http://washlaborwire.com A web site addressing the intersection of public policy, regulation and politics in the area of federal labor and employment law Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:57:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en On March 11, the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions ("HELP") convened a hearing on the problem of gender pay inequity entitled, "A Fair Share for All: Pay Equity in the New American Workplace."In his opening remarks, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Chairman of the Committee, noted that despite ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/03/11/senate-help-committee-holds-hearing-on-pay-equity/ Core Provisions: The Corporate Executive Accountability Act (S. 3049)comprises part of the Democrats' comprehensive financial regulatory reform package, building on separate legislation previously passed in the House (H.R. 3269). The Act aims to reform executive pay practices by granting shareholders a non-binding vote on executive pay packages and requiring companies ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/03/05/corporate-executive-accountability-act-of-2010-%e2%80%9csay-on-pay-bill%e2%80%9d/ On February 26, 2010, the Department of Labor published a final rule that will allow the Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) to impose a civil penalty of up to $1,100 per day on multiemployer plans in endangered or critical funding status that fail to adopt funding improvement plans. The rule ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/02/28/dol-final-rule-sanctions-1100-daily-penalty-on-underfunded-multiemployer-pension-plans/ On February 24, 2010, the Senate easily approved a $15 billion jobs bill. The measure passed by a 70-28 vote. Thirteen Republican senators joined 55 Democrats and two Independents to approve the bill. One Democrat, Sen. Ben Nelson, voted against the bill, along with 27 Republicans. The bill (H.R. 2847) is ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/02/28/senate-approves-15-billion-jobs-creation-bill/ On February 18, 2010, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend its regulations to more clearly define the "reasonable factors other than age" (RFOA) defense under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). This proposed rulemaking seeks to address the scope of ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/02/18/eeoc-publishes-proposed-adea-rules/ On February 12, 2010, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a new rule regarding the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. This rule will strengthen worker protections for both U.S. and foreign workers and ensure the integrity of the H-2A program. Major features of the rule include:  Requires documentation from employers showing ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/02/18/dol-publishes-final-rule-for-h-2a-program/ On February 9, 2010, Republican Senators, joined by two Democrats, blocked a floor vote on the controversial nomination of Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board. By a 52-33 vote, Senate Democrats fell short of the 60 votes necessary to move Becker's nomination to a floor vote. Sens. Ben ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/02/09/senate-blocks-nomination-of-craig-becker-to-nlrb/ On February 4, 2010, the Senate confirmed President Obama's nomination of M. Patricia Smith to serve as Solicitor for the Department of Labor. The 60-37 party-line vote confirming Smith's nomination ends a long confirmation process that started when Obama first announced his intention to nominate Smith on March 19, 2009. The ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/02/04/senate-confirms-m-patricia-smith-as-solicitor-of-labor/ On Tuesday, February 2, 2010, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ("HELP") Committee held a hearing concerning the nomination by President Obama of Service Employees International Union ("SEIU") associate general counsel Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board. In 2009, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) placed a "hold" on Becker's ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/02/02/senate-help-committee-holds-hearing-for-nlrb-nominee-craig-becker/ On Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 4:00 p.m., the most controversial of President Obama's nominees to the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB"), Service Employees International Union associate general counsel Craig Becker, will appear at a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ("HELP") Committee. In 2009, Sen. John ... http://washlaborwire.com/2010/01/31/senate-democrats-agree-to-hearing-for-nlrb-nominee-craig-becker/