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Thursday, October 10, 2024

Labor, Big Tech, and A.I.: The Big Picture (CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies)



Wednesday, October 30, 2024

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Lunch will be served. Free and open to all.25 West 43rd Street, 18th floor, New York, NY 10036 (map)

*In-person* only in Midtown Manhattan.

REGISTER:

https://slucuny.swoogo.com/30October2024/register

Join us for a conversation with Alex N. Press, staff writer at Jacobin magazine and Edward Ongweso Jr., senior researcher at Security in Context and a co-host of the podcast This Machine Kills; moderated by New Labor Forum Editor-at-Large Micah Uetricht.

The discussion will address major issues confronting the labor movement with the development and use of artificial intelligence, surveillance, automation of work generally, and the rise of Big Tech’s control over large segments of the U.S. workforce. This conversation is the first in what will be an ongoing series focusing on the impact of Big Tech and AI on the labor movement and strategies for organizing to build worker power.

Presented in collaboration with New Labor Forum (NLF), this program connects to the fall 2024 issue of NLF, which features the special section, “Labor and the Uncertain Future of Artificial Intelligence,” and includes the article, “How the U.S. Labor Movement Is Confronting A.I.,” by Alex N. Press.

Speaker Bios:

Edward Ongweso Jr. is a senior researcher at Security in Context and a co-host of This Machine Kills, a podcast about the political economy of technology. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Baffler, Logic(s), Nation, Dissent, Vice, and elsewhere.

Alex N. Press is a staff writer at Jacobin magazine. Her writing has appeared in New Labor Forum, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Nation, among other places, and she is currently writing her first book, What We Will: How American Labor Woke Up.

Micah Uetricht is Editor-at-Large of New Labor Forum, a national labor journal produced by the Murphy Institute at CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies and host of SLU’s podcast Reinventing Solidarity. Uetricht is also the editor of Jacobin and the author of two books: Strike for America: Chicago Teachers Against Austerity; and Bigger than Bernie: How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism (co-authored by Meagan Day).

REGISTER:

https://slucuny.swoogo.com/30October2024/register

Friday, January 24, 2025

Frances Perkins, Secretary if Labor (Friday's Labor Folklore)


View and share as a webpage.


Friday's Labor Folklore

Thank you Frances Perkins!

First Woman Cabinet Secretary

Longest-serving Secretary of Labor

Key Architect of the New Deal

"I came to Washington to work for God, FDR

and the millions of forgotten, plain

common working men."

  • Born in Boston, Mass. (1880) and graduated high school in Worcester. Earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics from Mount Holyoke College where she became involved in progressive politics and the suffrage movement.
  • Held a variety of teaching positions and volunteered at settlement houses, including Hull House in Chicago, where she worked with Jane Addams. She moved to Philadelphia where she worked as a social worker and enrolled in the Wharton School where she studied economics.
  • Moved to Greenwich Village, where she attended Columbia University, earning a master's degree in 1910. She became active in the suffrage movement, speaking on street corners and attending protests.
  • Achieved statewide prominence as head of the New York office of the National Consumers League where she lobbied for better working hours and conditions. As a professor of sociology she taught classes at Adelphi College.
  • She witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, a pivotal event in her life. As the appointed head of the Committee on Safety of the City of New York she promoted fire safety; in 1912 she was instrumental in getting the New York legislature to pass a "54-hour bill" capping the number of hours women and children could work.
  • She married Paul Caldwell Wilson, an economist and was insistent on keeping her birth name. Gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, in 1916. Throughout the remainder of her marriage her husband would be institutionalized frequently for mental illness. She supported herself and raised their young daughter alone.
  • In 1929 New York governor Franklin Roosevelt appointed her as the state's Industrial Commissioner where she championed the minimum wage, unemployment insurance, workplace health and safety and an end to child labor.
  • In 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt appointed her the Secretary of Labor becoming the first woman to hold a cabinet position in the United States. She helped shape the New Deal, working to design and implement the Social Security Act of 1935.
  • She helped millions of people get back to work during the Great Depression and she fought for the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively.
  • Was the longest-serving Secretary of Labor (12 years) whose successful programs were supported consistently by President Roosevelt.
  • Following her career in government service she remained active as a teacher and lecturer until her death in 1965, at age 85.
  • In 1980 President Jimmy Carter named the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Labor as "The Frances Perkins Department of Labor Building." On Dec. 16, 2024 President Joe Biden designated the Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark in Newcastle, Maine. President Biden's designation was issued as he directed in Executive Order 14121, Recognizing and Honoring Women's History (March 27, 2024).

