Camille Olson Quoted in Presstime
"A New Office Landscape"

Camille Olson was quoted in the February 2009 Presstime article, "A New Office Landscape." The article discussed how workplace laws are likely to change significantly under President Barack Obama, both in Congress and at the federal agency level. According to Camille, due to pressure from labor unions that campaigned heavily for Obama, increased Democratic majorities in Congress and Obama's own legislative record supporting employees' interests, the next several years may be challenging ones for employers. The article noted that Obama's top legislative priority on workforce issues is likely to be the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to form unions. Obama also supports legislation requiring employers to provide damages for sex-based pay disparities, which passed the House last month, and legislation to provide equal pay for male and female employees for jobs involving "comparable" skill, effort, responsibilities and working conditions, Camille explained.

The new administration puts Democrats in charge of several federal agencies that issue regulations and enforce policies that could affect newspapers. These include the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the National Labor Relations Board; the Occupational Health and Safety Administration; and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. According to the article, Obama says he plans to increase budgets for all four agencies. Camille concluded that "it's going to be very, very different," than the policymaking they engaged in under President George W. Bush.