Politico

Their absence could hurt the broader U.S. economy, so policymakers are weighing ways to help them return to work.

“I think the gains of workers will be evanescent,” said Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), a former labor organizer and a strong voice in Congress for workers. “They will not last.”

Business groups have been pressing the federal agency to clarify whether employers could offer paid time off or even cash to encourage vaccination.

Guidance that nixes masks for the vaccinated appears at odds with pending OSHA regulations that were expected to mandate masks on the job.

The Biden administration is advancing emergency workplace safety rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after weeks of delay and growing pressure from Democrats and safety advocates.

The unions say the relief is needed because the Education Department’s existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has been plagued by problems and mismanagement.

The union drive could become a lightning rod for Democrats’ efforts to push through one of the broadest expansions of collective bargaining rights in nearly a century.

Charlotte Bennett’s lawyer told CNN that others who have experienced similar behavior by the New York governor have been in touch privately.

“We’re not going to let a few people stop it from happening,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said. “Its time has come. Its time is long past due to be enacted. And we’ll do it.”

We now know that the coronavirus can be carried farther than six feet by tiny airborne particles known as aerosols. The CDC and OSHA need to revamp safety rules to address that.

Robb said that if he followed through with Biden’s request it “would set an unfortunate precedent” for labor relations in the U.S.

Is it time to pay employers to train workers?

The president-elect favors Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, but the push to increase minority representation in the Cabinet could steer him elsewhere.

California’s labor secretary began her legal career fighting for Thai garment workers held captive in a Los Angeles sweatshop. Decades later, she’s in serious contention to join the Biden administration as secretary of the U.S. Labor Department, according to sources familiar with transition discussions.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and some of his organization’s largest affiliate unions are getting behind Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. But others are pushing Rep. Andy Levin.