Absent Federal Oversight of Animal Agriculture Safety, States and Others Step Up for Change

Tomato pickers have spent more than 20 years on a campaign for dignity and fair pay. The workers have succeeded, against incredible odds, in getting some of the biggest corporations in the country to recognize their plight.

Nearly 90% of Icelandic workers enjoy a four-day, 36-hour workweek, with no loss in pay compared to the traditional 40 hours. Despite initial concerns about a drop in productivity, reports indicate that productivity remained stable and even increased in some sectors. The four-day workweek also leads to less stress and improved work-life balance, and countries like Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom are currently testing four-day pilots.

The nonprofit Coalition of Immokalee Workers started the Fair Food Program to appeal directly to consumers and large brands about worker safety while policies and regulations are held up in government processes. The initiative strikes deals with large companies that pledge to protect farm workers in a variety of ways, particularly stringent heat protections as heat records are repeatedly increased.

Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia are leveraging Facebook groups to raise awareness around poor working conditions, empower migrant workers to understand their labor rights, and provide a source of community and connection for employees who are often isolated and in need of support.

Digital communication is allowing American employees to unionize at large corporations. In conjunction with face-to-face organizing, and more positive perceptions of unions from the public, digital communication such as social media and text messaging has led to an increasing number of unions. The current pro-worker political climate and the transparency of poor working conditions through social media have also contributed to the rise in unionization.

4 Day Week Global offers workshops, cross-company mentorship, and assistance with tracking productivity and employee wellbeing to help companies implement shortened workweeks. The nonprofit has piloted its program with 38 companies so far, and organizations that have switched to a four-day schedule report increased productivity and improved work-life balance for workers.

Worker-run co-ops in the food industry and in the care sector, industries hard hit by COVID-19, have proved resilient in weathering the pandemic. Some, like Cooperative Home Care Associates, partnered with other co-ops to provide discounted PPE supplies for workers. Others provide job opportunities for people who have trouble getting a foothold, like ChiFresh Kitchen’s formerly incarcerated women worker-owners and Red Emma’s in Baltimore. Worker-owner models can also pivot operations more quickly, which helped Brooklyn Packers respond to the pandemic by providing fresh produce to those in need.

Economists have often debated the positives of a higher minimum wage in the United States as a matter of productivity, profits, and losses but in this article, Matthew Desmond explores another way that the success of increasing minimum wage can be measured: through public health and impacts on things like depression, anxiety, stress, and more. Studies have shown that higher minimum wages have been connected to lower rates of teenage alcohol consumption and preventing premature deaths.

For contingent workers in what is often called the "gig economy," securing access to benefits, retirement, and other markers of job security can be a struggle. However, the success of the Screen Actors Guild and other labor unions for those in the entertainment industry in the 20th century might provide a useful framework for organizing for a 21st century labor market.

A new survey and analysis shows that paid leave has a hugely positive impact in quality of life and financial stability. Using examples of what has worked around the world, the report suggests that paid leave should be offered for six months, regardless of length of tenure in a job, and regardless of the size of a business.