English-Only Rule Comes to a Yale-Area Bookstore

Books From the New York Times:

A popular bookstore and cafe near Yale University wants its many Hispanic employees to speak only English around customers, sparking controversy in immigrant-friendly New Haven, where students fight for immigrant rights.

Atticus Bookstore and Cafe recently issued a policy stating that English should be the only language spoken on the floor and behind the counter. ”Spanish is allowed in the prep area, the dishwasher area and the lower level. Let’s make our customers feel welcome and comfortable,” the policy states, according to New Haven Workers Association, a group of activists who said employees gave them a copy.

”I’m really appalled,” said Tim Stewart-Winter, a Yale lecturer. ”As a New Haven resident and member of the Yale community, I think diversity is a strength of this country.”
Stewart-Winter said he likes to take out-of-town guests to Atticus, but may not now because of the policy.

As we have pointed out before, the EEOC generally frowns on English-only rules enforced at all times.  However, when English is only required at certain times (e.g., when talking to customers), the EEOC permits such policies if required by a business necessity (“An employer may have a rule requiring that employees speak only in English at certain times where the employer can show that the rule is justified by business necessity.”). 

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Princeton Review: Get Ready for the College for Working Families

NationalLaborCollege Thanks to Daniel Mitchell, Professor-Emeritus at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management, who brought to my attention this article by Steve Kolowich entitled: A Historic Union?  (January 15, 2010, Inside Higher Ed).

Here’s a taste:

A month after completing its first foray into online higher education by acquiring the distance education provider Penn Foster, the Princeton Review has set its next goal: to help create the largest online college ever. And it thinks it can do it in five years.

The company announced yesterday that it is entering into a joint venture with the National Labor College — an accredited institution that offers blended-learning programs to 200 students, most of whom are adults — to establish what would be called the College for Working Families. The college would offer courses tailored to the needs of union members and their families, beginning this fall.

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Chamber of Commerce Challenges Oregon Workplace Captive Audience Legislation

CaptiveThis year, Oregon became the first state to enact so-called Worker Freedom legislation that prohibits employers from holding mandatory, captive audience meetings during union organizational campaigns.

The law, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2010, has now been challenged on NLRA preemption and First Amendment speech grounds by the Chamber of Commerce.  The case is Associated Oregon Industries and Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Brad Avakian and Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local No. 296 (complaint filed by Chamber).

I have written previously on why I believe the Oregon law is lawful and not subject to either a preemption or constitutional challenge in Toward the Viability of State-Based Legislation to Address Workplace Captive Audience Meetings in the United States

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