All eyes are on essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic, as individuals, companies and even the federal government make a point to thank them for their heroic action: working. Frontline workers have received plenty of symbolic accolades, but many are working without proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and hazard pay, and are scared for their …
Striking Bus Drivers Steer the Way to a Better World Read More »
President Donald Trump wants America to go back to work, but his administration is struggling to bring back many of its own employees. With Covid-19 infections still rising in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and other major cities with big government operations, it could be months before federal workers are back in the office at …
Trump pushes to reopen country, but his own workforce isn’t rushing back Read More »
It doesn’t matter the industry or the occupation, a furlough can happen to just about anyone. That’s why it’s important for those dealing with the financial difficulties of a recent coronavirus-driven furlough to know there are a number of ways to try and stay afloat when you’re not receiving your normal pay. Even if you’re …
On March 20, the Pentagon issued a guideline stating that U.S manufacturers of missiles, warships and fighter jets should stay open during the Covid-19 crisis. The rationale is that the “defense industrial base” constitutes “essential” critical infrastructure for the United States. Yet we have every reason to believe that U.S. militarism, propped up by the arms industry, …
In the Season Three finale, Working People talks with Adam Ryan, a Target worker in Virginia and liaison for Target Workers Unite, one of the groups that has been organizing the coordinated strike actions planned for May 1st, 2020. Adam discusses his life, his path to becoming a leftist and getting involved in labor organizing, and the conditions …
Workers Are Fighting for Their Lives on May Day. They Deserve to Be Heard. Read More »
As the 2008 financial crisis unfolded, tens of millions of Americans were hurting and making meaning of what was happening. It was the first time in my life that suddenly, tens of millions of people were significantly more ready to be organized than in the weeks before. To meet the pressing needs of people in …
The coronavirus pandemic and resulting global quarantine have changed the way all we live and work, and it’s unclear when the lockdown will lift. You might be among the thousands of workers caught off-guard as employers made a hasty transition to remote work — and even now, weeks later, you might still be struggling to …
Olivia Udovic and her husband, Edgar Sánchez—both teachers in Oakland—are among millions of Americans receiving federal stimulus checks. The money didn’t stay in their bank account for long, however; the pair is part of a nationwide movement of teachers paying their checks forward to undocumented families in their schools. Udovic teaches kindergarten at Manzanita SEED …
Union Teachers Are Donating Their Stimulus Checks to the Undocumented Read More »
Most of the estimated 23 million independent contractors and gig workers made newly eligible last month for unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic are still waiting for relief. Six weeks after the pandemic set off a continuing wave of massive layoffs, only 21 states have started paying out benefits to self-employed workers and others not …
Millions of gig workers are still waiting for unemployment benefits Read More »
President Donald Trump can force meatpacking plants to stay open during the pandemic, but his own administration hasn’t required employers to provide safety equipment to prevent the virus’ spread. Now, workers in a range of industries are looking to states, Congress and the courts to step in. A judge this week ordered leading meat company Smithfield to …
Workers turn to courts and states for safety protection as Trump declines to act Read More »
Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.
