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Dear John,
May always feels like a month of renewal and celebration — flowers come back into bloom, school comes to an end, and summer lies ahead full of possibilities. This year, that sense of possibility is intertwined with the tension and crises we’re facing here and around the world.
On May 1st, International Workers’ Day, my colleagues in New York City joined a rally that drew hundreds of everyday people and labor, student, and grassroots groups from across the city. Speakers from the UAW and No Tech for Apartheid stood alongside college students and drew powerful connections between labor fights, student activism, and liberation movements across the globe.
This is a pivotal moment — everyday people are joining together, fighting on issues that impact their communities, and risking serious consequences for doing so. It’s why we’re seeing politicians allied with corporate interests use violence, surveillance, and disinformation [[link removed]] to crack down on people who dare to challenge the status quo. But the system — the one built to serve corporate CEOs, the wealthy elite, and their political allies — is fracturing. More and more people can see how billionaires and corporations extract from every aspect of our lives, creating the conditions that harm us at work, at home, and in our communities.
What’s more, folks are recognizing the connections that bind us to one another, that the different parts of our individual lives (our jobs, homes, schools, transportation systems, healthcare services, public goods, and more) are all intertwined and that we should have a say in them.
In California’s Inland Empire, our colleagues and partners in the Athena coalition are supporting Amazon warehouse workers, tech workers, and community members who are uniting their fights across a range of issues and demands. Just last week, STL8 warehouse workers who have been organizing around health and safety filed an NLRB charge [[link removed]] against the corporation for using intrusive AI algorithms and surveillance. From fair pay and safety on the job, to climate commitments and transparency about how technology is being used, the folks impacted by Amazon’s business practices are joining forces to hold the corporation accountable.
This analysis — that the rights we’re fighting for at work are connected to the homes we live in, that our transportation is tied to public green spaces — is part of what we call a “whole people” approach. It acknowledges that a small group of billionaires and corporations hold outsized power over the lives of everyday people; that the folks who are working low paid jobs are often the same ones whose landlords are jacking up rent or whose communities are on the frontlines of climate pollution. The “whole people” approach is the backbone for how we build broad coalitions of people who unite across issue areas to build power and change things for the betterment of all.
We’re seeing this approach and a growing solidarity happening in realtime in cities across the country and around the world. Whether its labor unions allying with student groups or Amazon workers organizing out in their communities, our issues are interconnected and we have a shared fight against those who seek to exploit us for profit.
In solidarity,
Lauren Jacobs
Executive Director
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Warehouse worker Wendy Taylor speaking at a podium with a sign that reads: ''Protect warehouse workers.'' [[link removed]]
Warehouse Worker Protection Act and NLRB charge against Amazon
Earlier this month, Wendy Taylor (an Amazon STL8 worker and leader with Missouri Workers Center) and Ryan Gerety (Director of the Athena Coalition) joined labor groups and warehouse workers in DC as Sen. Ed Markey introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act [[link removed]] . The new legislation would prohibit dangerous work speed quotas, including those that rely on constant surveillance and violate health and safety laws, which lead to high rates of worker injuries. A few days ago, workers at the STL8 warehouse filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Amazon’s use of intrusive algorithms and surveillance interfere with workers’ right to organize. Taylor, a member of the STL8 Organizing Committee, shared [[link removed]] how surveillance, dangerous work quotas, and the latest NLRB charge are connected to workers’ demands for a safe work environment.
Workplace Justice Fund successfully implemented to support workers in San Diego
Last year, the Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI) and local worker advocates won a $100,000 workplace justice fund that is providing financial assistance to workers experiencing wage theft and retaliation. Since the fund was approved, the County has distributed the funds to 34 workers [[link removed]] who have suffered wage theft, while also helping them to recover wages they are owed from employers. This program is the first of its kind, providing support to workers while holding employers accountable, and then putting a portion of the recovered money back into the fund to continue supporting other workers.
