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From trash to treasure: the South African community taking ownership of waste

Imani Dlamini

January 24, 2020 |

Pioneers Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Melkhoutfontein

A community in South Africa tackles waste management and unemployment at the same time by hiring workers to find new uses for waste that would otherwise be burned or dumped in a landfill. Some workers - most of whom are local women - make mosaics and other art out of plastics; others make hangers, stools, and more out of discarded materials.

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Arts Group Evaluates Five Years of Fair-Pay Certification

Zoe Sullivan

December 18, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Bringing labor organizing practices to the art world strengthens the fight for equitable pay. Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.) provides certification to arts organizations that agree to minimum pay standards. Artists and organizations can use payment calculators on the W.A.G.E website and track fee requests. W.A.G.E also acts as a negotiator for artist services, sending fee requests to other institutions.

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Creating LGBT-friendly work environments

Saori Nakagawa

December 12, 2019 |

NHK World—Japan |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Japan, Tokyo

A handful of initiatives are underway in Japan to improve working conditions for members of the LGBTQ community. One, called Work With Pride, organizes an annual International Coming Out Day and educates workplaces on how to create an inclusive space. They have since certified almost 200 employers in LGBTQ-friendliness. Another, called JobRainbow, is an employment agency for LGBTQ and helps organization improve their diversity.

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Philly Sets New Gold Standard for Domestic Worker Protections

Oscar Perry Abello

November 07, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Giving domestic workers a seat at the table elevates their voices and provides them with access to protections enshrined in labor laws. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the passage of the Philadelphia Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights extends worker protections to those previously left out of traditional labor laws. The new law, passed with the combined effort of the Pennsylvania Domestic Worker Alliance (PDWA), Philadelphia’s City Council, and the support of Philadelphia AFL-CIO, grants domestic workers access to employer-funded benefits and paid time off.

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2nd TransWork job fair partners with Independence Blue Cross

Laura Smythe

November 06, 2019 |

Philadelphia Gay News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A program out of Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce called TransWork aims to ease anxieties surrounding the experience of trans people in the workplace. They held a job fair in fall 2019 and educated the employers participating on inclusivity and safety for trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming folks. For the attendees, the program helped ease anxieties of having to perform twice as hard and benefitted from resume and interview workshops and a job board. The program has received positive feedback and will continue expanding to offer resources for trans people in Philadelphia.

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Bringing Pro-Worker Home Care Practices from the Bronx to the Pacific Northwest and Beyond

Oscar Perry Abello

October 09, 2019 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

Worker cooperatives offer a scalable model through which to ensure and protect the rights of home care workers. The Home Care Workers Purpose Trust, started by the Bronx-based Cooperative Home Care Associates, brings the worker co-op model to other home care programs across the country. The group, which partners with multiple worker advocacy organizations, most recently began a joint venture to serve southern Washington state.

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Drive-thru brothels: why cities are building 'sexual infrastructure'

Nate Berg

September 02, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Germany, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia

Attitudes towards the legalization of sex work are changing around the world, and now some cities have even started considering public spaces for sex work while developing urban infrastructure plans. From Cologne, Germany (where there are "sex drive-throughs" that are equipped with safety features, facilities for rest, and toilets for the workers) to Amsterdam (where they are developing new rules for window-based sex work), governments are now increasingly inviting sex workers and their representatives to the negotiating table.

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Can Employee Ownership Preserve Legacy Businesses in Communities of Color?

Sandra Larson

July 15, 2019 |

Next City |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As gentrification has flourished and Baby Boomers age out of the workforce, “legacy businesses” struggle to find a way to maintain a presence in communities of color. In response, a multi-city fellowship called Shared Equity in Economic Development (SEED) was developed to educate business owners on transferring ownership to the employees to ensure its future. Four cities—Philadelphia, Atlanta, Durham, and Miami— paired three city employees with one community member to work together over a two year period to leave the city with “clear plans, clear roles and good foundations for future business conversions."

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Will Labor Apps Save Workers?

Libby Watson

May 01, 2019 |

Splinter |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Workers who seek to unionize in a bid for fairer working conditions are up against strong anti-union sentiments from powerful companies adept at preventing labor from mobilizing. That's where technology has been able to help. Walmart workers were able to successfully organize and stay informed about their rights through an app called WorkIt. Some apps have failed to gain traction, but others have resulted in limited reforms such as the Coworker app which is a tool to create petitions. Starbucks was forced to provide needle disposal bins after employees mobilized.

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Paid internships are a reality again in Congress after public shaming

Paul Kane

March 12, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Paying Congressional interns gives lower income students a chance to engage with the legislative process. By bringing increased attention to the lack of paid internships on Capitol Hill, the nonprofit, Pay Our Interns, succeed in pressuring Congress to allocate funds for intern stipends. The funding makes opportunities on the Hill more accessible to those who cannot rely on family financial support to accept an unpaid internship.

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