Episode Transcript
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Welcome back to Unbiased! Your
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favorite source of unbiased news
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and legal analysis. Welcome.
0:07
Back to unbiased. Today is Tuesday, April twenty
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third. This is your daily news rundown. You
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already know the drill If you love what
0:14
you here today and you absolutely love that
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this podcast is unbiased and leaves you feeling
0:18
informed, please go ahead and leave my show
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a review on whatever platform you listen. Sure
0:23
the show with your friends it for watching
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on you tube. Hit that thumbs up and
0:28
subscribe to the channel. All of the things
0:30
that really helped me in today's episode will
0:32
soar with an update from yesterday's episode and
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the will touch on a few stories from
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today. Of this is a little
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bit shorter of an episode. There just
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wasn't much going on today, But that's
0:43
okay because I have my work cut
0:45
out for me tomorrow. And Thursday the
0:47
Supreme court is hearing arguments in to
0:50
pretty controversial cases. Tomorrow's case presents a
0:52
question of whether Am Tala preempts Idaho's
0:54
enactment of a near total abortion man,
0:56
and then Thursday is Trump's presidential immunity
0:58
case, so a lot going on with
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that. I'm okay with, say, being a
1:02
slow day, so without and without further
1:05
ado, let's get into to these stories.
1:07
In yesterday's episode, I briefly touched on
1:09
the situation at Columbia University and the
1:12
switch to virtual class amid the protests
1:14
against the war in Gaza. I said
1:16
I wasn't sure how long the virtual
1:18
class situation was going to be in
1:21
effect, but last night we got in
1:23
Update: So the university released a statement
1:25
that said all classes on Columbia's Mean
1:27
Cat campus would remain hybrid it through
1:30
the end of the semester, with the
1:32
arts programs and practice based programs being
1:34
the exception. Now, without said, there's a
1:36
less. Than a week of classes left.
1:38
So April twenty ninth is the last day
1:41
of classes before finals start on May Third
1:43
and and on May tenth. So I would
1:45
imagine that maybe finals are sort of held
1:47
remotely or in that hybrid situation as well
1:50
for those students who maybe don't feel comfortable
1:52
coming to campus because I do think exams
1:54
are still considered part of the regular semester.
1:57
But all of this to say that is
1:59
the most. Update and the current
2:01
semester is almost over. Now today, the
2:03
Supreme Court heard oral arguments and a
2:06
kid could. Starbucks vs Mckinney And the
2:08
reason I wanted to cover this is
2:10
because some of the headline surrounding this
2:13
case had been a little bit
2:15
misleading. For instance or Reuters headline
2:17
reads: the United States Supreme Court
2:19
examined filings of pro union Starbucks workers
2:21
that's not necessarily true and pr a
2:23
little bit closer. There have been said
2:26
what the Starbucks case at the Supreme
2:28
Court is all about. Hint: It's
2:30
not coffee and it's not coffees. This
2:32
isn't a case about coffee and this
2:35
is not. It's definitely not a case
2:37
about whether to be twenty twenty two.
2:39
Firing of union workers was permissible or
2:41
constitutional. This the suit is a procedural
2:43
disputes of. This is a case that
2:46
you will learn about as a first
2:48
year law student when learning about preliminary
2:50
injunctions and court procedure. The actual involvement
2:52
of Starbucks in this case is pretty
2:55
irrelevant aside from the fact that it's
2:57
a party to the case. But let's
2:59
briefly talk. About it anyway, because
3:01
I want to make sure we're
3:03
all on the same page. So
3:06
the parties involved here are Starbucks
3:08
and the National Labor Relations Board,
3:10
which is responsible for investigating allegations
3:12
of wrongdoing brought by workers, unions,
3:14
and employers. So in January of
3:17
twenty twenty two, seven Starbucks workers
3:19
in Memphis, Tennessee, five of which
3:21
were union workers, were fired. Now,
3:23
these workers had invited a news
3:26
crew into the Starbucks or After
3:28
Hours to promote a unionization. Drive.
3:30
So after this or her clothes
3:32
for the day is employees came
3:34
back on lock the sore at
3:36
let the news crew an locks
3:38
the door behind them and then
3:40
spent roughly an hour participating in
3:42
unionization related interviews. Long story short,
3:44
Starbucks finds out about you know
3:47
the situation fires the employees for
3:49
violating company policy. It's an avid
3:51
as employees were fired the employees
3:53
filed charges with the National Labor
3:55
Relations Board alleging Starbucks had committed
3:57
unfairly were practices by firing them.
4:00
I know. Rb National Labor Relations
4:02
Board then files and I'm in
4:04
administrative complain on behalf of the
4:07
employees and subsequently petitions a Federal
4:09
district court for a preliminary injunction
4:11
pending the resolution of the case.
