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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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The $15 Minimum Wage Doesn't Just Improve Lives. It Saves Them.

Matthew Desmond

February 21, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Emeryville

Economists have often debated the positives of a higher minimum wage in the United States as a matter of productivity, profits, and losses but in this article, Matthew Desmond explores another way that the success of increasing minimum wage can be measured: through public health and impacts on things like depression, anxiety, stress, and more. Studies have shown that higher minimum wages have been connected to lower rates of teenage alcohol consumption and preventing premature deaths.

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Gig economy platform Thumbtack is helping its users get benefits

Eillie Anzilotti

February 19, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The National Domestic Workers Alliance created a platform called Alia to deliver job benefits to home cleaners. Now, the NDWA is partnering with Thumbtack, a gig economy platform, in order to deliver this service to thousands more workers around the country. Alia allows employers to pay into a portable benefits fund for each cleaning session, funding paid time off and other job benefits.

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'Dignity and respect': Dominican factory vows to never be a sweatshop

Milli Legrain

February 14, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Dominican Republic, Villa Altagracia

In the Dominican Republic, employees at the Alta Gracia factory are paid 2.5 times the national minimum wage, a salary that is widely unheard of in the garment factories that make t-shirts and sports merchandise for American consumers. While the business has sometimes struggled to maintain investors and turn a profit, the guarantee of a living wage has introduced much deserved financial stability in the lives of workers who are often relegated to substandard conditions and minimal wages.

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With Paid Leave, Gates Foundation Says There Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing

Claire Cain Miller

January 25, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

In the United States, parental leave is set at 12 weeks, but many companies have begun pursuing other possibilities such as paid time and more time for both mothers and fathers. Most recently, however, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has decreased their parental leave from one year to six months while adding in a financial stipend based of what they've learned from past failures.

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Australia tried 3 fixes to take bias out of hiring — here's what worked

Jennifer Guay

January 09, 2019 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia, Melbourne, Victoria

The government of Victoria, Australia partnered with businesses across the state to workshop ways cultural, gender, and other biases could be eliminated in workforce interview processes. By creating anonymous CVs, using non-gendered language, and training employees on unconscious biases, this "Recruit Smarter" plan saw increased employment consideration for women, minorities, and people with disabilities.

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How to fix the gender pay gap? The firm that pays everyone the same

Helen Pidd

January 01, 2019 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Elland, West Yorkshire

In the midst of controversy surrounding large gender pay-gaps in the United Kingdom, a wholesale company called Suma adopts a "co-op" mentality and pays everyone - regardless of gender, experience, or age - the same salary. The equal structure at Suma encourages employees to take active roles in all departments of the company, allowing them to see operational structure and strategy on all sides of the wholesale process.

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One of the biggest challenges of kicking addiction is getting and keeping a job

Lenny Bernstein

November 27, 2018 |

The Washington Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Hampshire

Employers are creating “recovery friendly’ workplaces by providing support for employees with substance use disorders in the same manner as they would for employees who needed support for any other disease. A job and the support of an employer bring valuable stability to someone in recovery as well as provide a sense of belonging and self-worth.

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This tool helps you make sure your 401(k) is supporting gender equality

Adele Peters

November 13, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

Gender Equality Funds is a tool that makes it possible for people to know if the mutual fund companies in their 401(k)’s are gender inclusive. The tools pulls data from 4,000 mutual funds companies and gives them a gender score. The aim is to empower people to invest their money in socially responsible funds. “I believe this is going to be a tsunami of capital shifting away from companies that are not responsive on gender equality.”

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