Inside America's Greatest Modern Labor Success Story

Workers at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island voted to unionize after two years of organizing by the independent Amazon Labor Union. The union was started by a worker who was fired from the warehouse after protesting unsafe conditions during the COVID-19, and a current employee. The union raised funds through GoFundMe to carry out innovative organizing tactics, like making TikTok videos and bringing free food from diverse cultural backgrounds to feed workers coming and going from their around the clock shifts.

Domestic workers in South Africa fought for many worker protections by banding together and demanding change. The racial inequity of apartheid left many domestic workers unprotected and exploited. Now, short-term unemployment aid, minimum wages, and other legal protections have been implemented.

Delivery cooperatives are being formed as alternatives by drivers who are pooling their money and charging customers a one-time fee in a subscription-based model. Customers and restaurants alike pay a set monthly fee for delivery services without any extra or hidden costs. Drivers are full-time employees that are eligible for benefits such as medical insurance and profit-sharing options. Restaurants are able to avoid exorbitant commission fees while drivers avoid predatory business practices.

An equitable alternative to Uber and Lyft is giving drivers ownership of a ride-hailing platform with many perks that aren’t available to workers in the gig economy. The Drivers Cooperative is providing drivers with lower interest vehicle loans, better insurance rates, and a pilot program to test their own ride-hailing app.

Driver cooperatives are providing an alternative for gig workers who use ride-hailing apps to make a living. Though the pay isn’t high, drivers are paid fairly for the time they spend working, have stable schedules and employment, and know their complaints and suggestions will be heard and implemented.

Platform co-ops are providing a third option to the gig economy and traditional employment. Stocksy United is a photography cooperative which is owned by the independent contractors who are members of the platform coop. All major decisions are made through voting by photographers and each member benefits from the flexibility of being a contractor without the uncertainty typically associated with gig work.

Meatpacking workers protested Covid-19 safety concerns and a coalition of advocacy groups filed a civil rights complaint with the government accusing Tyson and JBS USA of racial discrimination during the pandemic because the safety issues disproportionately impact line workers, who are largely people of color. Nevada’s Culinary Union also sued Las Vegas Strip casinos for unsafe working conditions. Two casinos have been dropped from the suit after deciding to negotiate privately with the union and Tyson has since instituted some safety measures, but broader impacts of the complaints remain to be seen.

Organized labor unions in WalMart used an app called WorkIt to mobilize workers. The app answers common questions that concern things like paid leave, absences, wages, and legal rights. “Eight years later, OUR Walmart, the flagship project of Organization United for Respect, has claimed a number of victories, including substantially better corporate-wide pay and leave policies.” Key to that has been WorkIt. Now organizers are looking to expand the app to other companies.

Legislation known as the Garment Worker Protection Act is being hailed as a game changer for workers in the fashion industry. Low wages, forced overtime, and sweatshop conditions are common for garment workers in California but the new law will hold employers. Labor rights activists across the world are taking notice.

The cooperative business model has boomed in the aftermath of the pandemic. Worker cooperatives allow employees to run and own a business, giving them more control as well as a share of profits. Co-ops not only have a higher success rate, they also pay their workers higher, on average. Worker-owned co-ops have increased by 36 percent since 2013.