Under Jeff Landry, Louisiana Republicans target unions, workers’ comp, child labor law

Emboldened by Louisiana’s election last fall of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, the state’s GOP-controlled Legislature will try over the next few months to weaken public-sector unions and slash worker benefits.

A cluster of at least 15 proposed laws takes aim at public-sector unions’ ability to bargain with employers, the system for compensating workers sidelined by injury and a requirement that child laborers must receive lunch breaks. Others would cut unemployment benefits and limit how much doctors can make when treating people for workers’ compensation claims.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emphasis:

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The state’s powerful teacher unions, Democratic lawmakers and labor advocates for eight years had staved off similar legislation with help from former Gov. John Bel Edwards, a pro-union Democrat who often vetoed Republican priorities. Now Republicans are seizing on Landry’s ascent — and their House and Senate supermajorities — to power through a slew of conservative priorities including the labor bills, policies they say should strengthen employers’ hands and limit improper flow of tax dollars.

Anti-union bills

Anti-union legislation filed in Louisiana mirrors a swath of bills approved by other Republican legislatures. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ushered through a bill that prohibits automatic dues deductions from employee paychecks and mandates language on union authorization cards that reaffirms the state’s “right to work” status — versions of which were filed in Louisiana.

Worker’s comp, child labor bills

Republicans are also targeting workers compensation and child labor rules. Louisiana employers must buy insurance coverage for when employees are injured or disabled on the job. The coverage lets injured workers claim a portion of their wages while they’re recovering — costs covered by the insurance firms, including the state’s largest, the Louisiana Workers Compensation Corp.

The workers’ compensation market is relatively stable for employers: Their rates have fallen by 49% over the past ten years, according to the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emphasis:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Seabaugh and state Rep. Michael Melerine, both attorneys from north Louisiana, are carrying the bulk of the workers compensation bills; both work at Seabaugh’s law firm, which mostly represents insurance firms that often write workers compensation policies for employers. Seabaugh, who chairs the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee, declined to comment on his bills Thursday, saying some are duplicative of other legislation and he hasn’t yet picked which ones to advance. Melerine did not respond to interview requests.

Perhaps the most transformative of the proposed workers’ compensation bills is Seabaugh’s SB315. The bill proposes eliminating some benefits when workers can engage in “self-employment or occupation for wages.” For all types of benefits, it would stop workers’ compensation after 6½ years compared with a current 10-year cap. Current law also makes companies pay penalties for certain missteps under the system, such as when outstanding wages or benefits workers aren’t paid; Melerine’s HB703 would place a $2,000 cap on those penalties.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emphasis:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Another bill, House Bill 156 by Wilder, would remove a requirement that child laborers receive lunch breaks. Like the anti-union bills popular among conservatives, attempts at rolling back child labor regulations have recently passed other Republican-controlled statehouses.

The state House and Senate next convene on Monday.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed:

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Targets Identified:

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

Indicators:

• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 10.7.1: Recruitment cost borne by employee as a proportion of yearly income earned in country of destination.

Analysis

1. The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The proposed laws aim to weaken public-sector unions, limit worker benefits, and restrict collective bargaining rights, which directly impact the goal of achieving decent work and economic growth. Additionally, these actions can contribute to increased inequalities in the labor market.

2. Based on the article’s content, the specific targets under the identified SDGs are:
– Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
– Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

3. The article does not explicitly mention indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. However, potential indicators could include:
– Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities. This indicator would help assess whether equal pay for work of equal value is being achieved.
– Indicator 10.7.1: Recruitment cost borne by employee as a proportion of yearly income earned in the country of destination. This indicator would measure the financial burden placed on migrant workers and their ability to access decent work opportunities.

4. Table presenting the findings:

| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|——|———|————|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. | Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. | Indicator 10.7.1: Recruitment cost borne by employee as a proportion of yearly income earned in the country of destination. |

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: nola.com

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.