workers who do not want union representation should be able…
Blog
National Labor Relations Board Recusal Ruse Continues
Since a Republican majority was installed at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), labor unions and Democrats in Congress have lobbed baseless conflict of…
Blog
Escape from New York: Minimum Wage is Killing and Chasing Away Small Businesses
Big government is crushing small business owners around the nation, punishing decades of hard work and job creation. Too few people speak up as the…
Blog
End Union Medicaid Dues Skim
Every Medicaid dollar is statutorily required to directly fund care for the elderly or disabled. This requirement is known as the “direct payment requirement.” Congress,…
Comment
CEI Comments on Labor Union Dues – Skimming of Medicaid Benefits
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit these comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Notice…
Blog
Protect Home Healthcare Providers: End Dues Skimming
Our friends at the State Policy Network have produced a compelling new video about the plight of men and women who have been forced…
Blog
Setback in Missouri Won’t Stop Worker Freedom Momentum
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka took to the pages of The Wall Street Journal to beat his chest on Big Labor’s victory in striking down…
The Pittsburgh Tribune
Pa. Workers Deserve Freedom From Forced Union Representation
Pennsylvania public employees are now free to decide how best to spend their hard-earned paychecks. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME…
The Daily Caller
Right to Work is Right for Missouri
Private-sector workers in states without Right-to-Work laws can still be forced to pay fees to a union they vehemently disagree with, even as their public…
Citation
Missouri Workers Stuck With Their Unions After Ballot Failure
Missouri voters on August 7 defeated a right-to-work ballot measure. That means workers will remain stuck in a labor union they may not want and…
Blog
Right to Work Is Right for Missouri
Private-sector workers in states without right to work laws can still be forced to pay fees to a union they vehemently disagree with, even…
Blog
New Jobs Numbers Suggest There’s More Work to Do on Free-Market Reform
At an unemployment rate of 3.9%, it should be expected that job growth will slow. Employers around the country are reporting that they are unable…
Blog
Employee Rights Act Strengthens Worker Choice
Public employees are no longer required to pay fees to a union as a condition of employment. This newfound freedom was secured by the United…
Blog
Federal Employees Fight to Keep No-Show Jobs in Union Lawsuit
Federal employee unions and the Trump administration sparred in court over a set of executive orders that make changes to official time and grievance procedures…
Blog
Priorities for DOL’s Office of Labor-Management Standards
The Trump administration recently installed Arthur Rosenfeld as the head of the Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS), which administers and enforces the…
Blog
Guidance on How to Curtail Time Federal Employees Spend Performing Union Business
If the Trump administration wants to achieve its stated goal to use tax dollars as effectively as possible, ending the practice known as official time, which…
Blog
Congressional Democrats Seek to Undermine Janus Decision
Despite union hysterics, the Supreme Court's Janus decision does not impede or prohibit public employees’ right to unionize or collectively bargain. Instead, government unions will simply…
Fox Business
Trey Kovacs Discusses Janus Supreme Court Ruling on Fox Business
June 27, 2018 – Trey Kovacs, Policy Analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joined Varney & Co on Fox Business to…
Blog
Supreme Court: Compelled Support of Unions Ends Now
Public sector workers who haven’t affirmatively chosen to support labor unions should see a bump in their paychecks, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision in…
News Release
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Workers in Janus Union Dues Case
The Competitive Enterprise Institute praised a 5-to-4 Supreme Court ruling today in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 ending forced union dues for public sector workers.
Inside Sources
How States Can Increase Worker Freedom After Janus
he U.S. Supreme Court struck down forced union dues for state government workers this week, in a ruling that restores the First Amendment rights of…
Blog
Relearning Old Lessons about the Minimum Wage
The question of the minimum wage is a hot topic this week, as the voters of the District of Columbia just approved Initiative 77, …
News Release
CEI on The White House Plan to Reform and Reorganize Regulatory Agencies
Today, the White House released its much-anticipated plan for reorganizing federal government agencies. Competitive Enterprise Institute policy experts praised some of the reforms but pointed…
Inside Sources
Trump Orders Make Regulatory Agencies More Accountable
At the start of summer, just as most Americans were headed out for Memorial Day observances and travel, President Trump suddenly put out three hugely…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Opposing Obama Employment-Based Visa Program (EB-5)
View Full Document as PDF The Honorable Mick Mulvaney Director, Office of Management and Budget 725 17th Street, NW Washington,…
Forbes
Universal Basic Income: What’s The Plural Of Apocalypse?
