Labor News & Commentary March 1, 2024 wave of unionization in higher education continued at NYU and Harvard & more

[Omaha Steve]

https://onlabor.org/march-1-2024/

By Esther Ritchin

Esther Ritchin is a student at Harvard Law School.

In today’s news and commentary, the Oregon legislature passed a bill raising fines for child labor law violations, the FTC filed an administrative complaint objecting to harm to unionized markets, the Teamsters and Anhauser-Bush reached a contract, and the wave of unionization in higher education continued at NYU and Harvard.

On Monday, the Oregon legislature passed a bill increasing penalties for violations of child labor laws. The bill raises the maximum penalty for child labor law violations to $10,000, up from $1,000, an amount that hadn’t been changed since the 1980s. While the bill faced some opposition during Senate debate–including worries about small businesses–it ultimately passed the Oregon Senate, and is now in the office of Governor Tina Kotek.

On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an administrative complaint objecting to the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two massive grocery store companies, what would be a $24.7 billion deal. The objection draws on many traditional antitrust arguments, but, for the first time, specifically discusses the harm to unionized markets. The complaint argues that the merger would decrease the bargaining power of unions, rendering them unable to force Korger and Albertson to compete. Kroger disagrees, with a spokesperson characterizing the deal as “inherently pro-union.”

FULL story at link above.