“If you are a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?”

First up–interested in finding out more about the global solidarity network USi Live? Watch my interview with organizer Andrew Brady, here.

What’s Going On in the Workforce?

“If you are a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?” Um, the same way everyone else does? Are weird interview questions on your job search radar?

Some of us are fighting against unpaid internships…others of us are making more than the median US income AS INTERNS. Weird, hunh? And speaking of interns…Is fabled film/tech/music conference South by Southwest heading for labor problems with their unpaid intern & volunteer situation? Maybe. Don’t know much about SXSW? Here’s a good history.

Wondering what it’s like to work in an Amazon warehouse in the UK? Wonder no more.

British economist Robert Sidelsky opines about the likelihood of technological unemployment—and why we can’t assume that Luddites of the modern day will be as wrong as their forbears were. Related: It’s not just that driverless cars will kill driving jobs—they’ll likely put auto insurance companies in a tailspin too.

Bernadette Hyland looks at the transition in her local economy in Manchester UK, where a generation of retired women factory workers are now being cared for by a younger generation of women—but these care workers don’t have nearly the wage or benefit standards that the factory women did. How will the caregivers pay, when they need to be care receivers?

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Already hosted your Peers Swap and still have stuff left to give? Here’s a new way to recycle your used clothes.

Do you have an idea for a sharing site to share a specific service or product? Near-Me wants to help you get online with it.

The sharing economy runs on the reputations of its users & providers. Trustribe is working to provide a one-stop reputation shop for the apps of the sharing economy.

Is car-sharing the solution to the world’s pollution problems? Probably not, but it’s a step in the right direction.

From Partners

Last week, we mentioned the report that looked at state-level inequality—here’s a new one from the Brookings Institute that drills down to find the most unequal US cities.

“The fact that the law allows America’s biggest companies to shelter almost half of their US profits from tax, while ordinary wage earners have to report every penny of their earnings, has to undermine public respect for the tax system.” From a new report by Citizens for Tax Justice about how US corporations often pay more tax overseas than at home.

Geeking Out

It’s 2014, people. If you’re hosting a conference, or organizing a panel or a workshop—make sure you have women on it. If not, GenderAvenger will be on the case.

Is wearable technology a human right? Steve Mann asks, why we would allow property to have always-on security, and not people?

Organizing Theory

Fascinating article by Sasha Issenberg about the technology & theory of identifying volunteers, in the modern age. Mostly about political campaigns, but has some lessons that are good for all of us who want to engage volunteers at a high level.

Been working on a keen new idea in labor law reform? The Labour Law Research Network is soliciting papers, for their conference in Amsterdam, June 2015.

Interesting stuff about using data to develop arguments in policy campaigns.

Reputation, Reputation, Reputation

Cory Doctorow utterly shreds the Chicago Police Department’s pre-crime algorithm theory. If you’ve ever had “questionable” associations, read this. (I have no other kinds of associations, personally. My poor children.)

Final Thoughts

“No matter which hardship index we use, (low) wage reliant mothers had more hardships than welfare-reliant mothers.”

Kathryn Edin & Laura Lein, Making Ends Meet