Is homo sapiens, in the final analysis, a being incapable of living unless supported by a universal basic income (UBI)? One of the mounting threats…
Blog
Minimum Wage Proposal Divides D.C. Workers, Voters
Washington, D.C. has a $12.50 per hour minimum wage. But for tip-earning workers, such as servers and bartenders, the minimum is $3.33 per hour—tips are…
Blog
Last Chance for the 115th: Legislative Action on Labor and Employment
Lawmakers have made little to no progress during the 115th Congress to improve labor and employment policy. U.S. labor law is outdated and in…
Blog
Surprising Results from the Labor Department’s Alternative Work Arrangements Report
A growing economy helps all workers, both those in the sharing economy and those in traditional employment, as new federal employment data bear out.
Blog
Democratic Senators Criticize Labor Rulemaking on Joint Employment
A group of Democratic senators recently took issue with the National Labor Relations Board’s announcement it may initiate a notice and comment rulemaking to clarify…
The Washington Post
Trump’s Orders Show Unwavering Attack on Federal Unions, Employees
The Washington Post cited Ian Murray on the sweeping reform occurring throughout the federal government since the Trump administration instituted new procedures through which federal…
Federal Times
Official time use: vital for feds or a waste of time?
Federal Times cited Trey Kovacs on the negative impact which official time imposes on dispute resolution in the bargaining process. Federal employee use of…
The New York Times
Trump Moves to Ease the Firing of Federal Workers
The New York Times cited Kent Lassman on the conditions which have ensued where workplace equity has increased following changes to federal regulation set in…
The Wall Street Journal
NLRB Acting Like It Has Something to Hide
Regarding your editorial “Funny Business at the Labor Board” (May 17): The National Labor Relations Board Inspector General Office has responded to the Competitive Enterprise…
Comment
Testimony of Trey Kovacs: Union Time on the People’s Dime, a Closer Look at Official Time
CEI labor policy analyst Trey Kovacs testifies before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform's Subcommittee on Government Operations on the issue of official time in the federal workforce.
News Release
Trump Executive Orders on Civil Service Reform Are a Huge Win for Taxpayers, Workplace Equity
On news today that President Trump signed three executive orders aimed at making federal workers more accountable and better-performing, Competitive Enterprise Institute experts praised the…
Blog
House Committee Examines Union Subsidy
Today the House Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing entitled “Union Time on the People’s Dime: A Closer Look at Official Time.” The purpose…
InsideSources
Government Report Breaks Down Taxpayer Funded Union Hours
InsideSources cited Trey Kovacs on the irony and need for getting rid of “official time” where union officials are paid with tax-payer dollars while conducting…
Blog
Wishful Thinking Is No Way to Address Public Pension Shortfalls
More state revenue but less money for public services? That’s the situation in which states with large unfunded pension obligations can find themselves if they…
Blog
Debating Employment Flexibility in the Gig Economy
Renowned labor expert and Harvard professor Benjamin Sachs argues over at OnLabor.org that he's had enough with what he calls the “flexibility trope” of worker classification…
Blog
Federal Employees Spend Over 3 Million Hours on Union Business
Federal employee unions enjoy a government subsidy known as “official time” that enables union members to perform union duties while being paid by the taxpayer.
HR Dive
NLRB Considers Rulemaking To Settle Joint-Employer Uncertainty
HR Dive cited Trey Kovacs on the benefits of NLRB’s announcement of a new joint employer rulemaking. In an email to HR Dive,…
Blog
Due Process Concerns Remain in National Labor Relations Board Ethics Inquiry
On March 28, 2018, the Competitive Enterprise Institute sent a letter to the National Labor Relations Board Office of Inspector General to investigate NLRB…