In 1933, Roosevelt summoned Perkins to ask her to join his cabinet. Perkins presented Roosevelt with a long list of labor programs for which she would fight, from Social Security to minimum wage. "Nothing like this has ever been done in the United States before," she told Roosevelt. "You know that, don’t you?" (Wikipedia)

from the play


I Am Not Content

an Hour with Frances Perkins

by

Stephen LaRocque

------------------------

A staged reading

by

Kathie Mack

(video : 1.51 min.)

Thank You Frances Perkins

(song : 2.21 min.)

by

Austin Moffa

Friday's Labor Folklore

Saul Schniderman, Editor

forward to a friend

Sources from which I summarized, paraphrased or quoted directly:

Wikipedia, "President Biden designates Frances Perkins homestead as new national monument," press release, 12/16/2022; Executive Order 14121, Section 3a report, Dec. 2024; Hall of Secretaries, U. S. Dept. of Labor.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Doing Good? How Nonprofits Exploit the Tax System, Pay Low Wages, and Undermine Labor Rights

The American nonprofit sector, comprising everything from social justice nonprofits to right-wing think tanks, is widely seen as a moral compass in public life. These organizations claim to serve the common good, benefiting from tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the U.S. tax code. But beneath the image of benevolence lies a complex ecosystem where low wages, union resistance, and the concentration of wealth and power are all too common. Whether left-leaning or conservative, many nonprofits operate like corporations in all but name—exploiting public subsidies while avoiding the labor and tax obligations of the private sector.

While liberal nonprofits often claim moral high ground, conservative nonprofits such as the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society, and Turning Point USA are even more explicit in using their nonprofit status for ideological gain. These organizations are generously funded by a network of wealthy donors and dark money, benefiting from laws that shield donor identities while still providing tax breaks. The New York Times and ProPublica have both documented how right-wing nonprofit networks use complex legal structures to move billions in untraceable funds through donor-advised funds and shell charities to influence elections, judiciary appointments, and public policy—while maintaining nonprofit status.

The 2018 creation of the Marble Freedom Trust, which received $1.6 billion in a single donation from electronics magnate Barre Seid, is one of the most striking examples of how conservative nonprofits benefit from the tax system. The money went to Leonard Leo, architect of the conservative judicial movement, and is being used to reshape American courts and governance—all tax-exempt. These conservative nonprofits rarely face scrutiny from the IRS, while progressive nonprofits, especially those tied to activism or labor organizing, often face intense bureaucratic hurdles or audits.

Despite their wealth, conservative nonprofits are not known for paying living wages to their rank-and-file employees. Just as with liberal nonprofits, a culture of ideological commitment is often used to justify stagnant salaries, limited benefits, and the absence of unions. At places like the Leadership Institute or the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, workers may be expected to accept lower compensation for the “privilege” of advancing a conservative mission. Few, if any, of these organizations are unionized. Interns and entry-level employees are often underpaid, even as their organizations maintain multi-million-dollar budgets and highly paid executive teams.

Meanwhile, liberal and progressive nonprofits often mirror this dynamic. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, and the Sierra Club have all faced internal revolts from underpaid and overworked staff seeking union protections and better pay. Despite progressive missions, many of these organizations have resisted unionization, hired union-busting consultants, and continued to pay senior leadership six- or seven-figure salaries. The exploitation is bipartisan, rooted not in ideology but in structure: the tax system enables and incentivizes this behavior.

Across the political spectrum, nonprofits depend heavily on unpaid or underpaid labor. Interns, volunteers, and junior staff are routinely told that their sacrifices serve a greater cause, whether that cause is climate justice or dismantling “woke” education. The result is the same: a hollowing out of labor rights under the banner of purpose. The nonprofit sector has become a vehicle for elite influence—liberal and conservative alike—rather than a true instrument of public good.

Unionization in the nonprofit world remains low. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nonprofit union membership has barely increased over the past three decades. And while there has been an uptick in union drives at liberal nonprofits, conservative organizations have largely avoided these movements altogether. In fact, many conservative nonprofits are actively hostile to organized labor as a matter of principle. The Heritage Foundation, for example, has long opposed the expansion of labor rights and has advised Republican administrations on how to weaken collective bargaining in the public sector.