4:13
The the authority to do this
4:16
comes from the National Labor Relations
4:18
Act specifically Section Tenant J. Sections
4:20
Nj games the Nlrb, the ability
4:23
to seek a preliminary and function
4:25
from a court when labor disputes
4:27
are pending. I've spoken about preliminary
4:30
injunction. Before let me refresh your memory
4:32
of it's up coming to mind I will
4:34
touch on two instances. Where are you may
4:36
see are: preliminary injunction come into Play Solitaire
4:39
You file a lawsuit against someone because that
4:41
person is is actively doing something that you
4:43
have an issue us. Because.
4:45
The lawsuit takes a very long time
4:47
to resolve Rate the these losses can
4:49
take a long time. You can ask
4:52
a judge for a preliminary injunction if
4:54
you get this request granted it will
4:56
a centrally order the person you're suing
4:58
to stop whatever they're doing until the
5:00
court issues of final ruling in the
5:02
case. Oh another and since where we
5:04
may see a preliminary injunction come into
5:06
play as on appeal on this one
5:08
we have definitely talked about the let's
5:10
say you lose the case but you
5:12
want to appeal. When you appeal you
5:14
can ask. For a preliminary injunction at
5:17
which Will be sickly, put the lower
5:19
court's ruling on hold while the appeal
5:21
plays out. So those are a couple
5:23
of instances where a preliminary injunction may
5:26
be sought. It's essentially a temporary stopover.
5:29
In this case the National Labor
5:31
Relations Board was were passing through
5:33
an injunction and at this among
5:35
other things right they requested a
5:37
bunch of things. The one of
5:39
the things that the and function
5:41
with seeking to do was require
5:43
Starbucks to reinstate be terminated employees.
5:45
While this labor dispute with pending.
5:48
Now, traditionally, when you seek out a
5:50
preliminary injunction, there are four factors that
5:53
a court will consider when deciding whether
5:55
to grant or deny your requests. But
5:57
when it comes to waver to see.
6:00
Or request for an injunction. Any
6:02
labor disputes. it's called a ten J
6:05
injunction because of the particular started that
6:07
governs it's courts use a different standard
6:09
so it's no law. No longer
6:11
that for five or test it become
6:14
sort of a two pronged and service
6:16
says that this to contest is too
6:18
lenient and it makes it easier for
6:21
the Nlrb to harder injunction requests
6:23
granted. So. In a traditional court
6:25
case, the court, like I said, look
6:27
at poor factors. One is there a
6:29
likelihood of success on the merits of
6:32
the case? So once all arguments are
6:34
heard, is the party requesting the injunction
6:36
likely to succeed? To whether
6:38
the party requesting me and
6:41
Seung Sahn will suffer irreparable
6:43
harm with out the injunction.
6:46
Number. Three is whether the Balance
6:48
of Equities tips and be requesting
6:50
parties fever and number four is
6:52
weird as the public interest law
6:55
does the public's interest lie in
6:57
granting me injunction or denying the
6:59
injunction requests so doubtful courts consider
7:02
when it's are typical court case.
7:04
But when it comes to labor
7:06
disputes court supply what is sometimes
7:09
called the just and Proper test
7:11
and the Just Improper test is
7:13
specifically support in section Ten J.
7:16
Of the National Labor Relations Act and
7:18
itself at the test is set forth
7:20
in the sense as you know it
7:22
tells a court what questions to ask
7:24
but with the law says is this
7:27
is as upon the filing have any
7:29
such petition by the Nlrb, the court
7:31
has jurisdiction to grant the and L
7:33
R be released as it deems just
7:35
and proper. So what the court below
7:37
in the service case did when deciding
7:40
whether to grant or deny the and
7:42
L R Bees and Drunks and request
7:44
is it looked at two factors. It
7:46
looked at whether there is reasonable
7:49
cause to believe in unfair labor
7:51
practice has occurred, and it also
7:53
looked at whether the injunctive relief
7:56
is just and proper. And again,
7:58
Starbucks as a. That is too
8:01
easy. and based on that two
8:03
prong tests, the National Labor Relations
8:05
Board bowl win on their requests
8:07
for an injunction nearly every time.
8:09
The Starbucks as we need to
8:11
start applying the traditional for soccer,
8:13
tennis to labor disputes and get
8:15
rid of the just and proper
8:17
two pronged. So the question for
8:19
the court here is whether a
8:21
port, when assessing a preliminary injunction
8:23
replaced in a labor disputes must
8:25
use the traditional for prom test
8:27
or whether Ten J injunctions are
8:29
subject. To a different, more lenient standards,
8:31
we will likely have a decision from
8:34
the justices in June, perhaps earlier, but
8:36
it's looking like June at this rate.
8:38
And just to kind of be as
8:40
clear as possible if the justices rule
8:43
in favor of the an hour beats,
8:45
nothing really changes, and the standard in
8:47
obtaining a ten day and junction when
8:50
it comes to labor disputes remains what
8:52
it currently is. However, if the justices
8:54
ruled in favor of Starbucks, it'll become
8:56
more difficult for the Nlrb to obtain
8:59
injunctions, So dots. With the Faucet is
9:01
all about Not about coffee. Know that
9:03
whether these these employees for were wrongfully
9:05
terminated it's a procedural disputes. Onto
9:07
the next sorry the deal J
9:09
announced a one hundred and thirty
9:11
eight point seven million dollar settlement
9:13
with the victims of disgraced former
9:16
Usa Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. In.
