Episodes
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WPI's Alex MacDonald returns to the podcast to discuss a "bipartisan" bill to allow the federal government to mandate first-contracts on private-sector employers.
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If the workers surrender control over working relations to legislative and administrative agents, they put their industrial liberty at the disposal of state agents. â Samuel Gompers, 1915
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On Tuesday, Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO), as well as Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Faster Labor Contracts Actâa bill that is endorsed by the Teamsters, which would put federally-mandated arbitrators in the position of dictating first-time labor contracts onto employers, employees, and unions.
The Faster Labor Contracts Act would:
Amend the National Labor Relations Act to require that after workers have voted to form a union, employers must begin negotiating with the new union within 10 days.Provide that if no agreement is reached within 90 days, the dispute will be referred to mediation.Stipulate that if mediation fails within 30 days, or additional periods agreed upon by the parties, the dispute will be referred to binding arbitration to secure an initial contract (view more details of this provision in highlights here).Commission a Government Accountability Office report on average workplace time-to-contract one year after enactment.Read the full highlighted bill here.
âThe Faster Labor Contracts Act is a massive expansion of the federal governmentâs authority over the private sector,â noted Kristen Swearingen, spoksperson for the Coalition for Democratic Workplace. âIt would allow government bureaucrats to dictate the employment terms of workers via mandatory, binding arbitration, meaning they can set the workersâ wages, benefits, workplace safety standards, pensions, and so on with no oversight by the workers, employers, unions, or even the judicial branch.â
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Alex MacDonald, Co-Chair of Littlerâs Workplace Policy Institute, joins host Peter List to discuss the ramifications of this bill if it becomes law.
Follow Alex MacDonald on LinkedIn here.
Follow Alex MacDonaldâs writings at the Federalist Society here.
Prior Labor Relations Radio episodes with Alex MacDonald:
Labor Relations Radio, E149: An Accidental Outcome? Alex MacDonald returns to discuss how the NLRA's success has__________________________
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James F. OâBrien is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley and has written about how the coming AI job apocalypse necessitates the need to look at alternative means of revenue, including taxing AI, to avoid mass societal disruption.
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Professor OâBrien joins host Peter List to discuss how fast AI is moving into our society, the âupstreamâ and âdownstreamâ effect and what they mean to all of us.
Related:
The impending AI-driven jobless economy: Who will pay taxes?The End of Required Work: Universal Basic Income and AI-Driven ProsperityMusk predicts future without jobs due to AI and proposes high universal income__________________________
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Missing episodes?
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A lot is going on in Washington, DC these days. In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Kristen Swearingen Vice President, Legislative & Political Affairs at the Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. and spokesperson for the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace joins host Peter List to discuss some of the issues, including the re-introduction of the PRO Act, Sen. Josh Hawleyâs âPRO Act-Liteâ framework, as well as President Trumpâs nominee to head the Department of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
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LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here. -
If the workers surrender control over working relations to legislative and administrative agents, they put their industrial liberty at the disposal of state agents. â Samuel Gompers, 1915
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Republican politicians' efforts to 'realign' with unions may, in fact, actually hurt American workers and free choice.
Mark Mix of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation rejoins the podcast to discuss Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Trumpâs nominee to become the Secretary of Labor, Senator Josh Hawleyâs (R-MO) efforts to âbend the kneeâ to unions, as well as a host of other labor-related issues.
Related:
Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 28âGuest Mark Mix of the National Right to Work Foundation__________________________
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Nearly two years after his first episode on Labor Relations Radio, economist Jon Morrow returns to discuss a wide array of topics: The topics range from the return of Donald Trump to the Presidency, the national debt, artificial intelligence, new nuclear power and desalinization plants, to the impacts of TikTok, Only Fans, and AI on our culture.
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Labor Relation Radio, E74âEconomist Jon Morrow on Declining Birth Rates, the Advent of AI, the State of the Economy and Culture
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President Trump's terminating NLRB General Counsel Abruzzo was expected; terminating NLRB Member Wilcox was not. WPI's Alex MacDonald explains the legal theories that may be behind the move.
