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Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Cuts and patriotism essays
With help from Lawrence Ukenye and PJI participant Diamy Wang QUICK FIX TIGHTEN THE PURSE: President Donald Trump wants the Department of Labor to do less. A lot less. Budget documents released Friday propose eliminating DOL's Women's Bureau, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Job Corps, while relocating the Bureau of Labor Statistics into the Commerce Department, as your host reported for Pro subscribers. BLS would also be put under the 'policy direction of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,' a change that has the potential to politicize its operations and unsettle Wall Street and others who rely on its reports. DOL would reduce headcount to roughly 10,800, down more than one quarter from the nearly 14,800 staffers at the tail end of the Biden administration. About 2,700 DOL employees are already headed out after accepting Trump's exit incentives, and DOL is trying to lay off hundreds at OFCCP. (That plan is on hold pending resolution of a lawsuit brought in California by labor unions and others.) The budget plan also proposes slashing funding at the Bureau of International Labor Affairs by close to 38 percent, while many other parts of the agency would also see less funding — including the Wage and Hour Division and Mine Safety and Health Administration — though to a much lesser degree. Both would see 10 percent reductions from their current levels. Some advocates have argued that these parts of DOL are already stretched too thin to effectively enforce federal law. For instance, WHD has just over 600 investigators to probe wage theft and child labor abuse nationwide — the fewest in more than half-century, according to a report released last week by Rutgers University and Northwestern University. One branch notably unaffected by the proposed cuts: Office of Labor-Management Standards, which imposes reporting requirements on labor unions, as well as employers that enlist anti-union consultants. OLMS' budget would stay at $49 million. 'The Budget focuses the Department on its highest priority functions and disinvests in programs that are wasteful, duplicative, unproven, non-essential, or ineffective,' the proposal states. Outside of DOL, both the National Labor Relations Board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are calling for less funding, though their cuts would be far smaller by comparison. The administration proposed a 4.7 percent reduction for the NLRB. The EEOC would get a nearly $20 million haircut to its $455 million funding level. Both agencies had faced furlough threats in recent years due to budget constraints. The NLRB plans to absorb the hit by reducing its headcount by nearly 100 people, mainly those who are taking advantage of the administration's deferred resignation program or early retirement offer. The EEOC's smaller budget is also notable because it would be tasked with enforcing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — which protects workers with disabilities from discrimination involving federal contractors — taking over from OFCCP. EEOC already handles other aspects of that law. Congress traditionally treats administration budget proposals merely as wish lists and draws up its own plans for the federal budget. But the Trump administration is going as far as it can — and then some, according to the Government Accountability Office— to put its vision in place unilaterally and essentially telling lawmakers to bless it retroactively, as evidenced by DOL's dismantling of OFCCP and Job Corps already underway. — Meanwhile, over at HHS: 'Trump cuts threaten safety training for America's most dangerous jobs,' from Reuters. GOOD MORNING. It's Monday, June 2. Welcome back to Morning Shift, your go-to tipsheet on labor and employment-related words: French ham trucks. Send feedback, tips and exclusives to nniedzwiadek@ lukenye@ rdugyala@ and gmott@ Follow us on X at @NickNiedz and @Lawrence_Ukenye. And Signal @nickniedz.94. ICYMI: The Conversation kicked off with Dr. Oz In the premiere episode of The Conversation, Dasha Burns sat down with Dr. Mehmet Oz — now leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — for a candid talk on drug prices, potential Medicaid cuts and why he's getting early morning calls from President Donald Trump. Plus, POLITICO's Jonathan Martin dished on the Ohio governor's race (featuring Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel), and Kyle Cheney unpacked Trump's legal battle over 'Liberation Day' tariffs. Watch the full episode on YouTube. And don't miss a moment — subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get new episodes when they drop. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. AROUND THE AGENCIES ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SERVICE: The Office of Personnel Management last week unveiled a pair of new policies toward the Trump administration's drastic shift in how workers are hired at the federal government. One deals with the Senior Executive Service, non-political appointees who hold some of the highest-ranking management roles in the civil service, and the other addresses the federal hiring system more broadly and is partially tied to a law passed in 2024 aimed at promoting skills-based hiring practices. Both are heavily infused with the Trump administration's anti-DEI ethos, and the latter of the two goes a step further to direct agencies to stop collecting or publishing demographic data of their workforces. The merit hiring plan also