Month: August 2017

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

SF Supervisor Jane Kim wants the city to consider the country’s first robot tax.

A Seattle city councilwoman just asked Jeff Bezos to convene gig economy platform companies to talk about ethical employment for gig workers.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

“…if you don’t have the data to begin with, you can’t be compelled to supply it..” great piece by Ben Werdmuller on how developers need to re-think their data collection, in the wake of authoritarian regimes like Trump’s.

Organizing Theory

Super-interesting presentation about using Facebook Live during actions to amplify your message.

From Partners

Check out this new website, that allows grantees to anonymously review foundations.

Geeking Out

This advice columnist was asked for advice by a woman who wants to unionize—though her boyfriend is her boss. Bonus points for an answer that includes the word “rentier.”

What’s Going on in the Workforce

Interesting piece from TechCrunch on what 1099-employing businesses can do to help independent contractors save for taxes—and understand that they need to do so in the first place.

“…a worker who has been ignored at his time of need in his old workplace is unlikely to sign up in his new one.” Ukrainian workers’ rights activists are struggling to define new ways of organizing workers.

Disgruntled MTurkers are working with Stanford academics to develop a worker-friendly competitor to Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.

Jobs

The Freelancers Union is hiring a benefits & member services manager.

Know a smart digital organizer? Coworker is hiring.

Robot of the Week

Elon Musk & 115 other roboticists are asking the UN to ban killer robots.

Organizing Theory

Here’s a piece I wrote (not for HtU) about why investing in community organizing is the best way for progressives to win elections & build real power.

Sarah Jaffe’s interviews with organizers are one of the things getting many of us through this difficult time. Here, she talks to my long-time friend Jeff Ordower*.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

Uber for advertising? A new app lets you leverage your personal “brand” (i.e.—demographics + social media profile) to get paid to stand around at new restaurants or clubs.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Well, AirBnb may still be destroying the rental market in certain cities, but at least they’ve agreed to ban white supremacists from using their service. I’ll be looking for the launch of ConfederateBnB soon.

Americans have reversed a long-term trend—that of people from low-wage states moving to high-wage states—in part because the cost of rent is too damn high.

Geeking Out

Brilliant campaign to fight the TX “bathroom bill” mocks up school backpacks that display birth certificates.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

The Brookings Institute’s Hamilton Project released this detailed look at non-workforce participants (aka, people who don’t have jobs) in the US—including a better understanding of how they make ends meet.

Food co-op workers in Minneapolis are joining unions in record numbers.

Great investigative piece by Michael Grabell, about how immigrant workers are being turned in to ICE, after applying for workers’ comp due to on-the-job injuries.

*ps–Happy Birthday, Jeff!

What’s Going on in the Workforce

Gig economy companies are struggling to find workers, as the overall economy improves, & fewer people want a side hustle. Instacart will try to close their employment gap by offering cheap cell service to their workers.

The Trump Administration shut down some guestworker visas—Vice took a look at what kinds of conditions exist as Americans try to take shrimping jobs. And here’s a look at what Trump’s immigration policy is doing in Wisconsin’s dairy industry.

Uber has decided to shut down its controversial car-leasing program.

London’s black cab drivers have launched an app to compete with ride-sharing companies like Uber & Lyft.

Boxed’s CEO gives equal access to benefits to the workers who pack goods in the company’s warehouses—including things like paying for weddings and tuition.

One of the earliest on-demand delivery services just shut down, stranding their Los Angeles workers without complete paychecks.

Organizing Theory

South Korea has introduced what some are calling the first “robot tax,” to address issues around workforce automation.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

It’s not every day you see a billionaire start a petition against tax cuts.

If you’re gonna mention the problems with wages in the restaurant industry & not even MENTION the tipped minimum wage? Maybe you should talk to ROC.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

Quartz takes a look at 500 years’ worth of worrying about the Future of Work.

Uber Freight has announced they are starting to schedule freight truck delivery in 6 new states.

Geeking Out

Just like your favorite teenager, self-driving cars will need to learn human “rules of the road” before they are unleashed in the wild.

From Partners

Here’s an interesting civic tech project—looking to help folks automate sending their daily change to pay bail for those who can’t afford it.

Check out NELP’s latest publication—for employers of immigrants, what to do if ICE comes to your workplace.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

FoxConn may be bringing a factory to Wisconsin—but will it hire humans? or robots?

We’ve heard a lot about ride-sharing companies making life more difficult for disabled travelers—here’s a good piece explaining the issues around home-sharing platforms.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

A Facebook app that fights depression, by checking in to see how you’re doing on the daily.