States Sue to Block H-1B Visa Fee The attorneys general of 20 states, led by California and Massachusetts, filed a federal lawsuit aimed at blocking the Trump administration’s new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, which allow employers to hire foreign workers...
OH Gov Vetoes Bill to Expand Youth Work Hours Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) vetoed a bill ( SB 50 ) that would have allowed 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. year-round. DeWine said in his veto message that he didn’t like the idea of teens working so...
OH Seeks to Loosen Hourly Work Restrictions for Minors Ohio lawmakers took action this month to extend the hours minors can work in the state. On Nov. 7 they passed a bill ( SB 50 ) that would allow workers under the age of 16 to work until 9 p.m. more frequently...
NLRB Sues California to Block Labor Board Law The National Labor Relations Board has filed a lawsuit to block a new California law ( AB 288 ) empowering the state’s Public Employee Relations Board to oversee some private-sector labor disputes and union...
CA Enacts Bill Allowing Rideshare Drivers to Unionize California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill ( AB 1340 ) allowing drivers for ride-hailing companies to unionize and bargain collectively for better wages and benefits. The state is the second to allow such...
MO Lawmakers Repeal Voter-Approved Paid Sick Leave Law Eight months after Missouri voters approved Proposition A, mandating paid sick leave and a $13.75 minimum wage, Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed legislation ( HB 567 ) repealing the law. Voters in Alaska and Nebraska...
OR Lawmakers Close to Approving Unemployment for Striking Workers The Oregon House passed a bill ( SB 916 ) that would allow striking workers to receive unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks. The Senate passed the measure in March but will have to vote on...
OR Lawmakers Pass Age Discrimination Bill Oregon’s legislature passed a bill ( HB 3187 ) that would prohibit an employer from requesting an applicant’s age, date of birth or date of graduation before conducting an initial interview or making a conditional...
Patchwork of Paid Leave Laws Set to Continue There’s currently no federal law requiring paid leave. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 only requires employers to provide unpaid time off. But 19 states have laws requiring paid sick leave...
OR Looks to Allow Striking Workers to Collect Unemployment A hotly debated bill ( SB 916 ) passed out of committee in Oregon’s Senate last week would allow striking workers in both the public and private sector to collect unemployment benefits. Although...
Bipartisan Bill to Ban Noncompete Clauses Introduced in OH Ohio Sens. Bill Blessing (R) and Bill DeMora (D) have introduced legislation ( SB 11 ) that would ban employers from enforcing noncompete clauses in worker contracts. Blessing said the bill was likely...
MI’s Minimum Wage Rising Most Next Year Twenty-three states’ minimum wages are increasing in 2025, typically by about 3%. But Michigan’s minimum wage will rise 21% by the end of February, as a result of a ruling by the state’s Supreme...
NLRB Prohibits Mandatory Anti-Union Meetings In a decision stemming from a complaint over Amazon’s actions before a successful unionization election at a New York warehouse in 2022, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that companies can’t require...
Minimum Wage Measures on Ballot in Multiple States Measures aimed at increasing the minimum wage are on the ballot in six states this year. Voters in Alaska and Missouri will consider raising their minimum wages to $15 an hour, while in California the minimum...
CA Prohibits ‘Captive Audience’ Meetings California Gov. Newsom (D) signed a bill ( SB 399 ) prohibiting businesses from requiring employees to attend employer-sponsored meetings concerning religious or political matters. The measure was one of nearly...