empowers political leadership to play a greater role throughout the hiring process, and lays out a series of essay questions for applicants to answer to gauge their patriotism — including one about which of the president's executive orders is 'significant' to them and how they'd work to carry it out. (Applicants also have to certify that they're not outsourcing their answers to AI.) The SES memo strips away some writing requirements to focus on resume-based initial screening. It also says that OPM is developing an 80-hour course for SES employees and aspirants lecturing them on 'President Trump's Executive Orders and other matters necessary to ensure that SES officials uphold the Constitution and the rule of law and effectively serve the American people.' OPM is looking to roll out that training program by Sept. 1. More agency news: 'Trump's fiscal 2026 budget would strip trans federal workers of insurance coverage,' from the Government Executive. Even more: 'Education Department Targets Pregnant, LGBTQ Staff Protections,' from Bloomberg. On The Hill HOW TRUMP GOT TO HAI: Trump's decision to green-light sale of U.S. Steel came after GOP lawmakers in Pennsylvania warned administration officials that blocking the deal could lead to staggering job losses throughout the Rust Belt. Reps. Mike Kelly and Dan Meuser were among several Pennsylvania Republicans who pressed the administration to change course after Trump routinely insisted on the campaign trail that he was opposed to the deal. Nippon recently announced it would increase its investment in U.S. Steel's infrastructure and ensured the company would remain based in the United States, although the White House has yet to confirm the details of the agreement. Former President Joe Biden moved to block the sale shortly before leaving office after unions, including the United Steelworkers, launched a fierce lobbying effort to keep the company domestically owned. Our Ari Hawkins and Meredith Lee Hill have more. More hill news: 'Josh Hawley and the Republican Effort to Love Labor,' from The New Yorker. In the Workplace DISPARATE IMPACT DISSIPATES: The Trump administration's decision to drop the use of data to demonstrate discriminatory effects is quickly having wide-ranging effects across agencies and in court. The disparate impact theory was designed as a way to cover instances where discriminatory intent is not overt or direct. 'The legal theory has been consistently recognized by the Supreme Court, written into federal regulations and enshrined in employment law by Congress. But President Donald Trump declared it unconstitutional in April, issuing an executive order that kicked off an intense review of civil rights regulations, enforcement actions and settled cases,' The Washington Post reports. The EEOC under acting Chair Andrea Lucas is among the agencies that has stopped relying on such analyses. More workplace news: "Don't Call It a Side Hustle. These Americans Are 'Polyworking',' from The New York Times. Even more: 'Pension fund investors demand Elon Musk work 40-hour week at Tesla,' from the Financial Times. IN THE STATES GIVING IT ANOTHER GO: California labor groups are attempting to take another stab at raising the state's minimum wage after a similar attempt narrowly failed last November, our Will McCarthy reports for Pro subscribers. The Living Wage for All campaign seeks to raise Los Angeles County's minimum wage to $25 an hour with hopes of eventually going statewide with a push for a $20 per hour wage as a likely floor. California's Prop 32, a ballot measure to raise the state's pay floor to $18 an hour, failed by slightly more than a percentage point. Advocates would need to file the initiative with the secretary of state's office later this year to begin gathering signatures in hopes of getting the question in front of voters next year. More states news: 'Backlog, dismissals continue to grow in Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries,' from the Salem Statesman Journal. Unions FIRST IN SHIFT: The AFL-CIO is launching a six-figure ad buy targeting several House Republicans over their support of the GOP's reconciliation package that includes cuts to Medicaid. The ads, which slam members' votes to 'gut Medicaid' as 'unacceptable,' will run on Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram and on local news sites. Republican lawmakers targeted by the organization's campaign include Reps. Scott Perry (Pa.), Nick Begich (Alaska), Max Miller (Ohio), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa), Derrick Van Orden (Wis.) and Tom Barrett (Mich.). TEACHER TRAINING: The American Federation of Teachers and CareerWise, a youth apprenticeship program, launched the Education and Apprenticeship Accelerator last week across six Democratic-led states to diversify workforce development opportunities for high school students. California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania signed on to the initiative, which aims to connect policymakers with educational organizations, unions and other industry partners to create increased apprenticeship offerings and awareness of these programs. GAO released a report Wednesday highlighting the benefits of apprenticeships and identifying federal programs that could provide such opportunities. More union news: 'Mulgrew wins reelection by smallest margin yet,' from our Madina Touré. WHAT WE'RE READING — 'How Trump's Regulatory Rollbacks Are Increasing Costs on Americans,' from The New York Times. — 'Targeting DOGE, labor group puts up billboards warning of heat deaths at national parks,' from NBC News. THAT'S YOUR SHIFT!