On Monday, President Trump terminated the employment of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, which was widely expected.However, what was not expected was that Trump also fired NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox.
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Alex MacDonald, Co-Chair of Littlerâs Workplace Policy Institute, joins host Peter List to discuss the legal theory that may be behind the move.
Follow Alex MacDonald on LinkedIn here.
Follow Alex MacDonaldâs writings at the Federalist Society here.
Prior Labor Relations Radio episodes with Alex MacDonald:
Labor Relations Radio, E149: An Accidental Outcome? Alex MacDonald returns to discuss how the NLRA's success has resulted in fewer unions & what might happen under a new administration in DC.Labor Relations Radio E144âAlex MacDonald Explains How Unions' Right to"Exclusive Representation" May Be UnconstitutionalLabor Relations Radio E138 â Attorney Alex MacDonald On The Constitutionality Of 'Exclusive Representation'__________________________
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National Retail Federation's Ed Egee provides an update on some of the latest happenings in Washington, DC since Pres. Trump re-entered the Oval Office.
Mr. Edwin Egee, vice president, government relations and workforce development at the National Retail Federation. He is responsible for NRFâs policy agenda on labor, employment, immigration and health care. He manages NRFâs Employment Law and Benefits Committee.Though early in the new Trump Administration, Mr. Egee joins host Peter List to discuss the latest happenings in Washingtonâfrom President Trumpâs recent moves at the National Labor Relations Board, where specific cases stand, as well as immigration, and Senator Josh Hawleyâs pro-union (anti-worker) âframeworkâ for labor law changes.
Related:
Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 30âGuest: The National Retail Federation's Ed Egee on Underground Efforts To Install Electronic Voting and Card Check__________________________
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California Policy Center's Edward Ring and Retired Battalion Chief Frank Ricci discuss some of the issues that have contributed to the devastation of the California wildfires.
Recorded separately for YGTBFKMNews.comâs Daily News, Edward Ring, the director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center, and Frank Ricci, a retired firefighter, battalion chief, and union president, joined host Peter List to discuss the issues involved with the fires wreaking havoc and destruction across southern California.Related:
Ricci: Like Administrative Arson, Californiaâs Bad Ideas Spread Like Wildfires__________________________
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Connecting the dots from Carter's deregulation crusade nearly 45 years ago to the election of Donald Trump.
In a wide-ranging interview with Tucker Carlson, Teamstersâ President Sean OâBrien explained how the Democrats broke the Teamstersâ pension funds and expected to be thanked for fixing them 40 years later.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, host Peter List revisits the Carter legacy, and Democratsâ crusade to deregulate certain industries did more to decimate unions than Ronald Reagan ever did.
Related:
Worth a Watch: The Teamsters' Sean O'Brien Interview With Tucker CarlsonThe Decline of Unions, Part One: President Jimmy Carter, Union-Buster__________________________
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A discussion between two non-attorneys about the latest happenings at the National Labor Relations Board
There have been a lot of developments at the National Labor Relations Board since the November 5th election, and with President Trump returning to the White House in November, many expect the labor law pendulum to swing back to the right after January.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Labor Relations Instituteâs Michael VanDervort joins host Peter List to get caught up on some of the changes over the last several weeks and how the NLRB may change in the coming months and years under Trump 2.0.
Related:
Michael VanDervortâs DriveThru HR podcastLabor Relations Instituteâs Left of Boom Show__________________________
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A wide-ranging discussion on income inequality, the growth of artificial intelligence and its impact on society.
Erik Sherman is a freelance writer who reports on business, economics, finance, investing, markets, tech, law, commercial real estate, and income and wealth inequality. His credits include Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times Magazine, NBC News, CBS Moneywatch, Technology Review, The Fiscal Times, and Inc. He is also the author or co-author of 10 nonfiction books.In this episode, Erik joins host Peter List in the continuation of a conversation that began on X (formerly Twitter) about AI and economics.
