The Workforce Freedom Initiative today released its latest report, A New Center Stage: The Expansion of State And Local Employment Laws, which highlights ongoing trends in labor and employment policy at the state and local level. The report focuses on the shifting strategies of organized labor and their allies following the November 2016 presidential election.
During the Obama administration, the National Labor Relations Board and U.S. Department of Labor became reliable allies for labor unions hoping to tilt policies in their favor to help reverse a sixty year slide in membership. After eight years of alignment with the administration, though, unions and other interest groups that advocate for more expansive labor and employment regulations are facing a new environment and need a different strategy in order to implement their agenda.
Part of that strategy includes implementing policies at the state and local level that make it harder for employers to do business. The new report highlights policies such as the minimum wage, misclassification, paid leave, labor peace requirements, and others that labor activists are pursuing. The report is intended to educate employers and the public about the types of laws that have already been, or may soon be, debated in their communities.
