Labor unions engaged in more work stoppages last year than at any point since 2005, Andrew Wallender reports based on Bloomberg Law data.

• The majority of union members engaged in work stoppages were educational service workers, but retail was the most active industry with 125 strikes. The most heavily besieged employer was Starbucks, which faced at least 107 union-initiated strikes in 2022.
• A tightening labor market and rising inflation helped elevate union activity that led to the 17-year high, according to UC Berkeley Labor Center chair Ken Jacobs.
• High strike numbers don’t tell the story of other contract negotiations that narrowly avoided work stoppages. Strikes are typically a last resort, yet strike totals have now increased in four of the last six years. Read More
• As labor action grew in 2022, lockouts dropped, Bloomberg Law analyst Robert Combs writes. Only three management-initiated lockouts took place last year, the lowest amount since Bloomberg Law started tracking, with the pandemic exception of 2020. Read More

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS JUGGLING competing pressures as it weighs whether to end the Covid-19 public health emergency. It may still be needed as cases increase, but the declaration was always meant to be temporary, reports Ian Lopez.

• The emergency has been renewed by Health and Human Services for 90-day periods since early 2020. The current declaration expires this week and is set to renew for what may be the last time.
• Health experts warn not enough has been done to protect the vulnerable or prepare for a future pandemic. But Republicans have put pressure on the administration to end the declaration, which granted it unusual regulatory power.
• There’s uncertainty that, without a declared emergency, Biden could work with this Congress should the crisis worsen. “We have this horrible choice between sort of barely doing anything or sort of pushing the boundaries of emergency powers,” said Wendy Parmet, director of Northeastern University’s Center for Health Policy and Law. Read More

THE TOP REPUBLICAN on the Senate Judiciary Committee will play a key role in approving or stalling Biden’s judiciary nominations. If Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) becomes ranking member, he could play an unpredictable role, reports Zach C. Cohen.

• Graham chaired the committee during the Trump era that saw a conservative reshaping of the judiciary, including three appointments to the Supreme Court. He’s expected to take the top role for the minority party when committee assignments are announced in a few weeks.
• His wild-card reputation comes from his past support for Biden’s nominations, particularly for lower court positions. As ranking member, however, Graham may face more obligation to represent his party’s views.
• “The only thing that you can say about him for sure is he’s very unpredictable,” said Russ Feingold, a former Wisconsin Democratic senator who served on the committee with Graham. Read More

Technically Speaking design by Jonathan Hurtarte/Bloomberg Tax

Protectionist policies for semiconductor manufacturing are all the rage, but tax incentives’ short-term gains may mask serious long-term trouble, including engineering decisions made solely for tax reasons, columnist Andrew Leahey says.

Such “tech protectionism” must end, he advises, so that open markets can produce better all-around benefits. Read More

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