9:18
A statement posted it to the
9:20
deities website. The D O J
9:22
wrote quote these settlements will resolve
9:24
administrative claims against the United States
9:26
alleging that the Sp I fail
9:28
to conduct in adequate investigation of
9:30
Nasr conduct. In July Twenty Twenty
9:33
one, the Department's Office of the
9:35
Inspector General issued a report critical
9:37
of certain aspects of the As
9:39
The Eyes response to an investigation
9:41
of allegations against Nasr. The settlement
9:43
agreements which have been approved by
9:45
the Department resolve one hundred and
9:47
thirty. Nine claims for a total
9:50
of one hundred and thirty eight
9:52
point seven million dollars to be
9:54
distributed to the claimants and quotes.
9:56
So. Those one hundred and thirty
9:58
nine it claims. Referenced in the
10:01
Deity Steam and were filed by
10:03
various athletes and patience of Larry
10:05
Nassar against the D O J
10:07
and As The Eyes in Total
10:09
Bs Cleans assault roughly a billion
10:11
dollars and the reason these claims
10:13
are brought his because this watchdog
10:15
report found that the As the
10:17
I hide it in the F
10:19
B I was notified of Nasser
10:21
sexual misconduct but failed to act
10:23
on it for more than fourteen
10:25
months and then once the agents
10:27
did ask on it and good
10:29
start investigating. There were a
10:31
fundamental errors and violations of multiple
10:34
As the I policies. So following
10:36
this watchdog report the victim fall
10:38
various claims against the Deirdre in
10:40
As the Ice and this settlement
10:42
is that is those agencies that
10:45
E O J F B I
10:47
resolving those disputes and compensating the
10:49
victims for their failures be fun
10:51
for each day Is that the
10:54
Biden Administration announced a new rule
10:56
this afternoon which will extend mandatory
10:58
overtime pay to millions. More salaried
11:00
workers starting July first. So here's
11:03
how it'll work starting July. Fourth,
11:05
Employers will be required to pay
11:07
overtime to those employees that earn
11:10
a salary of less than forty
11:12
three thousand and eight hundred and
11:14
eighty eight dollars per year and
11:17
work more than forty hours per
11:19
week. then on January first of
11:21
next year or. Of. Twenty Twenty
11:24
Five, the salary threshold increases to Fifty
11:26
Eight thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Six.
11:28
Then in Twenty Twenty Seven, this salary
11:30
threshold will automatically increase every three years
11:33
to reflect changes in average earnings. So
11:35
this overtime pay requirement won't not extend
11:37
to workers that are put our really
11:39
it only extends to those on an
11:41
annual salary and of course only tix
11:44
and once and employees or passes forty
11:46
working hours in a week. Now for
11:48
the question I'm sure a lot of
11:50
you have How is this different? Them
11:52
where things. And currently, how does
11:55
this change things? Or currently the
11:57
salary threshold is thirty Five Thousand
11:59
Five hundred. Sixty Eight Dollars. annually. This
12:01
is set in Twenty Twenty by the Trump.
12:03
Administration. So under that rule, those employees
12:05
who work more than forty hours a
12:08
week and earn less than thirty five
12:10
thousand, five hundred and sixty dollars annually
12:12
to receive overtime pay from their employers.
12:15
But this new rule increases the current
12:17
threshold by about eighty four hundred dollars
12:19
for in July First it then increases
12:22
by another fourteen thousand and eight hundred
12:24
starting January first. And then obviously you
12:26
have the subsequent increases every three years
12:29
serving and twenty twenty seven. Now, couple
12:31
of other things that are worth. Mentioning
12:33
his one under federal law, overtime
12:36
pay is one and a half
12:38
times the regular pay rates to.
12:40
Even. If a salary worker earns
12:43
over, the salaries are sold that
12:45
employ. You may still be eligible
12:47
for overtime pay as long as
12:49
they don't primarily perform management related
12:51
duties. However, those workers are generally
12:53
exams if they earn a salary
12:55
of more than one hundred and
12:57
seven thousand. Currently, it's though the
12:59
new rule raises output off to
13:01
about one hundred and fifty thousand
13:03
annually, and then the final thing
13:05
that I want to know is
13:08
that this new rule will almost
13:10
certainly face legal challenges. President Obama
13:12
actually issued a similar role during
13:14
his presidency and that was ultimately
13:16
shut. So this will probably be
13:19
challenge on a similar basis which
13:21
could delay the implementation. But
13:23
that is hop You know that's what the
13:25
rule says as of today said that is
13:27
what I have for you today. Thank you
13:29
so much for being Harris I hope you
13:32
have a fantastic night and I was on
13:34
See tomorrow.
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