Many people believe slavery is a dark spot in our past, but it is thriving in modern times, often in places we least expect. The number of people in forced labor world-wide is equivalent to the population of some of the world’s largest cities. The 50forfreedom campaign, run by the International Labor Organization and its partners, has set up a website to help combat modern slavery. The website has a lot of valuable information, including 10 Ways to Recognize Modern Slavery, an important list and starting point to end slavery. Read it and find other ways you can help at 50forfreedom.org.

The city of Seattle has passed an ordinance unionizing rideshare drivers. This ordinance not only violates federal law, which exempts independent contractors from collective bargaining, but it hurts many of the drivers the unions seek to represent. Unions prioritize full-time and long-term employees in their contracts, which will penalize the type of part-time positions companies like Uber and Lyft offer, costing drivers money and flexibility. Read more about this poorly designed ordinance in James Sherk’s analysis on heritage.org’s website.

After nearly a decade of unchecked assaults on American business, it looks as if union friendly regulation will be coming to an end under President-Elect Trump’s tenure. Mr. Trump’s twitter attack on a union official for doing a “terrible job representing workers” and his appointment of CKE Restaurants chief executive Andrew Puzde as his labor secretary have indicated that he does not intend to favor unions. Puzde, who has been critical of President Obama’s labor initiatives and who has fought against the $15 minimum wage, has left labor leaders concerned for their futures. President-Elect Trump will also be filling two of the five spots on the National Labor Relations Board during his time in the White House.

Please read more about Puzde’s appointment at The Washington Post and KUOW.org.

The Obama Administration’s overtime rule, which would have extended overtime eligibility to approximately 4.2 million additional workers and indexed the salary threshold to inflation, was blocked by a Texas judge this week. The rule was set to go into effect December 1, but the judge’s temporary injunction and written opinion signaled that the rule may eventually be blocked permanently. Read more about it here.

President Obama’s actions regarding the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have once again come under fire, this time requiring the Supreme Court to weigh in with a decision. In 2010, Obama nominated Lafe Solomon as General Counsel for the NLRB. This position must be confirmed by the Senate. While congress reviewed the appointment, Obama made Solomon the Acting General Counsel, a position he continued to hold after congress declined Obama’s appointment.

The Obama administration allowed Solomon to continue in his position until 2013 based on a reading of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. Under the act, persons who are serving in one of three types of positions can be named as an “acting” officer for a position requiring Senate confirmation. These include certain senior-level officials, the first assistant to that position, and other persons currently in positions which require confirmation. Solomon, when he was designated “acting,” was a senior-level official, but was not the first assistant nor was he serving in a position requiring confirmation.

The D.C. Circuit, in interpreting the act, held that because Solomon was not the first assistant he could not continue to hold the “acting” position while also being the nominee. This is the statutory interpretation issue the Supreme Court will decide. Read more about it in Nathan Mehrens’s full length article published in The Star by clicking here. Nathan, pictured, is Executive Vice President for RWP Labor’s Research Division.

November 8th was a big win for the GOP. Now that they’ve taken both the presidency and a senate majority, it will also be a big win for union workers. Increasingly, workers are disagreeing with their union executives, voting for Republicans instead of union-backed Democrats, and expressing their dissatisfaction with unions that put political party needs over those of their members. The election has opened the door for reform of unionization policies, which will make them better for the workers they represent. Read more about it here.