Labor News & Commentary December 6, George Washington University resident doctors vote to strike & more

https://onlabor.org/december-6-2024/

By Esther Ritchin Esther Ritchin is a student at Harvard Law School.

In today’s news and commentary, DOL attempts to abolish subminimum wage for workers with disabilities, AFGE reaches remote work agreement with SSA, and George Washington University resident doctors vote to strike.

This week, the Department of Labor proposed a rule to abolish the Fair Labor Standards Act’s Section 14(c) program, which allows employers to pay subminimum wage for employees with disabilities. The program currently covers just under 40,000 workers, about half of whom are paid $3.50 an hour or less–some less than a dollar–for tasks such as shredding documents and providing janitorial services. These employers, often known as “sheltered workshops,” employ people with disabilities separately from other workers. They have long been controversial, with many disability rights advocates calling them isolating and exploitative, while others laud the opportunities they provide.

The American Federation of Government Employees reached an agreement with the Social Security Administration (SSA) protecting hybrid work for its approximately 42,000 employees. This agreement reflects the existing policies of the SSA. This agreement may prove a roadblock to Trump’s planned Department of Government Efficiency, to be headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the latter having expressed intent to mandate in-person full time work for all government employees.

Earlier this week, resident doctors at George Washington University Hospital voted to strike, absent significant changes and concessions from the hospital. The main points of contention include raises to better reflect the cost of living and mental health services, the latter a significant demand in light of the suicide of a resident last year. 98% of residents voted to authorize the strike.