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What I've Been Reading This Week


Book ending this week with a couple work trips to Dallas, so I have had a bit of extra time on the flights to read through some great articles.  I would highlight the lack of action on Alexander Acosta's nomination to become to next Labor Secretary.  However, with Congress not having voted on the nomination before they left for their two week break, there is little to discuss about that topic for the time being.  With that being said, an article that addressed how President Trump's 'infamous' tape is now part of the 21st Century Fox's HR training program was quite interesting (& perhaps timely for those in the HR field).

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


21st Century Fox Utilizes President Trump's Tape in its HR Program

Back in October, readers might recall a certain tape that leaked in which then presidential candidate Donald Trump made some off color comments in regard to women.  What was dubbed 'locker room talk' threatened his candidacy and became news fodder over subsequent days.  After all that, it appears that 21st Century Fox's HR department has started to utilize this tape in its HR programs, specifically in regard to what not to say or do in the workplace.  Interesting, to say the least, that President Trump has become a key focal point in corporate HR programs...


USAA Raises Hourly Wage Rates & Introduces New Parental Leave Policy

Earlier this week it was announced that USAA is raising its hourly wage rates to $16/hour (well above the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25/hour) and will also offer its employees 12 weeks of paid time off when a child is born or adopted.  To call this move unprecedented is a bit of an understatement.  While the "Fight for $15" movement has been prevalent throughout the country, seeing wages rise to $16/hour with this company is quite the jump (and could it be a catalyst for other companies to follow suit?)  Of course, that is not even mentioning the generous paid parental leave policy that will go into effect in July.  While other companies have taken steps to raise wage rates or offer expanded parental leave plans, this is certainly a one-two punch to tackle two major issues at once.


The "Fight for $15" Movement Faces Continued Struggle

Speaking of the "Fight for $15" movement, Michael Saltsman wrote an article for CNBC in which he makes the argument that while states are continuing to record victories against the "Fight for $15" movement, it appears this minimum wage fight might be losing steam.  After a Democratic mayor in Baltimore recently vetoed  $15/hour wage legislation and Iowa passed a law that rolls back minimum wage hikes (and sets a flat rate across the state), among other developments, the suggestion has been made that the money spent to support minimum wage hikes might not be translating into actual results.  Take for instance the Service Employees International Union ("SEIU") which has spent tens of millions of dollars on the "Fight for $15" movement:  Without a major victory to justify this spending, it has become unclear whether the SEIU (and other supporters of minimum wage hikes) will keep spending this type of money on the "Fight for $15" movement...


President Trump Continues to Make a Play For Union Workers & Leaders

Similar to President Ronald Reagan, President Trump continues to make major strides in the organized labor community by seeking to make inroads with the labor movement.  As Steven Greenhouse at The New York Times writes, although organized labor has seen a well documented decline in recent years, this demographic still has a great deal of political sway, something that Presidemt Trump appears to recognize.  By working to become the 'blue collar president', since his election, President Trump has made several well documented (and arguably successful) efforts to woo union workers and leaders into the Republican column.  This is certainly one of the more in depth and well researched articles that I have read on the topic as of late.

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