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
Court rejects New York bid to take over federal labor enforcement
An effort by the New York legislature to usurp the role of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the main federal labor law enforcement agency,…
Law & Liberty
America’s Hidden Judiciary
Unbeknownst to most Americans, federal regulatory agencies have their own court system for adjudicating disputes that businesses and citizens have with regulators. These agencies rely…
Blog
New York, California make a play for federal labor law enforcement
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the main federal labor law enforcement agency, currently lacks a quorum to act. Ordinarily, that type of federal…
Search Posts
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…
Blog
In Friedrichs v. CTA, Supreme Court Can Strike a Blow for Free Speech
Oral arguments in one of the most important Supreme Court labor cases in years are set for January 11, with potential major implications in the…
Blog
Promoting Economic Freedom in 2016
It was Marxists who wanted permanent revolution, but it is capitalists who have delivered it. The last 50 years have seen a sustained revolution in…
Washington Post
How to Keep Fairfax Teachers in the Classroom
The Fairfax County Public Schools system is facing a massive budget shortfall: $72 million for the 2016 school year. With such a large budget deficit,…
Blog
Protecting American Workers and Job Creators with the Omnibus
This week, Congress is working against the clock to avert a government shutdown and pass new spending legislation before the current continuing resolution expires on…
The Washington Examiner
Congress can rein in NLRB by withholding funds
Congress is facing a looming deadline. It needs to pass a bill by Dec. 11 to fund the government for the next fiscal year and…
Blog
Official Time and Criminal Misconduct by Federal Employees
With under two weeks until Congress must pass an omnibus spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, one policy that should be on the chopping…
Talk Radio News Service
Wednesday, December 2 – Union “release time” robs school coffers
Talk Radio News Service mentions Trey Kovacs' report on Fairfax County Public Schools' practice of "release time" which comes at the taxpayer's expense.
News Release
Deficit-Plagued Fairfax County Public Schools Waste Taxpayer Money On Labor Union Business, Report Finds
At a time when the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are experiencing a serious budget deficit, public school employees get paid by taxpayers to conduct…
Daily Caller
How To Reverse The Fairfax $5.8M Union Giveaway
The Daily Caller discusses Trey Kovacs' report, which explains the practice of "release time" for teachers to participate in union work and its costs to taxpayers . …
Study
A Remedy for Fairfax County’s Taxpayer Giveaway to Unions
Full Document Available in PDF Use of taxpayer funds should be reserved for purely public purposes, not the private benefit of an…
Blog
NLRB Attack on McDonald’s
No one accuses the government of being responsive to the public. Whether you are a veteran seeking care or need to renew your license at…
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Police unions’ lawsuit thumbs nose at taxpayers, constitution
Trey Kovacs discusses the lawsuit filed by the Las Vegas police unions that demand to preserve union release time. This release time relys on taxpayer dollars to…
Blog
Republicans Should Support Rep. King’s Amendment to Prohibit Davis-Bacon Requirements
The House of Representatives is voting on the Highway Trust Fund this week. Numerous amendments have been added to the bill. One that should garner…
Blog
House Committee Pushes Back against NLRB Assault on Small Business
Today, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed H.R. 3459, the Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act, a bill that would restore the traditional…
Blog
Return of the Employee Free Choice Act
Labor law has dramatically changed under the Obama administration via the pro-union National Labor Relations Board. Many longstanding Board precedents have been tossed aside in favor…
Blog
More Affirmative-Action Red Tape for Contractors: Sexual Orientation Added in California
Governments impose a cobweb of complicated and confusing affirmative-action mandates on government contractors. That imposes billions of dollars in compliance costs on contractors. It also …
Washington Examiner
Labor board expands burden on business to disclose worker info to unions
The Washington Examiner references Trey Kovacs on the National Labor Relations Board's ruling that hospital managers must turn over all employee contact information to the…
Investor's Business Daily
NLRB Attack On McDonald’s: Transparency For Thee, Not For Me
Who’s the boss? The National Labor Relations Board recently muddled that normally straightforward question. In August, the NLRB, in the case of Browning-Ferris Industries, unilaterally…
Washington Examiner
Labor-Dem money-go-round
The Washington Examiner references Ivan Osorio on the Amalgamated Bank union's endorsement Democratic candidates and cash offerings to PACs. Ivan Osorio, editorial director at…
Heartland Institute
NLRB Decision Supersizes Franchise Fast-Food Worker Unions’ Power
The Heartland Institute consults CEI's Trey Kovacs on the NLRB's decision to allow organized labor groups to negotiate with the company franchise itself.
Cato Journal: Fall 2015 Vol. 35 No. 3
Government Against Itself: Public Union Power and Its Consequences
Full Document Available in PDF This article was originally published in the Fall 2015 Edition of the Cato Institute’s Cato Journal.
Products
Bernie Bill Could Be A Big Win For Union Election Drivers
The Daily Caller references Trey Kovac's article to understand how card check supresses worker's voice. A main focus of the measure would be…
Politico
Will UAW strike?
Politico discusses the United Auto Workers strike and references Trey Kovacs for information on unionization. One union leader is so miffed about Elephant…
The Hill
Workers Need Opportunities More Than a Summit
CEI's Labor Expert, Trey Kovacs, discusses the pitfalls of President Obama's labor summit geared towards promoting union's interests rather than those of workers. On October…
The Daily Caller
How Unions are Being Given Free Rein to Use Public Employees
The Daily Caller cites Trey Kovac's report on how much public sector unions cost the federal government and tax payers. In general the…