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
‘We're losing doctors every day': As Mass General Brigham primary care doctors vote on union, effort is slowed by Trump
Advertisement But MGB, the corporate parent of Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, MGB filed an appeal with the labor board last week challenging the makeup of the prospective bargaining unit, likely putting the matter in limbo indefinitely. That's because '[MGB is] appealing, knowing that cases won't be heard,' said Dr. Mark Eisenberg, a primary care doctor at Mass. General and one of the union organizers. 'They want to take away our democratic vote. They want to make doctors feel like it's hopeless to fight against a giant.' Advertisement MGB said in a May 21 memo to employees that its legal challenge 'isn't about the outcome of the election — it's about making sure the bargaining unit follows established legal guidelines.' The health system says the NLRB regional director in Boston erred by allowing 237 primary care doctors at 29 practices to vote on whether to form their own union. In fact, MGB says, as many as three-quarters of those physicians were ineligible to vote under NLRB rules because they work in practices that are integrated into acute-care hospitals with other kinds of doctors. Under the rules, MGB contends, the proposed union would have to include all physicians at those hospitals, an argument the regional director previously rejected. 'Even when there is a quorum [at NLRB], this is not an unusual strategy,' she said. 'But now [MGB leaders] get the added benefit that the delay is likely to be even longer because there's not even a chance of getting a decision right now.' The National Labor Relations Board seal at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg A week after his inauguration, Trump fired Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve on the NLRB, even though her term didn't expire until 2028. The Supreme Court on May 22 allowed Trump to remove Wilcox while legal proceedings over her firing move forward. With only two members, one below the minimum required to fully function, the NLRB is adrift. Advertisement The MGB union election comes as primary care faces a crisis in much of the nation and more doctors are organizing unions. In 2023, primary care physicians at Minneapolis-based Allina Health formed a chapter of the Doctors Council that included more than 600 members. They have been seeking a contract for over a year. 'This idea that attending physicians are more interested in organizing is a very recent phenomenon over the last two to three years,' said Dr. Kevin Schulman, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. From 2000 to 2022, attending physicians Although Massachusetts has some of the most coveted physicians in the world, primary care medicine is broken here, state officials said Among the woes identified by the Health Policy Commission: more patients reporting difficulty finding doctors; physicians struggling with workloads; an aging and burned-out workforce; short-staffed practices; and a meager pipeline of new clinicians. The outlook is unlikely to improve any time soon. Over the next decade, Economics explains the anemic growth. A newly minted doctor can graduate from medical school with over $200,000 in debt. To pay it off, many opt to become specialists, who typically earn much more than primary care doctors. (On average, a full-time family physician with 20 or more years in practice made $292,373 a year in the United States, according to 2022 data from the American Academy of Family Physicians.) Advertisement At MGB, primary care doctors say they are grappling with similar problems faced elsewhere plus some resulting from upheaval at their health system. In particular, they say, 'We have, drip by drip, lost resources and investment that had been given to primary care over the years,' said Dr. Michael Barnett, a primary care doctor at Brigham and a union organizer. 'We are just a chopping block when they need to save money.' Dr. Kristen Gunning, who has been a primary care physician at Mass. General for 17 years, said she had never considered joining a union before she began participating in the effort about 18 months ago. Gunning is considered a part-time employee because she sees patients for 16 hours a week and, in theory, performs four hours of administrative duties. In reality, she said, she works 45 to 50 hours a week because her duties continue to grow, with much of her work taking place before and after she sees patients. That includes answering questions from patients who call her or use the online portal, reading lab and diagnostic test results, reviewing cases of patients who have been hospitalized, calling in prescriptions, and dealing with insurance companies. Primary care doctors picket outside of Brigham and Women's Hospital on Dec. 13, 2024. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Gunning said Mass. General's leaders promised primary care doctors their first raise in 10 years last fall but withdrew the offer after the physicians petitioned the NLRB to let them form a union. (MGB says NLRB rules barred the system from changing salaries with a union election pending.) Some physicians are so frustrated, Gunning said, that they are retiring earlier than expected, leaving to work at other health systems, or starting concierge practices. Advertisement 'We're losing doctors every day,' she said. MGB says it recognizes the challenges facing primary care doctors and is taking ambitious steps to address them. Klibanski said the money will pay for more than 90 new support staffers and four more doctors. It will also provide more support for 'practices that serve highly complex patients, patients with social needs, and our aging population,' she