As nonprofit wealth grows—particularly through endowments, real estate holdings, and tax-exempt investments—workers at the bottom continue to struggle. In higher education, many private nonprofit colleges and universities pay adjunct professors poverty wages while top administrators earn corporate-level compensation. Religious nonprofits, too, have been found to exploit workers under the guise of spiritual service. Megachurches and faith-based charities sometimes use volunteer labor as a substitute for paid employment, all while claiming tax benefits and avoiding federal labor laws.

Reform is urgently needed. Tax exemption should come with clear standards for labor rights, wage equity, and financial transparency. The IRS must enforce restrictions on political spending by nonprofits, particularly those masquerading as educational institutions while operating as partisan arms. Donor disclosure laws should apply across the board, and tax deductions for mega-donations should be limited unless tied to measurable public benefit. If nonprofits are to retain their privileged legal status, they must meet basic ethical and democratic standards.

Until these changes occur, the nonprofit sector will remain a shadow version of the for-profit world—reaping public subsidies while delivering low wages, avoiding unions, and deepening political inequality. Whether the name on the letterhead reads “Heritage Foundation” or “ACLU,” the structure of exploitation is the same. It's not just a crisis of values. It's a crisis of accountability.

Sources

ProPublica. “How a Billionaire’s Donation Exploded the Conservative Nonprofit World.” August 2022. https://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-leonard-leo-barre-seid

New York Times. “They Legally Moved Billions to Fund Conservatives.” October 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/us/politics/dark-money-nonprofits.html

Associated Press. “Why Workers at a Growing Number of Nonprofits Are Unionizing.” June 2023. https://apnews.com/article/7fd961c88c614db47db63ffcd80e084e

PayScale. “Nonprofit Pay Cut: How Much Are You Losing to Do Good?” https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/nonprofit-pay-cut

Teen Vogue. “The Nonprofit Industrial Complex: What Is It and How Does It Work?” https://www.teenvogue.com/story/non-profit-industrial-complex-what-is

Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Nonprofit Earnings and Sectoral Employment in the United States Since 1994.” https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2024/article/nonprofit-earnings-and-sectoral-employment-in-the-united-states-since-1994.htm

San Francisco Chronicle. “One of the Bay Area’s Most Progressive Nonprofits Is Warring with Itself.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/soleilho/article/nonprofit-unions-workers-20038770.php

Reddit. “Antiwork Nonprofit Volunteer Testimonies.” https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/uhnrfd 

Saturday, July 5, 2025

U‑6 Unemployment Rate Inching Up: A Broader Look at Labor Market Strain

The U‑6 unemployment rate, the broadest measure of labor underutilization reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is showing signs of upward pressure. Unlike the headline U‑3 rate, which only includes those actively seeking work, the U‑6 figure captures a more complete picture of employment. It includes discouraged workers, marginally attached individuals, and those working part-time for economic reasons.

According to the most recent data from the BLS and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the U‑6 rate inched up from 7.7 percent in June 2024 to a recent peak of 8.0 percent in February 2025. Since then, it has remained elevated, recording 7.9 percent in March and 7.8 percent in both April and May. The June 2025 figure dropped slightly to 7.7 percent but remains among the highest levels seen since 2023.

The U‑6 rate tends to rise when more people are involuntarily working part-time or when marginally attached workers reenter the job search but fail to secure full-time employment. These dynamics suggest that while headline unemployment may appear stable—hovering around 4.1 percent in June—the underlying labor market may be more fragile than it seems.

This persistence in underemployment raises concerns about the quality of jobs available, wage stagnation, and economic resilience, particularly for lower-income workers and those in precarious positions. A growing number of Americans want full-time employment but are unable to find it. Others are technically outside the labor force but remain discouraged or marginally attached to it.

In the broader context, the U‑6 rate serves as a counterbalance to optimistic economic narratives. The apparent stability in the U‑3 rate masks lingering vulnerabilities, especially as sectors like retail, hospitality, and education continue to rely heavily on part-time labor or are facing budgetary constraints. For those watching the post-pandemic economy, particularly in relation to student debt, workforce readiness, and higher education policy, these indicators suggest a structural weakness in job creation and labor absorption.

The gradual rise of U‑6 is not just a statistical footnote. It signals that the labor market is not fully healed and that a portion of the population remains economically sidelined. It is a metric worth monitoring as debates around economic recovery, fiscal policy, and employment strategies continue.