To follow Erik Sherman:
Erik Sherman at ForbesErik Sherman at SubstackErik Sherman on X (formerly Twitter)__________________________
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Picking a PRO-Act supporting, amnesty and Big Government-loving, one-term Congresswoman as the next labor secretary has many people scratching their heads.
On Friday evening, much to the surprise of the business community and millions of independent contractors, President-elect Donald Trump nominated a one-term Congresswoman, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore), to become Trumpâs Secretary of Labor.Despite her seeming lack of qualifications, Chavez-DeRemerâs pick is surprising to many people due to herâŠ
Backing of the PRO ActSupport for nationalizing public-sector labor lawReported backing of amnesty for undocumented migrantsAs the nomination was fully supported by the Teamstersâ union president Sean OâBrien, the Wall Street Journal editorial board even penned a piece entitled: Trumpâs Labor Choice: Unions Over Workers.
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Jennifer Van Laar, the managing editor of RedState.com joins host Peter List to discuss Trumpâs puzzling pick.
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Teamsters' President Sean O'Brienâand the AFT's Randi Weingartenâwant a pro-union former Congresswoman to head Donald Trump's Department of Labor.
Teamsters President Sean OâBrien is recommending Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican, to lead the Department of Labor under the incoming Trump administration.She is an odd choice for Trump to consider, given her backing of the economy-destroying PRO Act, and she has already garnered much criticism from many people and groups, including independent contractor advocates.
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michael Saltsman, a partner with Berman & Co. joins host Peter List to discuss what is driving the push behind Chavez-DeRemer, as well as why she would be a bad choice for the incoming Trump administration.
Related:
Teamsters president pushing Chavez-DeRemer for Labor secretaryLori Chavez-DeRemer touted for US Labor SecretaryEmployers' group tees off on Chavez-DeRemer amid Labor secretary chatterDonât Let the Teamsters Pick the Labor SecretaryIndependent Contractors Sound the Alarm: PRO-Act Sponsor Lori-Chavez-DeRemer Is Not Fit to Be Labor SecyMake America Work Again__________________________
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The NLRB, in overturning a 78-year-old precedent, pushes the pendulum even further to the left.
Though not unexpected, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its long-awaited decision, which bans employers from conducting so-called âcaptive-audienceâ (aka mandatory) meetings with their employees during union organizing campaigns.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, labor attorney Mike Carrouth, from the law firm Fisher Phillips, shares the basics in what employers are allowed and not allowed to do under this new ruling.
Note: Nothing in this episode of Labor Relations Radio should be construed as legal advice. If you, as an employer, have union-related questions or issues, please seek advice from a labor attorney.
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Employers and their agents beware: You will now be held accountable if you do not correctly explain the NLRA's Section 9(a) when speaking with employees.
Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision in Siren Retail Corp d/b/a Starbucks, overruling Tri-Cast, Inc., 274 NLRB 377 (1985) and clarifying the test that the Board will use to evaluate whether employer predictions about the impact of unionization on the relationship between individual employees and their employer are unlawful threats.Under the new ruling, if an employer (or its agents) does not carefully parse out their statements to employees regarding Section 9(a), moving forward, the NLRB will now find that the employer has issued a threat.
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Phil Wilson, President of LRI Consulting Services, Inc. (LRICS) and Approachable Leadership, returns to the podcast to discuss the ramifications of the NLRBâs new decision, as well as what is ahead with a new NLRB under Trump 2.0.
Prior episodes with Phil Wilson:
Labor Relations Radio E129âLRI's Phil Wilson on an NLRB ALJ's Outrageous Ruling Against Free SpeechLabor Relations Radio, E97âLRI's Phil Wilson & Michael VanDervort on the new Left of Boom podcastLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 64âLRI's Phil Wilson on Recent NLRB Developments and Union Organizing TrendsLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 40âLRI's Phil Wilson on the State of the Post-Pandemic Workplace__________________________
LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here. -
Picking a PRO-Act supporting, amnesty and Big Government-loving, one-term Congresswoman as the next labor secretary has many people scratching their heads.
