Original Content
Have you seen Douglas Williams’ new post, “Occupying the 21st Century: The Rise of Leftism in American Youth Organizing” yet? If you like our original content, consider contributing to Hack the Union via Patreon…
Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability
“…the companies run by the CEOs who were paid at the top 10% of the scale, had the worst performance…” Forbes reports on a study out of the University of Utah’s School of Business.
There probably hasn’t been a region more impacted by technology than the Bay Area. The SF Chronicle took an in-depth look at how the sharing economy is playing out through AirBnB rentals in SF…
Want a storefront, but only want to rent it for one day? Check out Storefront.
From Partners
Economic Policy Institute has a new paper out detailing why raising wages is the central economic challenge for the US right now. Friend of the blog Mariya Strauss wrote a post about why raising women’s pay, in particular, would be good for the economy.
Organizing Theory
SEIU UHW’s Dave Regan has a proposal for how unions can expand political access through ballot initiative access in 24 states. Since I’m spending most of this week at a training on how to run ballot initiative campaigns, it’s of particular interest to me.
And also out of SEIU–Local 775 president (and early backer of this effort) David Rolf, on how labor should learn lessons from start-up culture, by investing deeply, innovating often, and not being afraid to fail.
Geeking Out
Want to play a game that will teach you all about supply chains? Check out Factorio.
What’s Going on in the Workforce?
The Freelancer’s Union just put out a report on the growth of their membership—and some inferences about what’s going on with freelancers more generally.
Last week, the story of a man who automated a co-worker’s job. This week? A man who outsourced his own.
Tech journalist Quinn Norton interviews her mother on what it’s like to be poor and uninsured in the US.
Will you like it better when your boss is a robot? How about if it’s your lawyer? (Insert obligatory lawyer joke here.)
You thought the automation of waitstaff was just about reducing labor costs? It’s more insidious than that. Turns out, the real reason Chili’s wants a tablet to take your order, instead of a human, is so that you’ll order more food.
Final Thoughts
“…hackers may be their own worst enemies. By claiming that the Net is uncontrollable, they are absenting themselves from the process of creating the system that will control it. Having given up any attempt to set the rules, they are allowing the rules to be set for them. Corporations are by no means intrinsically malign, but it is folly to think that their interests will always dovetail with those of the public.”
Charles Mann, “Taming the Web”, Technology Review (September 2001)