Reputation, Reputation, Reputation
“We need to update our nightmares.” Zeynep Tufekci on the double-edge of tools that can be used for both resistance & surveillance.
Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability
The statement, “the economics (of the sharing economy) make sense” is up for debate, IMO.
But it’s also true that the old economy wasn’t working for many of us either. What’s the middle ground going to look like? Freelancers’ Union has an interesting interview up with Janelle Orsi, a lawyer who specializes in sharing economy legal questions. These researchers looked at the impact AirBnB is having on hotels in one US city. Amsterdam has done some revisions to their business permitting, to make it easier for private home-owners to rent rooms or apartments on AirBnB. Ride-sharing is one solution to a taxi shortage. Taxi-sharing is another. Would you split a cab to the airport?
Andrew Bibby has started a six-part series, for the Guardian, on co-op business models. Here’s the first entry—“Can co-ops compete?”
From Partners
LA folks—you might be interested in this conference, being organized at UCLA next week “Race, Labor & the Law”.
Geeking Out
Will machine learning mean that Google eventually knows when you’re home to receive a package, via drone or driverless car? Maybe.
What’s Going on in the Workforce?
We move ever-closer to a world of distributed workforce, at least for white-collar workers. Here’s an interesting infographic that shows growth of co-working.
If you want to know why so many fast food & retail employees are rising up lately, check out this blog post from the Peet’s Workers Group—I haven’t seen a better round up describing the set of practices called the Disposable Employee Model.
“If someone has been in an internship long enough that they no longer need any training, then it’s no longer an internship: it is a job without pay.” Yup.
Does the UAW’s narrow loss at VW last week give them an opening to experiment with minority unionism?
Organizing Theory
Should worker centers & other Alt-Labor groups explicitly disavow their intentions to negotiate with employers, in order to protect themselves against injunctions for secondary boycotts? Michael Duff, professor at University of Wyoming’s law school argues they should, in this paper.
You wanna get members involved in online activism? Check out this FB page, that’s engaging teachers by getting them to post pictures in their schools of repairs that are being put off, while new technology is being purchased.
Is your non-profit spending more to get new donations, while failing to attract repeat donors? Bloomerang claims they can help stop the bleeding. And while we’re on the subject of fundraising—if you’re looking to kickstarter.com to start a project—you might want to read this first. Taxes will be paid!