David Madland

State Rideshare Collective Bargaining Policies Hold Great Promise A state model will test whether a simpler path to a union and sectoral bargaining can build power for Uber and Lyft drivers and improve jobs in the industry.

For more background on this new policy see:
www.governing.com/workforce/ca...

www.americanprogress.org/article/stat...

Governor Newsom signs landmark worker legislation, in stark contrast to Trump’s assault on workers and government shutdown | Governor of California

www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/03/g...

The Working Class Wants Policymakers To Reward Work and Listen to Their Values Research and events from the American Worker Project and others show that working-class families are struggling and want elected officials to focus on rewarding work while also representing their posi...

www.americanprogressaction.org/article/the-...

Will certainly be interesting to see how much Starbucks store closures overlap with unionized stores.

Majorities of adults see decline of union membership as bad for the U.S. and working people The share of U.S. workers who belonged to a union in 2024 stood at 9.9%, down from 1983 when 20.1% of American workers were union members.

www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Trump Takes Aim at Minimum Wage The current administration continues its assault on the working class.

With all the noise it has been easy to miss the ways Trump has been undermining minimum wage protections
progressive.org/op-eds/trump...

California Will Revolutionize Rideshare Industry With New Union Policy A forthcoming state law will create the single largest new pool of workers with collective bargaining rights in decades.

www.governing.com/workforce/ca...

Public Officials Should Use Their Bully Pulpit To Support Worker Organizing and Bargaining Pro-worker policymakers should use public and private rhetoric to support organizing campaigns and ensure government spending creates high-quality union jobs.

The bully pulpit can have real impact
www.americanprogress.org/article/publ...

Good move by @gallego.senate.gov leading 15 Senators to fight union busting by using the power of the bully pulpit
www.gallego.senate.gov/press-releas...

Here's the key graph showing a large increase in collective bargaining coverage after labor reforms

Australian Sectoral Bargaining Reforms Show Early Promise Recently adopted labor reforms in Australia have helped increase collective bargaining coverage, union membership, and wage growth and may serve as a model for pro-labor advocates in the United States...

New report showing recently adopted labor reforms in Australia have helped increase collective bargaining coverage, union membership, and wage growth and may serve as a model for pro-labor advocates in the United States. www.americanprogress.org/article/aust...

SEIU California | 800,000 CA Rideshare Drivers’ Fight for Union Rights Enters Final Stretch as Senate Passes Landmark Legislation (AB 1340, Wicks, Berman) he Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California today applauded State Senators for supporting Assembly Bill 1340 (Wicks, Berman) to give California’s more than 800,000…

This is HISTORY. 800,000 rideshare drivers are on the verge of winning their union rights. The Senate just passed #AB1340. After a quick assm concurrence vote, it heads directly to Governor @GavinNewsom. Workers fought, organized and WON. #CaLeg

seiuca.org/press-releas...

Maybe the will come around on collective bargaining and realize that sectoral bargaining improves working conditions and creates a level playing field

I agree with McDonald's efforts to create a more level playing field
www.msn.com/en-us/food-a...

www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

The wealth returns to a unionized career Abstract. Drawing on power resources theory and life course theories of cumulative advantage, this article examines the wealth returns to a unionized caree

New study on unions and wealth
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...

State Rideshare Collective Bargaining Policies Hold Great Promise A state model will test whether a simpler path to a union and sectoral bargaining can build power for Uber and Lyft drivers and improve jobs in the industry.

For background on the rideshare collective bargaining policy see www.americanprogress.org/article/stat...

This stands in stark contrast with President Trump’s efforts to take away bargaining rights from over 1 million federal workers -- the largest single action of union-busting in American history.

The California rideshare bill would enable one of the biggest union organizing drives in American history.

Rideshare drivers in California are on track to gain power and a sorely-need path to improve their wages, benefits, and safety.

California is moving forward with a historic bill to ensure Uber and Lyft drivers can form a union and bargain collectively, modeled on a groundbreaking Massachusetts law.

Newsom, California lawmakers strike deal that would allow Uber, Lyft drivers to unionize Gov. Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers on Friday announced a deal with Uber and Lyft on a bill that would allow hundreds of thousands of rideshare drivers to form unions and bargain collectively w...

www.latimes.com/california/s...

3.7 million: The number of domestic workers who could lose minimum wage and overtime protections
212 days: How long the National Labor Relations Board has been without a quorum
37,000: The number of manufacturing jobs lost since "Liberation Day"

Here are 5 numbers that show what the administration is up to this Labor Day:
81.8 percent: The number of federal workers who lost collective bargaining rights
$9,256: Cut to the annual federal contractor minimum wage

An Unhappy Labor Day at the NLRB As the country pauses on Labor Day to honor the contributions of workers and the labor movement, the government watchdog that is responsible for

Great update on goings on with the NLRB - with key point: Hypothetically, the president could now stop the NLRB from pursuing a charge against a company owned by a political ally, or prevent a union from being certified at a company owned by a presidential donor.
tcf.org/content/comm...

Trump Says He Is Removing Fed Governor Lisa Cook In a letter posted online Monday night, Trump said he had determined there is “sufficient cause” to remove Cook from her position.

Trump will hurt the U.S. economy. Banana Republic level of abuse of power will bring down even to the richest country in the world.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

A Federal Appellate Court Finds the NLRB to Be Unconstitutional And just like that, it frees Elon Musk—and any fellow employers—to violate whatever rights their workers thought they enjoyed.

Elon Musk finally found a court that accepts his ridiculous argument that the NLRB is unconstitutional. No surprise that it’s the far-right Fifth Circuit. From Harold Meyerson:
trib.al/cvhRAPF

How artificial intelligence uncouples hard work from fair wages through ‘surveillance pay’ practices—and how to fix it How surveillance pay practices work, where they are increasingly deployed in the U.S. economy, and policy recommendations to ensure pay fairness and transparency.

Algorithmic wage discrimination was first documented in app-controlled ride-hail and food-delivery work.

Read more on how surveillance pay works and where it is deployed in the U.S. economy, along with recommendations to ensure fairness in setting workers’ pay:
equitablegrowth.org/how-artifici...

Just an early reminder to submit proposals by November 15
lera.memberclicks.net/assets/image...

Great update on how small differences between Canadian and US labor law can really help workers unionize. Now, will the unionized Uber and Amazon workers in Canada get a contract?