The Importance of Workers’ Rights
As labor exploitation in the U.S. rises amidst the global pandemic, companies have seen record profits while thousands of their workers are denied rights to benefits like health care and paid time off. In response to this exploitation, we are seeing a growing number of workers’ strikes.
Labor unions in the US have a long history of advocating for fair, safe, and quality working conditions. They’ve worked to abolish child labor and ensure health and retirement benefits and fair wages. However, we continue to see capitalism infringe upon these rights. For example, the average minimum wage for tipped servers has remained at $2.13/hr since 1996. Adjusting for inflation, that would be $3.70 today, but even that is not a living wage.
Labor injustices also intersect with other forms of institutional discrimination. For instance, multiply-marginalized people are far more likely to face exploitation due to employers' perceptions of their skill level. Employers can often use fear tactics based on race, class, gender, and immigration status to force employees to accept poor working conditions.
As we collectively realize that the bourgeoisie exploits us, the labor movement is growing. In August 2021, 4.3 million people quit their jobs–– with many of them demanding justice and equitable working environments. We all deserve to have work that we enjoy, work that accommodates us, and work that allows us to live bountiful lives.
Mainstream media in the U.S. would have us believe that there’s a labor shortage when in fact, there is a shortage of employers that provide healthy, safe, and humanizing workplace environments. In the face of an ongoing global pandemic, many of us have reexamined our worth and the context of our labor. As we reexamine labor in today’s context, it is important to support the unions and organizers who fight for workers’ rights.
Here are some ways we can support the labor movement:
Vote pro-worker in local elections. Look for legislation and nominees that advocate for worker protections over corporate profits.
Build community and solidarity. Support and listen to marginalized folks at your workplace and engage in mutual aid.
Join (or organize) labor unions. Maintaining discretion in these efforts is important, especially since marginalized employees are more vulnerable to retaliation from higher-ups.
Support businesses that ensure employees’ needs are met. These could be local shops, co-ops, or anti-capitalist firms.
Don’t cross the picket line. Refrain from purchasing from companies whose workers are on strike.
Capitalism tells us that our labor is intrinsic to our worth and that there is a natural hierarchy of labor. This economic system thrives on the exploitation of that labor to increase profits for those at the top, which is why access to basic needs like healthcare is not granted to many laborers.
We deserve better. By continuing to organize and support strikes and labor unions, we can make positive shifts as a community, for the benefit of all. We can move towards a world where our identity is more than just our jobs.
What labor injustices do you notice being enacted in your community? What are some small ways you can organize with your colleagues to improve working conditions?