Labor News & Commentary December 1, international trade politics create labor tension in France & more

[Omaha Steve]

https://onlabor.org/december-1-2024/

By Gilbert Placeres, Gilbert Placeres is a student at Harvard Law School.

In today’s News & Commentary, international trade politics create labor tension in France, Minnesota’s rideshare driver minimum wage law takes effect, and the second Trump administration could drop appeal of vacated overtime eligibility expansion rule.

In Cognac, France, Hennessy workers continue to protest, showing how international trade conflict can affect domestic production and create labor strife. Workers remain concerned even after management announced on Monday they were suspending plans to move bottling to China in response to new 35% Chinese tariffs. The company had previously planned to begin shipping their product and bottling materials in bulk to China to bottle there and workers began striking two weeks ago in response. One worker, fearing disastrous economic consequences, said “If the production lines are moved, I will lose my job, the others too, and Cognac will become a ghost town.”

Commentators have seen the Chinese bottle tariffs as retaliation for European import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in an escalating trade conflict. Brandy producers asked French President Emmanuel Macron to help find a solution and suspended, but did not cancel, their plans pending resolution of the “political and diplomatic situation.” French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has announced plans to visit China.

FULL story at link above.