wrote in an email to staff. The system also intends to create a new position, MGB chief of primary care. MGB gave few details on what else the investment will finance. Nor would the system say where it will get the money; it has complained of financial challenges and recently completed Barnett, like several other primary care doctors, said Klibanski made her announcement largely because of the impending vote to join the Doctors Council, which is part of the Service Employees International Union. (Klibanski says the health system held focus groups with primary care physicians early last year to hear about their challenges.) Advertisement Even if MGB bolsters primary care, said Barnett, an associate professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 'there's absolutely nothing stopping them from cutting it again.' That's why, he said, it's crucial for MGB and unionized doctors to negotiate improvements to primary care in a contract. The ballot-counting at the NLRB regional office on Friday will mark the third time that physicians at MGB have taken steps to form a union in the past two years. In June 2023, about 2,600 doctors-in-training at multiple MGB hospitals voted to join the Committee of Interns and Residents of the SEIU. (Last week, Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at
E&E News
5 days ago
- General
- E&E News
How the Supreme Court could undercut FERC independence
The Supreme Court's conservative supermajority recently dealt a blow to nearly a century of precedent that has prevented presidents from firing independent agency heads without cause. Last week, the court approved President Donald Trump's request to reverse a lower court's ruling that blocked Trump from firing members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). 'Because the Constitution vests the executive power in the President, he may remove without cause executive officers who exercise that power on his behalf, subject to narrow exceptions recognized by our precedents,' the court majority wrote. Advertisement The majority added that it did not 'ultimately decide' whether NLRB and MSPB fell within those narrow exceptions. But legal experts say the decision — made through the emergency or 'shadow' docket — signals that the Supreme Court is poised to undercut the historic independence of agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Wall Street Journal
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
A Supreme Court Showdown on Trump Firings
The Supreme Court on Thursday let President Trump fire two members of so-called independent agencies without ruling on the merits of their legal challenges. But even the liberal dissent seems resigned that the Court's Humphrey's Executor (1935) precedent is a dead letter. Mr. Trump has been testing the limits of executive power with the goal of teeing up cases for the Supreme Court to reconsider long-standing precedents. He succeeded with his removal of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Gwynne Wilcox and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) member Cathy Harris, who challenged their dismissal under Humphrey's Executor.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Whole Foods Union Certified by US in First for Amazon's Grocer
(Bloomberg) -- A union has been certified at a Whole Foods Market store in Philadelphia, marking a US first for the Inc. grocery chain. NY Private School Pleads for Donors to Stay Open After Declaring Bankruptcy Can Frank Gehry's 'Grand LA' Make Downtown Feel Like a Neighborhood? NYC's War on Trash Gets a Glam Squad UAE's AI University Aims to Become Stanford of the Gulf Chicago's O'Hare Airport Seeks Up to $4.3 Billion of Muni Debt The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board backed the union, overruling objections from Whole Foods, which, like other parts of Amazon, has campaigned against unionization among its staff. The decision tees up a legal battle. 'We strongly disagree with the conclusion and we will appeal,' Whole Foods said in a statement, saying the union 'illegally interfered with our team members' right to a fair vote' at the store. Employees at the Philadelphia site voted 130 to 100 in January to unionize with the United Food & Commercial Workers union. Whole Foods argued the result should be overturned, alleging the union made promises and provided free car rides to workers that prevented a fair election, and that a ruling by the labor board's Democratic members deprived the company of its rights. The union has denied wrongdoing. After hearing testimony from witnesses, an NLRB hearing officer recommended earlier this month that the company's objections be overruled. On Friday, the agency's regional director agreed. In a decision viewed by Bloomberg News, the NLRB regional director wrote that Whole Foods' 'objections are without merit,' and that UFCW now formally represents the store's employees. US law requires that companies negotiate in good faith with certified unions over their employees' pay and working conditions. Whole Foods can appeal the decision to the labor board's members in Washington DC, where the issue may remain in limbo. That body currently lacks the three-member quorum required to issue rulings, because President Donald Trump fired Democratic member Gwynne Wilcox. A federal district court judge ruled that termination was illegal, but a Thursday ruling from the US Supreme Court allows the president to oust her for now, while litigation continues in her case. Why Apple Still Hasn't Cracked AI How Coach Handbags Became a Gen Z Status Symbol Inside the First Stargate AI Data Center Anthropic Is Trying to Win the AI Race Without Losing Its Soul Microsoft's CEO on How AI Will Remake Every Company, Including His ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
