Month: October 2018

In Memoriam

It’s been a hell of a week in America, but the thing that has me personally reeling the most is the news that my friend and longtime coworker Cathy Brady passed away unexpectedly at the end of last week. Cathy was one of the most bad-ass organizers I ever knew, a working class hero who broke boundaries for women in at least three industries. Juliana Reyes from the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a beautiful piece about her work, including her fight to build America’s first labor monument, in Southwest Philly. Read it here, and then, if you have some scratch, kick down a few bucks for Cathy’s memorial.

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A correction from last week’s newsletter—the local president who wrote that great piece about ICE boarding Greyhound was from the ATU, not the TWU.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Uber is giving money & rides to non-profits. Nice idea, too bad it took them so long to come up with it.

“Hopefully we’re the OutKast of black tech.” On building a Black tech incubation community in Atlanta.

A new study out of Vanderbilt shows that union women are more likely than non-union women to take maternity leave.

Organizing Theory

So you want to run an artist-led space for programming? Read this first.

Geeking Out

The “Gabbie” chat bot helps Filipino victims of sexual harassment or violence understand their rights and take action against their harassers.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

If a restaurant doesn’t serve customers food in their actual restaurant, is it actually a restaurant? I’ve recently heard these called “ghost kitchens” but that name doesn’t really work for me, either. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-24/uber-s-secret-empire-of-virtual-restaurants

Being a poultry processor is about to get worse, as the Trump Administration relaxes safety rules. Because being a poultry worker was such an incredibly safe job, before. http://www.foodandpower.net/2018/10/25/workers-fear-injury-as-administration-clears-way-for-faster-chicken-slaughter/

So many Uber strikes & actions.

The Perils of Trumpism

I really want to make a joke about how you need human intelligence, to be able to appreciate artificial intelligence, and that’s why the Trump Administration is losing the AI war to China. But it’ll make me sad, so maybe I’ll just go text some more voters instead.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

“While mainstream media often showcases the big players and global change makers, women show more interest in those who do not impact big politics or big business, but whose lives are invariably affected by both.” On an experiment to launch a site where experienced female journalists curate the news.

The TWU in Columbus, OH is gearing up to fight autonomous buses & a corresponding reduction in decent-paying jobs.

Uber just asked the SEC to let it offer equity to drivers.

Organizing Theory

SEIU homecare local launches debit card that members can have paychecks deposited directly into, in wake of Janus decision.

Matt Ewing explains how a dating app informed the design of Swing Left’s app that connects progressives with swing district campaigns.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

“…there’s a very widespread dissatisfaction with Facebook. It’s been criticized almost constantly by everybody. And yet, somehow, people are still on it.” Jaron Lanier explains the network effect, and other facets of BUMMER businesses.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Douglas Rushkoff argues that, instead of UBI, we should be fighting for an ownership stake.

Got an Amazon Web Services account, and based in NY, SF or Tokyo? Amazon is setting out free coworking space for you.

Robot of the Week

My trainer evidently thinks that I’m capable of turning into a Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, because she tried to get me to do this exact thing last week.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

Robots are coming to the service industry in Las Vegas—and the Culinary Union has negotiated contract language to help their members prepare.

Amazon seems to be telling their delivery subcontractors that they can’t employ drivers on 1099s, but must pay hourly.

As of 2020, the World Health Organization will no longer require interns to subsidize their own internships, in order to do a better of job of attracting interns from the lowest-wealth countries.

Lawyers representing a limo company in Southern CA just asked a judge to declare all Uber drivers employees, on the basis of the Dynamax decision.

A new British study shows that AI could “give back” 12 days a year to workers by 2030, mostly through automating administrative tasks.

Organizing Theory

As you read this, ask yourself: “Why do Americans think it’s mostly the responsibility of individuals to prepare themselves for a future with less (or significantly different) work, more than any other institution?”

Blueprints for Change has a new organizing manual out, in draft form—“Using Facebook Groups for Organizing.”

Geeking Out

When they come to ask you, “are you a machine or a human?” apparently the best answer is scatological.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

“If they were going to fight discrimination at work — wage theft, health risks, sexual harassment — they needed to think about violence against women in both their public and private lives.” How immigrant women in California started a network of safe houses for women experiencing domestic violence.

A partner from Price Waterhouse Cooper looks at the data, and concludes that the BLS undercounted gig workers & freelancers, in their recent survey.

How unions built cooperatively owned housing in New York City—and fought with the Trump family every step of the way.

Organizing Theory

“…this was a racist law and violation of workers’ rights and constitutional rights.” A great interview with a vice-president of FLOC, on how farmworkers in North Carolina keep organizing despite multiple challenges in an anti-union state.

Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability

Puerto Rico just made it easier for people to start energy coops.

Coworker is tracking which US companies are giving employees time off to vote, in the run-up to this year’s midterm elections.

Chelsea Rustrum explains how Airbnb’s desire to share equity with super hosts could show us the way to more platforms recognizing that they need to reward users in ways that traditional brick and mortar companies don’t.

Ford, Uber & Lyft announce a universal data standard for reporting the use of shared ride services, so they can share this data with public transit systems & city planners.

Reputation, reputation, reputation

Facebook constantly harangues you to set up two-factor authentication. Then they use your phone number to target more ads, even if you don’t have it listed on your FB profile. Sigh…

From Partners

The Tech Workers Coalition is expanding, announcing new meet ups in Philly & Boston. Join their listserv to find out when they’re coming to your city (or to be the person who starts it there).

The Trump DOL just revised the joint-employer standard, and it is…not good. Read more about it from NELP, and submit a comment from your organization.

What’s Going on in the Workforce

Is Uber setting itself up for the death by a thousand cuts? With a new ruling that drivers can’t join class actions but must pursue individual arbitrations, it’s possible.

“Until the barriers that stop women from having an equal stab at reaching the top are cleared away, #MeToo will struggle to succeed.” The Economist takes a look at what changes the #metoo movement has wrought in workplaces.

While traditional taxi drivers embrace new regulations in Madrid, Uber drivers strike to protest them.

Geeking Out

Tim Berners-Lee, on his plans to disrupt his own invention, the World Wide Web.

“More is not necessarily better.” An exceptionally excellent look at the lessons that can be learned from the civic tech graveyard, by Micah Sifry.

Jobs

Our friends at Spendrise are expanding, and they’re looking to hire two new part-time, temp positions—a Senior Campaign Strategist and a Content Strategist.