We have five labor-related stories that you might not have heard yet: (from 8/21/2025)

💰💳🤑 Sean O’Brien, the week’s angriest hustler:

The Teamsters’ sponsored credit card for members recently came to mainstream attention, and it’s not a great look. Considering how unions position themselves as uplifters of the rank-and-file, it’s admittedly shocking, although not surprising, that they’re “helping” members sign up for debt with a variable APR of up to 27.49.

Well, union President Sean O’Brien, who previously bemoaned card interest rates, is hopping mad at the assertion that his union is “hustling” members for dollars. He retorted in a Wall Street Journal editorial that is an entertaining read.

🧠 🤖   States’ AI laws have a new foe: Big Tech

Is there an AI bubble? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman raised eyebrows by admitting to The Verge, “My opinion is yes.” This soon led to widespread Internet speculation that such a bubble could burst, along with questions of whether companies are pouring too much money into AI without tangible returns on the horizon. Nobody can answer those questions yet, but this week saw Mark Zuckerberg display caution by putting the brakes on Meta’s funding for its superintelligence quest, and now, there’s word that tech giants will begin battling against states’ various regulations.

On that note, Little Mendelson shareholder and attorney Bradford J. Kelley co-authored an upcoming article, “The Sound and Fury of Regulating Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace,” which we’re looking forward to reading when it publishes in the Harvard Journal on Legislation.

🚙     Rideshare organizing updates:

For once, California isn’t the first state to enact Big Labor-friendly legislation. In this case, Massachusetts did it first, but the Golden State’s lawmakers introduced AB 1340, which aims to allow rideshare drivers to unionize and collectively bargain over working conditions. If this effort passes in the Golden State, look for it to spread elsewhere.

Any guesses on which union is behind AB 1340? That would be SEIU, which is working with its affiliate, the App Drivers Union, to organize those Massachusetts gig-work drivers by card check. Would AB 1340 drive up rideshare prices? You know it.

➕💊 Kaiser Permanente’s simmering labor woes:

After the healthcare consortium endured multiple “historic” strikes by mental healthcare workers in California and Hawaii, Kaiser is now at the bargaining table for contract renewal talks for around 60,000 workers throughout the U.S. Additionally, Kaiser workers in Hawaii have been rallying for job protections with an eye towards AI.

🔌 🌐 Keep your eyes on Epic Games Inc. v. Apple Inc.:

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ employment-related rulings rightfully stole the show this week, but the Ninth Circuit is cooking up something to watch, too. In October, the court will hear oral arguments on whether the attorney-client privilege will apply when documents also include business advice. The issue is significant for tech companies, particularly those employers who aren’t Apple-sized and cannot easily afford to hire outside lawyers if their in-house counsel’s privilege is eroded.

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