Organizing Theory
‘I didn’t know what the union was for,’ he said, ‘but now I can see that it’s the thing that we have to take a collective stand for ourselves and for others. It gives us our voice.’ Read this fascinating description of how Australian call center workers rebuilt their union around solidarity—even non-workplace solidarity.
What’s Going on in the Workforce
The Independent Drivers’ Guild is claiming victory, as New York City’s TLC is proposing changes to minimum standards for driver pay that they claim will raise most drivers’ pay over $9,000 per year.
Uber is expanding their food delivery market to include grocery delivery as well—starting in Toronto. The company has also announced changes to driver pay rates (for ride-sharing drivers), which have some drivers grumbling on message boards.
California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez is introducing a bill to codify the ABC test for independent contractors into state law (recently the CA Supreme Court issued the Dynamax decision, which used the ABC test—but gig economy companies have been lobbying politicians to overturn it legislatively).
Walmart is rolling out janitorial robots.
The Nation’s Michelle Chen takes a look at the nail salon industry, three years after the NY Times expose on working conditions in the industry. Upshot? Not much has changed for workers.
Geeking Out
So this is an ad, just to be clear. But it’s still a cool use of tech. Schweppes built a dress with sensors, to prove to men that women aren’t lying when they say how much they get groped in clubs.
Sharing, Solidarity & Sustainability
The way Amazon treats its third-party marketplace is under investigation by a German anti-trust agency. And Saul Kaplan takes a look at what Amazon’s entry into the healthcare market could entail.
Airbnb is getting into the business of building houses.
How Janus is making public sector unions in University of Illinois at Chicago work together, backfiring against the administration’s plans to weaken their organized workforce.