[JANUS] Ballotpedia News, 2023 sees highest number of public-sector union bills in past five years

This year, we’re tracking 225 public-sector union bills in state legislatures—the most since 2018. Public-sector union legislation deals with topics that include collective bargaining, union membership, strikes and other labor actions, and more. In 2023, Democrats have introduced 68% of these bills, a higher percentage than in previous years. The chart below shows the breakdown of these bills by sponsor party affiliation. The states with the greatest increase in public-sector union legislation introduced from 2022 to 2023 are Maryland (13 more bills) and Minnesota (12 more bills), both states that gained Democratic trifectas as a result of 2022 elections.

New York Times, Amazon Is Everywhere. That’s What Makes It So Vulnerable.

The vans are just the most visible piece of ‌the company’s vast delivery network. When you place an order for cat toys or razor blades or vacuum bags, Amazon employees typically pluck them off a shelf in a warehouse, then ship them to a succession of buildings, known as sort centers and delivery stations, where they are grouped by destination and loaded onto vans. The system, which also includes planes and air hubs, has enabled ever-faster delivery, according to data from NIQ (NielsenIQ). It has also made Amazon susceptible to a potent form of labor organizing — choke point organizing — in which workers threaten to hobble a company’s operations by shutting down key sites, known as choke points.

Montana

Axios, Montana TikTok ban faces First Amendment legal challenge

Five TikTok creators are suing Montana's attorney general over plans to impose a statewide ban on the popular Chinese-owned social media platform due to security concerns. Why it matters: The lawsuit argues that the ban that would prohibit Montana residents from using the app infringes on First Amendment rights and is "unconstitutional and preempted by federal law."