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Minimum wage

A Reflection on the Gig Economy

August 31, 2018 by Anonymous Leave a Comment

I am no stranger to the gig economy. I have relied on it from time to time to supplement the income from my small business. When business is slow – or more often – when vendors are slow to pay me, I’ve taken short-term temp work, signed up for focus groups or been a “secret […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Building Economic Alternatives, Classism in the Economy, Classist Corporations, Poverty, Workplace classism Tagged With: consumerism, corporations, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, privilege, working class

The Work to Be Done This Labor Day

August 31, 2018 by Miranda Cunningham Leave a Comment

On Labor Day 2018, it’s hard to maintain hope. Many will labor on Labor Day (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Growing up in a blue-collar union household, working on holidays was considered a boon). Many labor in worse conditions than our parents and grandparents. The Gig Economy The gig economy leaves millions on their […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives, Classism in the Economy, Classist Corporations, Corporate power, Dismantlng Classism, Labor movement, Poverty, Systemic Classism Tagged With: activism, community organizing, downward mobility, low-wage jobs, middle class, Minimum wage, public services, race and class, social movements, unions

Cross-Class Alliances: Silicon Valley

December 20, 2017 by Lita Kurth Leave a Comment

On Labor Day, I thought, what better way to celebrate than to show up for cross-class picketing at a local McDonald’s? The first thing I saw was a line of yellow school buses bringing the picketers from the local labor council to the restaurant, partly because many workers rely on a bus, not a car […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Cross-class alliances, Dismantlng Classism, Race and Class Tagged With: activism, classism, community organizing, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, speaking up, unions

Surviving in the Gig Economy

February 10, 2017 by Jade Obler Leave a Comment

As a creative person without a degree, the gig economy field has always appealed to me. I have had various jobs in customer service that have left me emotionally drained and unable to create art and enjoy my life, due to long hours and low wages. It seemed at first that gig economy jobs were […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives, Money Tagged With: debt, gig economy, low-wage jobs, making ends meet, Minimum wage, money

Gig Economy Hustle

February 10, 2017 by Kendra Colburn Leave a Comment

I stare through wild green houseplants out my bedroom window. A robot voice over the phone guides me through my student loan servicer’s menu. “Lower my bill,” I say to the aloe. “Lower my bill,” I say to the cactus. “Lower my bill,” I say to the jade, and eventually I speak to Daisy. Daisy […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives, Poverty Tagged With: debt, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, money

My Summers on the Cape

August 25, 2016 by Camilo Viveiros Leave a Comment

Working, Not “Summering,” on Martha’s Vineyard Summer rolling around means vacations for many. But for others it means seasonal migration to restaurant and hospitality work. When on the Cape recently, I stopped by a Black Dog store, to check to see if the clothing was still made on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. A considerable […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Classism in the Economy, Consumer culture, Dealing with privilege, Poverty Tagged With: consumerism, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, money, poverty, working class

Forgoing College to Forgo Debt

June 7, 2016 by Lita Kurth 1 Comment

In education, we are headed toward a perfect storm. Increasingly large numbers of capable students are so afraid of incurring debt that they are deciding not to go to college. I’m not talking about marginal students but successful students. These are not the students that lawmakers are likely to hear about. They and their families are too […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives, Class in Higher Education, Classism in the Economy, Money, Poverty Tagged With: academia, debt, education, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, money

When Pregnancy Is the Biggest Scare

May 20, 2016 by Seble Adinew Leave a Comment

Stephanie Jones, writing in Class Lives, says, “But poor girls are so strapped by their finances, we can’t imagine a pregnancy: the furniture needed, time away from work, the long-term financial costs, the exhaustion after a double shift, the food, the bottles, the formula, the child care.” The author is right. Being pregnant when poor […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Money, Poverty Tagged With: low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, motherhood and poverty, poverty, single mothers

Class, Money and Mental Health

March 31, 2016 by Anonymous 3 Comments

When I was in high school, I knew something was wrong with me. There were many days where I felt like I had lost all purpose in living. I remember crying a lot in my high school years. My chest would feel tight, the air would get thick, and my mind would race with negative […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class and Disability, First Generation College Students, Health care access Tagged With: academia, bullying, health care, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, poverty

Work It, Girl

March 18, 2016 by Mensen 2 Comments

Sister, I see you. I see you, with your shitty paycheck I see you, with your kids, your bills, your debt, your dreams I see you young and bright cheeked, skipping rope Or playing hand clap games I see you silver and still bright remembering Girl, you know I see you. You have been here […]

Filed Under: Class prejudice, Classism, Classism in Everyday Life, Gender Class Intersections, Poverty Tagged With: classism, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, poverty, snobs, working class

Trying to survive on $8.25 an hour

December 13, 2013 by Ann Berlak and Nelson Myhand Leave a Comment

On Thursday December 5th in 130 cities across the country fast food workers walked off their jobs calling for $15 in wages and the right to form a union. In Oakland, CA, hundreds of supporters joined the action at a local McDonalds during the lunch rush hour, successfully interrupting business as usual. The crowd was […]

Filed Under: Corporate power, Labor movement, Money Tagged With: activism, corporations, greed, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage

Now Showing in Seattle: A Multicultural Working Class Movement!

November 26, 2013 by Lita Kurth Leave a Comment

Any American interested in the working class should know about Kshama Sawant, an open Socialist (and immigrant), who was recently elected to the Seattle City Council. Recently, I exchanged emails with her assistant, Anh Tran. Rather than repeat widely-known facts, I’ll include some of our email Q & A, which I was grateful to receive […]

Filed Under: Electoral politics, Politics and Class Tagged With: cities, corporate power, immigrants, Minimum wage, socialists, tax cuts

President Obama’s Middle Class: the Rhetoric and the Reality

February 18, 2013 by Maynard Seider Leave a Comment

It should come as no surprise that President Obama focused on the “middle class” in his State of the Union speech. He mentioned that term six times, even calling it “our generation’s task…to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class.” What the president didn’t mention was the critical […]

Filed Under: Classism in the Economy, Labor movement, Politics and Class Tagged With: deficit, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, unions

A Forty Hour Week From the Other Side

November 5, 2012 by Lita Kurth 2 Comments

As this election nears, I find myself passionate about a local issue: San Jose, following the stronger leads of San Francisco, Seattle, and Albuquerque, is proposing to raise the minimum wage from $8 to $10 per hour. I will be precinct walking on Saturday to help make this happen. This raise is more important than […]

Filed Under: Class in the Media, Class in The News, Classism in Everyday Life, Classism in Politics, Classism in the Economy, Classist Corporations, Labor movement, Workplace classism Tagged With: classism, labor statistics, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, money, part-time workers, poverty, Rationalizing privilege, service industry, working class

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