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public services

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

Malnourishment: A Case Study on U.S. Food Insecurity

February 15, 2018 by Nicole Braun 2 Comments

The final report of the 1996 World Food Summit states that food security “exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture agrees – at least in theory. […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives, Class prejudice, Classism, Classism in Everyday Life, Classism in Politics, Classism in social services, Classism in the Economy, Poverty, Systemic Classism Tagged With: blaming the victim, budget cuts, low-wage jobs, poverty, public services, stereotypes

Homeless Shelters as Band-Aids: Housing Is a Human Right

December 7, 2017 by Nicole Braun Leave a Comment

From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 25: (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Affordable Housing, Building Economic Alternatives, Class prejudice, Classism, Classism in social services, Classism in the Economy Tagged With: classism, homeless, owning class, poverty, public services

Charity vs. Solidarity Work

December 15, 2016 by Cheryl Distaso 4 Comments

Settling in after a short but intense trip to Standing Rock, I took to Facebook, curious about what had transpired at the camp during my 10-hour drive home. Expecting to see updates regarding activities of the thousands of water protectors and their allies, I was instead startled by a Facebook post advertising tee shirts. The […]

Filed Under: Philanthropy and Classism Tagged With: owning class, privilege, public services, social movements

Health Class

January 12, 2016 by Class Action Leave a Comment

There is a wealth of data that tells us that class is a huge determinant of your health. This information is critical for policy change. And as someone working in the fields of human rights and social justice, I fought hard to share this information with decision makers that could do something about the issue. […]

Filed Under: Health care access, Poverty Tagged With: public services, unemployment

Health Equity: What’s Working

January 12, 2016 by Prevention Institute Leave a Comment

We have lots of ways to measure what’s not working in the United States. We can quickly pull the latest numbers that track growing inequalities in wealth and opportunity in our society, from displacement driven by gentrification and mounting student debt to low social mobility and gaping health disparities across lines of class and race. […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Health care access, Poverty Tagged With: health care, poverty, privilege, public services

Championing Postal Workers Is Good Class and Economic Sense

November 19, 2015 by Maynard Seider Leave a Comment

I watched the second Democratic debate hoping that Senator Bernie Sanders would clearly articulate an economic policy that would differentiate him from Hillary Clinton, that would advance the interests of American workers and that would easily resonate with the millions of debate viewers. Unfortunately he didn’t. Instead he continued to lash out at the one […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives, Classism in Politics, Dismantlng Classism Tagged With: blaming the victim, boycott, low-wage jobs, middle class, middle-class jobs, public services, unions

We need more than holiday charity to reduce income inequality

December 24, 2014 by David Perelman 3 Comments

The holidays are a time of joy for many. They are when families celebrate being together with loved ones, workplaces honor the accomplishments of employees, and individuals reflect on their personal success. However, this scenario does not apply to everyone. Slowly, over the last fifteen or so years, there has been a dramatic annual increase […]

Filed Under: Philanthropy and Classism, Politics and Class, Poverty Tagged With: budget cuts, charity, holidays, poverty, public services

Beneath the Veneer of Harris v. Quinn

July 17, 2014 by Michael C. Duff 2 Comments

Harris v. Quinn is a recent Supreme Court opinion, featured often on the news, holding that “partial” public employees – home health care providers – should not be “compelled” to join a union or, put in less charged language, to contribute to union representation in their workplace even when a majority of employees has voted […]

Filed Under: Classism in Politics, Labor movement Tagged With: labor law, public services, Right to Work, unions

Groveling for the Greater Good

January 5, 2014 by Polly Trout 1 Comment

I’ve been fundraising for nonprofits for 15 years now, mostly for homeless youth and families. When I started fundraising, my bible was the now classic “Fundraising for Social Change” by Kim Klein. Klein taught grassroots fundraising strategies that were developed during the 1970’s, the peak of middle-class prosperity in the U.S. These strategies are ethical […]

Filed Under: Classism in social services, Philanthropy and Classism Tagged With: budget cuts, classism, donors, fundraising, money, poverty, public services

Pension Cutbacks: The New Normal or Fightback?

