Category: Workers
Restaurant owners got 30 times more federal Covid aid than workers
“If the subminimum wage for tipped workers persists, the restaurant industry is unlikely to recover from its growing labor crisis, regardless of how much money the federal government hands out to business owners.” by Kenny Stancil,…
Lessons in Starbucks rising
by Wade Rathke January 14, 2022 Marble Falls You have to keep these things in perspective of course. Winning union elections in two of Starbucks 9000 stores is not exactly an example of…
Starbucks union drive spreads to Mass, Ariz,
‘Next!’ “We want the company to succeed,” organizers of the Mesa unionization effort said, “and we want our work lives to be the best they can be.” by Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams Friday, December 17, 2021…
75% of Democrats want party to go big on social spending, climate action
“The people delivered Democrats the House, Senate, and White House. Now it’s time for us to deliver them paid leave, child care, climate action, lower healthcare costs, pre-k, community college, affordable housing, and so much more.”…
Essential, low-wage workers share why they need reconciliation package
‘Please Help Us’ “We’ve heard the voices of the poor. We’ve heard the voices crying out, demanding justice. All I want to know right now, Joe Manchin, is which side are you on?” by Jessica Corbett,…
This isn’t a labor shortage—It’s a strike by workers kicked in the face by low wages for too long
A lot of those now out of work simply don’t want to return to backbreaking, low-wage shit jobs. Why should they? by Robert Reich October 10, 2021 The U.S. added just 194,000 jobs in September, down…
Are unemployed workers striking?
by Wade Rathke May 12, 2021 A small group of state governors have announced that their states may abandon the supplemental unemployment program way before its September expiration. The number of Republican governors making the announcement…
How Biden’s paid leave proposal would benefit workers, their families and their employers too
by Joya Misra, University of Massachusetts Amherst Friday, April 30, 2021 Making ends meet when you have a newborn is easier with paid family leave. John Moore/Getty Images. The Biden administration is proposing a…
NLRB says Amazon firing of workers illegal retaliation
The workers are demanding better climate, labor policies. “It’s clear that Amazon has been violating the law when it tries to silence workers who speak out,” said Christy Hofmann, general secretary of UNI Global Union. by…
Longtime Union members Pocan and Norcross announce Labor Caucus to advocate for workers in Congress
“President-elect Joe Biden’s new administration gives the Democratic Party the opportunity to reprioritize working families at the center of our legislative agenda.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Friday, November 13 Amid a flurry of new campaigns…
Gig workers urge no vote on Prop 22 in California to stop ‘corporate power grab’
“No company should be able to buy its way out of treating workers fairly,” said one progressive think tank about the state’s ballot initiative that will have national implications. by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Friday, October…
Gig work is not a jobs safety net
by Wade Rathke Thursday, September 3, 2020 Pearl River If service work had been the equivalent of a jobs’ “safety net” for workers in many cities and towns in the past, the only replacement available would…
Major ‘Milestone’ for workers as California judge rules Uber and Lyft must classify drivers as employees
“This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard—and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day—to provide for their families.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Tuesday, August 11 In…
Save Lives? Give healthcare workers raises
New Orleans Hey, bosses of healthcare workers, listen up! Yo, consumers and families of healthcare services, pay attention to this, like your life is at stake, since for more than half of you over 65,…
Longshoremen shut down West Coast ports for Juneteenth: ‘The loudest voice we have’
“A movement requires sacrifice, and that’s what we’re doing as longshoremen.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Juneteenth — Friday, June 19, 2020 Longshoremen and women across the West Coast are set to use “the loudest…
‘How the Trump White House sees you’: top economic adviser under fire for calling workers ‘human capital stock’
“They’ve always been indifferent to human life. And in the face of mass death, the masks are coming off.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, May 26 In a remark critics characterized as further evidence that…
Home work
Little Rock There is talk everywhere about “re-opening.” When? How? The “new” normal is a question on everyone’s mind. I find it interesting and curious how much you hear about people working from home. The…
Betsy DeVos sued for garnishing wages of nearly 300,000 student loan borrowers during pandemic
“The Trump administration is taking money from borrowers who are living on the edge of poverty, in the middle of a pandemic, and in violation of the law.” by Julia Conley, staff writer A home health…
May Day for workers and the vast army of the unemployed
Pearl River May Day traditionally has been marked around the world with workers marching under the banners of their unions and labor-friendly political parties. In the USA, Labor Day marks the end of the summer,…
Workers gear up for major May Day strike in pushback against unsafe conditions amid pandemic
One organizer explained that the goal is to “push back with large numbers against the right-wing groups that want to risk our lives by reopening the economy.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Workers at some of…
Thinking of workers in the time of pandemic on the eve of May Day 2020
by Wade Rathke New Orleans Today, I’m sharing a guest piece that I contributed to the Working-Class Perspectives series on the even of May Day and during a difficult time for workers around the world….
