Month: November 2016

What’s Going on in the Workforce

I hope you enjoyed your turkey last week. You might have rethought it, if you’d seen this insider on the poultry industry before choosing the menu…

The National Day Laborer Organizing Network just launched an app for reporting wage theft.

Europe’s top court is about to decide whether Uber is a transportation company, or a digital company, for purposes of regulation.

“Shitty jobs for everyone won’t solve any social problems we now face.” Welp. My work here is done.

Organizing Theory

Seattle recently released the set of rules that will govern union elections in the ride-sharing industry. Shockingly, Uber & Lyft aren’t happy.

Ben Werdmuller has a different take on whether Twitter can & should be turned into a user-owned coop.

From Partners

The Brookings Institute is hosting a discussion (in person and online) about autonomous vehicles and transforming transportation. Details here.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Some gig economy companies are planning to introduce legislation to allow them to create benefits for their independent contractors in New York next year. And on that note—the Independent Driver’s Guild in NYC has won an agreement that deactivated drivers will have the right to appeal that decision to a panel of their peers.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

“Because the supply of gig labor is liquid and comprised largely of part-time workers, employers like Uber have more flexibility to adjust wages and working conditions —but it’s their most dedicated workers who are affected most.” Strong work on what motivates gig economy workers, by Alex Rosenblat.

The taxi industry in Los Angeles is paying for LAPD sting operations that target Uber & Lyft drivers.

Gig economy companies are having a tough time retaining workers, as they cut wages and the overall economy adds jobs. But some kinds of freelance work is still picking up, especially in expensive housing markets.

The Future of Music just published this fascinating survey data on the income of working musicians.

Geeking Out

Will the Hyperloop revolutionize shipping, as well as passenger transport?

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Instacart workers threaten strike the week of Thanksgiving, over the app’s change in tipping policy.

An on-demand app for finding family caregivers just launched in the UK.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

Digital security tips for protestors, from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Original Content

Finding a bright spot in the darkness…the Freelancers’ Union recently won an historic victory in NYC, where they passed the first-ever bill to prevent wage theft for 1099ers. Watch my interview with Caitlin Pearce & see how you can bring that effort to your own city.

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Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Let’s insist on participatory budgeting from our new national government…it’s gonna work for Portugal!

While we’re on the subject of doing things for ourselves, check out these Mexican groups who started their own cooperatively-owned telecom service.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

I might have to turn this blog into an all-security all-the time endeavor. Until that happens, read this Guardian piece on making your communications more secure from the threats of a Trump NSA, and this Digg explainer on how to browse the web anonymously.

ProPublica has pressured Facebook to stop selling ads for housing and jobs that target (or prohibit) users by race. Now if they could only figure out a way to stop allowing people to post coded racism in the form of memes…

Organizing Theory

Not a piece I wrote for HtU, but I do have thoughts about the recent election, 1994—and what it should mean for progressive organizers.

From Partners

Friend-o-the-blog Moshe Marvit on how a little-noticed judicial rule change is making it harder to hold corporations accountable.

What if Twitter was owned by its users? Thanks to Nathan Schneider for this innovative campaign.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

Harvard B-school professor “stop looking for jobs.”

Great piece by MIT Technology Review about what it’s like in a factory town when robots get involved in American manufacturing.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

It’s Election Day, so to get your attention away from those polls, have some Baywatch clickbait. Here’s Pamela Anderson starring in an anti-ride-sharing PSA.

Instacart’s changes in the tipping policy continue to confuse customers.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

Um. Yeah, sure, I want to give Uber access to my calendar. What could possibly go wrong there?

From Partners

The US Department of Labor is beta-testing a new website to deliver occupation-specific labor advice to workers.

Aspen Institute’s Maureen Conway has written a new paper about the Future of Work and what philanthropy can do about it.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

“Last year, the company (Amazon) spent $11.5 billion on shipping while only generating $6.5 billion, according to its annual report…” Interesting look at the pressure that free shipping is placing on supply chain retailers.

It’s not every day that you get to read a comparison between marijuana farming and salmon farming, but here you go—will Humboldt County end up like an Alaskan fishing village? (Maybe in Civ 7, I haven’t seen it crop up in Civ 6 yet).

Looks like Al Franken has joined the list of US Senators worried about discrimination in the gig economy—check out his letter to Uber and Lyft. Uber is also getting sued for employment misclassification—but not by a driver, this time—by a bike courier.

Couple is a new on-demand service in the UK, where similar service sector businesses can pool employees (think hotel catering staff).

Gigster is figuring out how to give equity to their freelancers—in the companies they’re setting up gigs with.

Don’t let the robots outvote you next week…

What’s Going on in the Workforce

A new UN report just found that 46% of the GLOBAL workforce are engaged in precarious work. Maybe time to do something about that, eh?

The Obama Administration is tapping gig economy companies to help recruit people to the ACA, during this year’s open enrollment period. And with an on-the-way-out-the-door focus on workers’ rights, the Administration is also urging a ban on non-compete agreements for low-wage workers, who usually are not privy to trade secrets (special sauce notwithstanding).

As you’ve probably seen, a British tribunal ruled last week that two Uber drivers are employees, not contractors—and deserve minimum wage and paid time off.

Geeking Out

“In the future, you may not even think of them as cars, the way we do today.” Check out this self-driving shuttle that’s already been deployed on private roads in France, Switzerland and Australia.

Organizing Theory

Josh Eidelson has a great piece up at Bloomberg News about the newly-organized Independent Drivers Guild.

Interesting piece by the Century Foundation’s Shayna Strong on the business model challenges of new worker organizations.

From Partners

NELP released a new poll last week, showing voter attitudes about contracting out, and documenting best messages to use when talking about subcontracting.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Major shout out to our friends at the Freelancers’ Union, for their victory last week in the Freelance isn’t Free campaign, which just won the first-ever wage theft bill that will protect independent contractors!

UPS talks about the importance of thinking through the logistics of developing a more circular economy.

Here’s a new ride-sharing service with a slightly different business model from Uber & Lyft—they charge $1 to connect riders with drivers (drivers keep the rest of the fee).