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The Bitter Side of Cocoa Production

Teresa Carr

February 13, 2020 |

Sapiens |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Dominican Republic

Carla Martin is an anthropologist at Harvard University, who also founded the Nine Cacao and Chocolate Institute — a nonprofit that brings together industry professionals, academics, and producers to share insights and discuss the challenges of producing chocolate. Cocoa production historically has participated in questionable labor practices, unfair wages, and tropical deforestation, so through her workshops, Martin aims to empower the workers along the supply chain to ensure their voices are heard through the process.

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No Sex For Fish: How Women In A Fishing Village Are Fighting For Power

Rebecca Davis

December 26, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Kenya, Nduru Beach

Along Kenya's Lake Victoria, the practice of jaboya - where fishermen guarantee that day's catch to a woman fish trader in exchange for sexual favors - is all too common, in part due to a lack of economic opportunity in small villages. Kenya's fishing communities also have rates of HIV prevalence between 30% and 40%. To combat these issues, local women and non-profits teamed up to start No Sex for Fish, an organization committed to providing women fish traders their own boats so they could catch the fish themselves. While initial results were promising, the initiative ultimately has not yet succeeded.

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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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What happens when people win this basic income raffle? They have time to find meaning in their lives

Julia Hotz

December 02, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Germany, Berlin

A nonprofit in Berlin tests the success of the Universal Basic Income structure, which is founded on the idea that a monthly stipend awarded to all individuals can create an invigorated labor force and allow people to do what they love. The organization called Mein Grundeinkommen (My Basic Income), has found that recipients of the monthly cash stipend have become less anxious and more curious and willing to reimagine their dream job.

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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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'One Job Should Be Enough': How Charlotte's Low-Wage Jobs Make Housing Unaffordable

Pam Kelley

November 04, 2019 |

WFAE |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

Living-wage advocates in North Carolina have turned to the business community to address low minimum wages which prevent employees from escaping poverty. Where local and state governments are unable to pass higher minimum wages, businesses have been encouraged to increase their minimum wages and consider the benefits of lower employee turnover and less money spent on recruitment and training, despite the increased payroll costs. Nonprofits like Just Economics of Western North Carolina calculate the living wage a person should make in a specific area depending on whether they have dependents or not.

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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 |

Text |

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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Paid Family Leave Is a Game Changer for New Parents' Health, Not Just Their Economic Security

Benjamin Ryan

August 12, 2019 |

The Nation (New York) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

The United States is the only developed nation to not have a national paid family leave policy, so several states are enacting their own form of the policy in order to better serve families and child development. The handful of states that have implemented a policy that allows for time off work with at least partial pay, have reported a myriad of successful outcomes including a decrease in infant and maternal mortality rates and overall better health of the child.

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When Arizona catches fire, prisoners step up

Maya L. Kapoor

August 05, 2019 |

High Country News |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Arizona

As the cost of fighting wildfires rises and the number of firefighters declines, Arizona found a solution: paying incarcerated men and women to do the same job for just five percent of the standard rate for firefighting. Arizona’s Inmate Wildfire Program, while fundamentally exploitative, is seemingly more complex. Those that go through the program find a sense of meaning and are given the opportunity to learn leadership and teamwork skills – things they can translate in life upon release.

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