Back in the 1970’s, when baby boomers at college campuses across the nation were grooving to David Bowie’s “Young Americans,” communications majors were also captivated by the 70’s media guru Marshall McLuhan’s cult phrase “the medium is the message”. McLuhan’s said the medium is embedded in the message and “synergistically” alters its content, … [Read more...]
The Many Faces of Pregnancy Discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination may be more widespread than people think, and as two women have recently argued in a lawsuit against AT&T Mobility, this type of discrimination may be baked into seemingly neutral rules regarding lateness and absence. Katia Hills and Cynthia Allen filed a class action lawsuit this month, representing all low-level … [Read more...]
Darden Settles Age-Discrimination Lawsuit
After three years, Darden Restaurants finally reached a settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), bringing an end to the longstanding age-discrimination lawsuit. Darden, who runs a number of Season 52 Restaurants and the well-known Olive Garden chain, said at the beginning of May that it would divvy up $2.85 million … [Read more...]
Whole Foods Fails to Gain Support from the NLRB
Emboldened by a conservative panel at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Whole Foods recently attempted (and failed) to overturn an Obama-era ruling that prohibits certain restrictive policies put forth by the grocery conglomerate. Last year, the Second Circuit US Court of Appeals upheld the NLRB’s 2015 decision, putting an end to Whole … [Read more...]
NFL Cheerleaders Come Forward About Unequal Treatment
During the past few months, a number of NFL cheerleaders have come forward, after allegedly experiencing discriminatory and unfair treatment. In March, former New Orleans Saints cheerleader, Baily Davis, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming that her employer enforced a double standard when they … [Read more...]
Gig Workers Win Big in California Supreme Court Ruling
The California Supreme Court set its sights on the gig-economy last month, when Justices issued a unanimous ruling requiring companies using contract labor to prove that their independent contractors actually run their own business. All seven of the Justices joined the majority opinion written by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who took aim at … [Read more...]
US Chamber of Commerce, Against the Unionization of Uber Drivers
Alongside the burgeoning gig economy, there has emerged a set of intractable questions around workers’ rights and the application of certain regulations. In Seattle, these questions came to a head, after the city council unanimously voted on an ordinance allowing Uber (and other ride-share) drivers to unionize and negotiate with their … [Read more...]
Ninth Circuit Ruling Joins the Fight for Gender Equality
In one of his last opinions for the Ninth Circuit, Judge Stephen Reinhart issued a ruling on behalf of a unanimous court, arguing that women should not be subject to unequal pay simply because of their salary history. At 87, Reinhart died of a heart attack shortly after authoring the decision, ending his 40-year tenure at the appeals court with a … [Read more...]
Conservative Labor Board Sides with Employers
Recent changes at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have resulted in a number of rulings favoring employers, leaving workers (both union and non-union) with fewer legal options. John Ring, a labor attorney who sides with management, was confirmed this month by the Senate as the fifth member of the independent regulatory body. In a somewhat … [Read more...]
LGBT Employees are Protected under Civil Rights Act
Back in 2004, this reporter’s niece was an employment attorney in New York City. She said that, “at the time I practiced, it was assumed that the CRA [Civil Rights Act] did not cover discrimination based on sexual orientation. “I would have loved to see the progression of the argument that ‘sex’ includes ‘sexual orientation”, my niece said, … [Read more...]