Members with ALIGN and worker safety coalitions rallying and speaking on the NY state capitol steps. [[link removed]]
New York workers, unions, and coalitions host Worker Safety Week
Earlier this month, ALIGN joined forces with three other worker safety coalitions for a week of action in Albany, calling on NY State leaders to protect workers from harm, hold employers accountable, and create the conditions for safe, healthy, and sustainable workplaces. At a press conference kicking off Worker Safety Week [[link removed]] , workers from a range of industries, advocates, and elected leaders shared support for tangible solutions that have been proposed this legislative session. Afterwards, workers and advocates invited elected officials and staff in the Capitol to open Amazon boxes filled with different scenarios and daily challenges that New York warehouse workers face on the job. “Just look at the numbers,” urged Theodore A. Moore, Executive Director of ALIGN. “New York has 54% more warehouse injuries than the rest of the country. New York should be leading the way with solutions, not harm.”
Workforce development program in Nashville creates pathways out of poverty into union-skilled jobs
Stand Up Nashville is a core partner of Music City Construction Careers [[link removed]] , a workforce development program that provides job skills training and apprenticeships to workers who may otherwise not consider the building trades — particularly formerly incarcerated individuals, women, and people of color. This year, the program celebrated its 13th cohort of graduates, with more than 130 folks having completed it in total. The North America's Building Trade Unions (NABTU) awarded SUN’s Director of Workforce and Employment, Nate Carter [[link removed]] , with the Mark H. Ayers 2024 Community Achievement Award for his work spearheading this initiative.
CAUSE and MICOP staff hold a banner that reads: ''Farmworkers deserve a living wage. Campesinos merecen un salario digno.'' [[link removed]]
Farmworkers across Santa Barbara unite for a living wage
Last month, nearly 200 farmworkers came together with CAUSE, MICOP, and community allies to launch their farmworker living wage campaign [[link removed]] . They marched and rallied in Santa Maria Town Center during the weekend of the Strawberry Festival, a local event that celebrates all things strawberry related — except the people who harvest and bring them to the table. Farmworkers, supported by organizers and advocates, are leading the movement for a living wage and a more just, dignified agricultural system, which is needed to sustain the industry that is the backbone of the region’s local economy.
Long Beach hospitality workers win highest minimum wage in the nation
Long Beach voters approved Measure RW [[link removed]] , which will raise the minimum wage for hospitality workers to $23, with an increase to $29.50 by 2028. LAANE has been supporting hospitality workers through their Long Beach for a Just Economy campaign, and helped to lead the Yes on RW initiative alongside UNITE HERE Local 11, CLUE, and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. The push to raise wages for Long Beach hospitality workers comes as the industry rakes in record profits — while its workers struggle to provide for their families. Measure RW will ensure that hotel workers who keep the tourism industry running are paid what they need to thrive, especially as the region gets ready to host the Olympics in 2028.
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Last month we traveled to Vienna and Berlin with 30 housing organizers and elected leaders from across the country. We met with city officials and campaign organizers, visited social housing projects and neighborhoods, and had powerful, insightful conversations about community-controlled housing.
Here are our three big takeaways:
*
Put
land
in
public
hands
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Have
people
govern
it
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Make
it
high
quality
and
beautiful
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Earlier this year we released a report [[link removed]] debunking Uber’s claim that raising driver pay would increase passenger fares. The reality is: Uber is charging passengers more while paying drivers less, allowing it to pay back the Wall Street investors, shareholders, and banks that helped it undercut competitors and corner the market. Check out this new video [[link removed]] from More Perfect Union about our research on why the cost of an Uber ride has gone up, and where that money is really going.
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We are seeking experienced individuals to join our team! If you know anyone who would be a great fit, please send them our way. The ideal candidates will have a deep commitment to social, racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice.
*
Research
Director
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Our affiliates are hiring! Check out open positions across our network [[link removed]] . Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to receive updates directly to your inbox [[link removed]] .
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