September 7, 2026
My first job was at a performing arts school when I was 14 years old. In exchange for a discount on dance classes, I swept the floors, set up the tables for dinner theater, and put costumes and props away. I’m sure my parents were grateful for a break on the expensive lessons, but I was excited to be backstage—and to be a small part of the work that kept a community arts program in business.
Without the hard-fought wins of American workers over the decades, my first job might have been very different. What started in the late 1800s during the Industrial Revolution as a push for better pay and work conditions turned into labor unions and, in turn, the labor movement that’s changed the landscape of worker rights.
In this installment of Justice This Week, we honor Labor Day with stories of workers from farmers to architects. From the worsening student loan crisis to how pawn shops represent community need in a gentrifying city, work is changing, but the need for worker rights and solidarity remains just as urgent as ever. And improving working conditions for one means better conditions for all—a fight we both celebrate and continue to strive for.
Dr. Alison Stine
Senior Editor
Climate Justice, Disability, and Education
