Labor News & Commentary April 19, 2024 Republican-controlled legislatures move against unions and child workers & more

[Omaha Steve]

https://onlabor.org/april-19-2024/

By Holt McKeithan

Holt McKeithan is a student at Harvard Law School.

In today’s News and Commentary, Republican-controlled legislatures move against unions and child workers, Mercedes workers in Alabama schedule a union election, and the VW Chattanooga election wraps up today.

The Alabama senate advanced a bill that would punish companies for voluntarily recognizing unions on the basis of a card-check. The bill, which would withhold state subsidies for voluntary recognition, was approved 23-5 in the Senate. It now moves to the state’s House of Representatives. The move follows the enactment of similar laws in Tennessee and Georgia. The conservative group ALEC circulated draft legislation that served as the model for these bills. John has analyzed whether these measures are preempted under federal labor law, and Ben has written about how blue states may pass laws supporting unions if not.

Meanwhile in Louisiana, a state House committee has voted to advance a bill that would repeal protections for child workers. Rep. Roger Wilder is sponsoring the bill, which would eliminate required lunch breaks for child workers and roll back unemployment benefits. During committee hearings, Wilder repeatedly used the term “young adults” to refer to minors. “I believe that our young adults can make a decision without a babysitter,” the Republican stated in support of the bill. The bill is the latest in a country-wide effort by Republicans to eliminate child labor labor protections. Luke wrote about one such bill in Wisconsin that passed the state legislature but was vetoed by the governor.

These anti-union measures in the south come in the face of an historic UAW organizing effort in the region.

FULL story at link above.