On Friday evening, much to the surprise of the business community and millions of independent contractors, President-elect Donald Trump nominated a one-term Congresswoman, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore), to become Trumpâs Secretary of Labor.Despite her seeming lack of qualifications, Chavez-DeRemerâs pick is surprising to many people due to herâŠ
Backing of the PRO ActSupport for nationalizing public-sector labor lawReported backing of amnesty for undocumented migrantsAs the nomination was fully supported by the Teamstersâ union president Sean OâBrien, the Wall Street Journal editorial board even penned a piece entitled: Trumpâs Labor Choice: Unions Over Workers.
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Jennifer Van Laar, the managing editor of RedState.com joins host Peter List to discuss Trumpâs puzzling pick.
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With the election of Donald Trump to become the 47th President of the United States, both employers and unions should expect yet another pendulum swing in labor law.
In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Jon Hyman, a shareholder with Wickens Herzer Panza shares some insights as to what we might see coming in 2025.
Related Links:
Jon Hymanâs Ohio Employer Law BlogJon Hyman on LinkedIn.comThe Norah and Dad ShowLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 18: GuestâThe 'Master of Workplace Schadenfreude,' Attorney Jon Hyman on why 'anti-union doesn't mean anti-worker'Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 21âGuest: Attorney Jon Hyman On What HR Can Take Away From The NLRB's Starbucks ComplaintLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 36: Guest Jon Hyman on Weingarten Rights, What They Are And How They're Likely Coming Back To Non-Union WorkplacesLabor Relations Radio, E86âGuest Jon Hyman on the Existential Impact of Artificial Intelligence__________________________
LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here. -
Plus, Elon Musk's victory at the Fifth Circuit
With the November 5th elections right around the corner, employers and unions alike are girding themselves for what could be a very consequential outcome.In this, the 150th episode of Labor Relations Radio, labor attorney and returning guest Cary Burke joins host Peter List to discuss Elon Muskâs recent victory at the Fifth Circuit over an old tweet, as well as potential labor relations outcomes if Kamala Harris or Donald Trump win the presidency.
Other Labor Relations Episodes with Cary Burke:
Labor Relations Radio, E95âSeyfarth Shaw's Cary Burke on the 'retroactivity' of Cemex Bargaining Orders and moreLabor Relations Radio, E130âAttorney Cary Burke on a Potential Cemex Bargaining Order At Mercedes & 'Spying' on LinkedIn__________________________
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âIt is declared to be the policy of the United States to eliminate the causes of certain substantial obstructions to the free flow of commerce and to mitigate and eliminate these obstructions when they have occurred by encouraging the practice and procedure of collective bargaining and by protecting the exercise by workers of full freedom of association, self- organization, and designation of representatives of their own choosing, for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment or other mutual aid or protection.â â National Labor Relations Act
Labor attorney Alex MacDonald from Littlerâs Workplace Policy Institute returns to the podcast to discuss his article The Accidental Success of the NLRA: How a Law about Unions Achieved Its Goals by Giving Us Fewer Unions.
Read more of Alexâs writings at the Federalist Society here.
Labor Relations Radio E144âAlex MacDonald Explains How Unions' Right to"Exclusive Representation" May Be UnconstitutionalLabor Relations Radio E138 â Attorney Alex MacDonald On The Constitutionality Of 'Exclusive Representation'LISTEN TO AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE YGTBFKM PODCAST
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Millions of Americans' careers are on the line in this election. Yet, no one is talking about the War on Independent Contractors
Returning guest Kim Kavin, a freelance writer, editor and co-founder of Fight for Freelancers has a new Substack: FreelanceBusting.com.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Kim Kavin joins host Peter List to discuss where the battle against the freelance busters stands during this election cycle.
Be sure to subscribe to Kimâs Substack here.
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