Skip to main content

Breaking: Democrats Drop Plans to Include Paid Leave In Proposed Tax & Spending Plan


Late this afternoon, it was announced that Democrats were dropping plans to include a planned twelve weeks of paid leave from a proposed tax and spending plan working its way through Congress.

As some readers might have heard, Congressional Democrats have been in negotiations over the size and scope of a proposed tax and spending plan for several weeks now.  While there has been broad consensus among Democrats about the need to approve a tax and spending plan while they have majority control of the House, Senate, and White House (and can approve such a measure without Republican support), the point of contention among Democrats has been about the size (and cost) of the tax and spending plan.

It has been reported that Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have been the two Democratic hold ups in negotiations.  Both Senators Manchin and Sinema have been reported to favor a lower tax and spending plan.  In doing so, that would require something (or multiple things) to be cut from the tax and spending plan…with paid leave recently being placed on the chopping block.  While there was talk of reducing the paid leave to four weeks and some hope that paid family leave (but not paid sick leave) could survive negotiations, it appears paid leave is off the table in its entirely.

Granted, I would not call this the end of the road for those hoping that Congress approves some sort of paid leave legislation.  (After all, as recently as a few years ago, Republicans were voicing their support for paid leave.)  However, for the time being, it appears paid leave will not make it into this tax and spending plan.


For additional information:  The point of contention among Democrats has been about the size (and cost) of the tax and spending plan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...
Post a Comment
Read more

Distance in a Non-Compete Agreement Measured "As the Crow Flies"

Ginn v. Stonecreek Dental Care - Court of Appeals, Twelfth Appellate District of Ohio Facts :  Dr. R. Douglas Martin ("Martin") sold his dental practice to an employee who worked there, Dr. David Ginn ("Ginn").  In doing so, Martin and Ginn signed a contract for the sale which contained a non-compete provision that prohibited Martin from engaging in business "within 30 miles" of the practice for five years starting from October 2010.  While Martin initially stayed on and worked with Ginn for a period, the relationship subsequently deteriorated between the two and Martin went to work for another dental office.  The new dental office was less than 30 miles away when measuring the distance in a straight line.  However, when driving between the offices, the distance was more than 30 miles. Ginn filed a claim against Martin on the grounds that Martin breached the non-compete.   At the trial court level, the court found that "within 30 miles"...
Post a Comment
Read more