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lauradi7dwObligatory Bread and Roses scene from "Pride"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td1noF-yOjM
Conventional thought says that one reason wages haven't risen despite (loosely speaking) full employment and a strong stock market is that unions have lost so much clout. And if (when, I suppose) Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, it will be even worse. Still, unions must be regarded as worth heeding in some sense. Our local state representative race (MA primary is tomorrow) includes two candidates that are backed by different locals of the SEIU - Mary Ann Stewart by the Human Service Workers, and Michelle Ciccolo by the Healthcare Workers. They have noticeable SEIU logos on their campaign materials.
There has been a big response on Twitter to the Fox news report that seems to denigrate actor Geoffrey Owens because he works at Trader Joe's. I would have vaguely expected Fox to be sarcastic about people who have jobs in the arts, rather than people who have jobs in grocery stores, but their editorial policy about class distinctions (?) and the value of labor is a mystery to me. A number of writers, actors, and so forth have posted their own participation in the gig economy. Apparently TJ is good about giving benefits to part-time workers, and allowing flexible hours, so it's a good choice, but there were lots of other jobs listed. I knew someone who moved from rural South to NYC in the 1990s to try to make it as an actor. He got a few small parts, but for years he had a regular office job for most of the year, taking off December to play Bob Cratchit in a touring company. I tend to dismiss the opinions of anybody who says "unskilled labor." As someone remarked: "That means a job that you couldn't do."
Happy Labor day to all the people doing the work I couldn't do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td1noF-yOjM
Conventional thought says that one reason wages haven't risen despite (loosely speaking) full employment and a strong stock market is that unions have lost so much clout. And if (when, I suppose) Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, it will be even worse. Still, unions must be regarded as worth heeding in some sense. Our local state representative race (MA primary is tomorrow) includes two candidates that are backed by different locals of the SEIU - Mary Ann Stewart by the Human Service Workers, and Michelle Ciccolo by the Healthcare Workers. They have noticeable SEIU logos on their campaign materials.
There has been a big response on Twitter to the Fox news report that seems to denigrate actor Geoffrey Owens because he works at Trader Joe's. I would have vaguely expected Fox to be sarcastic about people who have jobs in the arts, rather than people who have jobs in grocery stores, but their editorial policy about class distinctions (?) and the value of labor is a mystery to me. A number of writers, actors, and so forth have posted their own participation in the gig economy. Apparently TJ is good about giving benefits to part-time workers, and allowing flexible hours, so it's a good choice, but there were lots of other jobs listed. I knew someone who moved from rural South to NYC in the 1990s to try to make it as an actor. He got a few small parts, but for years he had a regular office job for most of the year, taking off December to play Bob Cratchit in a touring company. I tend to dismiss the opinions of anybody who says "unskilled labor." As someone remarked: "That means a job that you couldn't do."
Happy Labor day to all the people doing the work I couldn't do.
