On April 15, protesters in New York City and across the United States engaged in a coordinated demonstration to highlight the problem of low wages for workers in the fast-food industry. This issue has resonated with workers who have seen their pay diverge in real terms from the cost of living. The “Fight for $15 on 4/15” protests brought workers together with allies in the community and organized labor in what has become a dynamic social movement. Yet the origins of this stark decline in purchasing power for workers can be found several decades ago. Why has this social movement for change emerged in recent years to place higher wages on the local and national political agenda?
Spring is officially upon us. We saw it in the Fight for 15 protests, bringing workers and activists to the streets in cities across the country. We see it in the upcoming days of action for climate justice. Possibility is in the air. How will you help fight for the world we want to see? Some updates from the week:
On Wednesday, workers in 200 cities walked out of work and took to the streets to fight for a $15 minimum wage. Was it the “largest protest by low-wage workers in US history”? It very well might have been.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers came to a deal on something! Unfortunately, it’s an agreement to give Pres. Obama fast-track authority on the Trans Pacific Partnership — meaning it will be negotiated in secret, and presented to congress for a yes-or-no vote, with no amendments allowed.
Nathan Schneider wrote an excellent story for VICE on Catalan bank robber and activist Enric Duran and the Catalan Integral Cooperative, an organizing initiative and network of cooperatives with potentially transformative political, social and economic implications. A must-read.
The Intercept published a video from Federal Prison Industries calling prison labor the “best kept secret in outsourcing” — what with prisoners being available for as little as 23 cents an hour. Charming stuff.
Denver cab drivers have started building a worker cooperative — an Uber-like service that’s worker-owned. (via Yes! Magazine)
Last weekend, Murphy served as a sponsor for the annual Organizing 2.0 Digital Boots conference. Lots of mingling, workshops, and conspiring. ‘Til next year!
This past week, Murphy Institute Professor Stephanie Luce gave a talk at the James Connolly Forum on the fight for a living wage and the $15 minimum campaign. Couldn’t make it person? Catch the talk here:
Stephanie Luce is an Associate Professor of Labor Studies at the Murphy Institute.
A conversation about workers, communities and social justice
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