December 23, 2013 by Maynard Seider Leave a Comment

We should be as wary now of the mainstream media as Marx was in 1871 when he wrote the following: “The daily press and the telegraph, which in a moment spreads its inventions over the whole earth, fabricate more myths in one day…than could have previously been produced in a century.” And so, for example, […]

Filed Under: Politics and Class, Workplace classism Tagged With: budget cuts, pensions, public services

Philly School Crisis Meets Pushback

August 15, 2013 by Maynard Seider 1 Comment

While a group of determined teachers, parents and community activists rallied a small crowd in front of South Philadelphia High School on a rainy weekday, the powers-that-be in City Hall, Harrisburg and D.C. did nothing to avert an educational crisis that awaits 150,000 mostly poor and working-class students when school is due to open in […]

Filed Under: Classism in K-12 Education, Labor movement, Politics and Class Tagged With: budget cuts, education, protest, public school, public services, union-bashing

Shame, School Lunch, and Passing

August 20, 2012 by Lita Kurth 9 Comments

When I was in sixth grade, my family was eligible for free school lunches. I attended a small country school, without much class diversity, mostly farmers, some without indoor toilets in their homes. Even so, when I gave my lunch ticket to the student appointed to collect them, I noticed and she noticed that there […]

Filed Under: Class and Disability, Class cultures, Classism among Kids, Classism in Everyday Life, Classism in K-12 Education, Classism in social services, Money, Poverty Tagged With: California Schools, charity, education, entitlement programs, Helping the Poor, kids, money, poverty, public school, public services, School Lunch Program, stigma

To Care or Not to Care About Obamacare

July 17, 2012 by Veronica Quiles 2 Comments

When the Supreme Court approved “Obamacare,” most of my Facebook friends had joyful statuses about the ruling. And it is something to cheer about: millions of Americans will now be able to be insured; women will now have access to affordable birth control and not face gender pricing of insurance; and people cannot be denied […]

Filed Under: Classism in Politics, Classist Corporations, Politics and Class, Poverty Tagged With: budget cuts, health care, poverty, public services, Rationalizing privilege

The Class Nightmare of Disability

February 8, 2012 by Jan Innes 9 Comments

Seeking instant invisibility? Displacement from society? Separation from the shared life expectations of friends, family and colleagues? If so, become disabled. Visible or invisible, commonly recognized or incomprehensible, causing odd tics or socially-unacceptable behaviors, your disability will likely make you actively ignored by others or looked at like a circus freak. (“Mommy, why is that […]

Filed Under: Class and Disability, Classism in Everyday Life, Classism in social services, Classism in the Economy, Poverty Tagged With: classism, disabilities, downward mobility, poverty, public services

Verizon Strike: A Teachable Moment?

August 23, 2011 by Steve Early 3 Comments

Why Health Care Strikes Should Demand “Health Care For All,” Not Just “Hands Off My ‘Middle Class’ Benefits” For two weeks in August, thousands of Verizon strikers provided an inspiring display of picket-line militancy and resistance to contract concessions. From Massachusetts to Virginia, members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Classism in the Economy, Classist Corporations, Labor movement Tagged With: health care, middle class, public services, union-bashing

Query: How to open discussion with a poor-basher?

June 29, 2011 by Lena Rothman 5 Comments

Dear Class Action, What should I do? My neighbor in my conservative rural town emailed this racist/classist piece of junk to me. I need some advice on what to do next. I asked the one who sent it to me and another womyn if they had any interest in coming to my house and watching […]

Filed Under: Classism in Everyday Life, Classism in Politics, Poverty, Race and Class, Spirituality and Ending Classism Tagged With: budget cuts, classism, health care, poor-bashing, poverty, public services, racism

Modern-day Pirates: the Republicans vs. the Public Sector

February 21, 2011 by Bill Fletcher Jr. 1 Comment

So, let’s be clear:  it’s not about the budget.  As the facts have emerged in the 2011 Wisconsin crisis with Governor Scott Walker’s move against public service unions, it is not about Wisconsin lacking funds.  There is no credible way that Walker and his clique can argue that eliminating a worker’s right to collective bargaining […]

Filed Under: Classism in the Economy, Politics and Class Tagged With: budget cuts, public services, Republicans, teachers unions, union-bashing

Who Gets Plowed in New York?

February 6, 2011 by Nicole Renee Brown 1 Comment

 After the first huge snow storm on December 26, my family was asking two questions: a) where are the damn snowplows in our Brooklyn neighborhood?; and b) why is Manhattan clear?  Smells like a class issue here.  I was born and raised in this neighborhood, which saw white flight in the 70s, the crack epidemic […]

Filed Under: Class in the Media, Class in The News, Classism, Classism in Everyday Life, Classism in Politics, Race and Class Tagged With: budget cuts, classism, public services, racism, union-bashing

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