Biden taskforce supports unions

A Biden administration task force on organized labor issued a set of recommendations Monday that could make it easier for federal workers and contractors to unionize.

The report submitted to President Joe Biden included 70 distinct policy proposals, according to a release by the White House.

Biden created the task force chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh as vice chair, through an executive order last April.

“We had the ability for people to come in and give testimony on what they want to see in strengthening workers’ rights,” Walsh said. “This is a very strong, worker-centered document.”The report argues that a decadeslong drop in union membership has coincided with a rising share of income going to the top 10% of earners.

It further says that most Americans have a favorable impression of unions and would join one if given the option in a vote.Yet the Labor Department reported last month that only 10.3% of workers belonged to a union in 2021, down from 20.1% in 1983.

Allegiant CEO stepping down

LAS VEGAS – Maurice Gallagher, the longtime CEO of budget airline Allegiant, will step down as CEO of the airline’s parent company and be replaced by company President John Redmond on June 1.

Allegiant Travel Co. announced the change in CEOs on Monday. Gallagher will remain chairman.

Gallagher said the change in CEOs formalizes “changes that have been working in practice for the last several years.”

The announcement came the same day that two rivals, Spirit and Frontier airlines, announced plans to merge, creating a larger budget airline than Allegiant, based in Las Vegas.

Redmond, who spent many years in the hotel and resort business, has served on Allegiant’s board since 2007 except for a one-year break.

From wire reports