For readers of the Higher Education Inquirer, this trend reinforces the need to consider broader employment conditions when evaluating the health of the U.S. economy, particularly for recent graduates, contingent faculty, and other workers navigating a precarious job landscape.

Sources
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), U‑6 Unemployment Rate: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/U6RATE
TradingEconomics, U‑6 Unemployment Rate: https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/u6-unemployment-rate

Labor Notes

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

  • Philadelphia Municipal Workers Strike Before July 4 Celebrations
  • LISTEN: Labor Notes Podcast—How to Win a Strong Contract
  • Social Justice Artists: Apply for an Anne Feeney Hellraiser Grant
  • Reactions to the GOP Budget Legislation
UPCOMING EVENTS
  • Workshop: Winning a Strong Contract Parts I & II: July 7 & 14
  • Who Has the Power? A Mapping Tool to Build our Movement: July 16
  • Webinar: Building Power Through Coordinated Bargaining and Contract Alignment: July 21
  • Stewards’ Workshop: Build a Steward Network: July 23
  • Secrets of a Successful Organizer: Sept. 8, 15, 22
  • North Carolina Troublemakers School: Sept. 20
  • Milwaukee Troublemakers School: Oct. 4
Two black women in sunglasses, one with a headscarf, hold signs saying ‘More work, less pay, NO WAY’

Philadelphia Municipal Workers Strike Before July 4 Celebrations

by Paul Prescod

Nine thousand blue-collar workers who make Philadelphia run went on strike July 1.

After sacrificing through the pandemic and years of bruising inflation, they say they’re on strike so they can afford to live in the city they serve.

Already, uncollected garbage is piling up as the workers, members of AFSCME District Council 33, defend their strike lines.

SHOW FULL ARTICLE

A graphic with a white and blue background image of people demonstrating outside what appears to be the steps and pillars of a courthouse. They are holding up large white signs on wooden posts. The Labor Notes slingshot logo is on the top left hand corner of the image, and the cutout photos of our cohosts Natascha Elena Uhlmann and Danielle Smith are on either side of the image. Between them is the text, "How to win a strong contract," the title of this podcast episode.

LISTEN: Labor Notes Podcast—"How to Win a Strong Contract"

by Labor Notes Staff

What's the secret of winning a strong contract? Hint: You won't find it at the negotiations table!

In our "Winning a Strong Contract" workshop series, we talk about how we can build power away from the table to win our demands in bargaining.  

Labor Notes Organizer Lisa Xu joins pod co-hosts Danielle Smith and Natascha Elena Ulhmann for an overview of the workshop, including concepts like the campaign mountain and campaign power spiral.

SHOW EPISODE

You can also listen to The Labor Notes Podcast on SpotifyApple Podcasts and on our YouTube channel. Please rate and review our podcast wherever you listen!

"Winning a Strong Contract Parts I & II" will be running the next two Mondays (July 7 and July 14th), and you can sign up at labornotes.org/events.

Graphic shows woman with guitar and says Anne Feeney, 1951-2021.

Social Justice Artists: Apply for an Anne Feeney Hellraiser Grant

by Natascha Elena Uhlmann

Friends and family of legendary folk musician and “hellraiser” Anne Feeney have come together to announce a new round of grants for artists “on the frontlines of the fight against fascism.”

The Anne Feeney Hellraiser Memorial Fund will provide three grants of up to $1,000 for emerging artists of any discipline who create art in support of social movements for justice.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

Reactions to the GOP Budget Legislation 

Economic Policy Institute president Heidi Shierholz denounces passage of GOP budget bill: 

The Republican budget will gut Medicaid, slash food aid for families, and shutter rural hospitals—just to give tax breaks that will go overwhelmingly to the wealthy. It is a staggering upward redistribution of income.

The bill also turbocharges an authoritarian-style immigration regime—funding internment camps, mass surveillance, and waves of deportations that will kill millions of jobs.

SHOW FULL EPI STATEMENT

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement on the Senate Republican Proposed Budget Bill: 

If enacted, this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country. Simply put, it is the equivalent of terminating more than 1,000 Keystone XL pipeline projects.

In some cases, it worsens the already harmful trajectory of the House-passed language, threatening an estimated 1.75 million construction jobs and over 3 billion work hours, which translates to $148 billion in lost annual wages and benefits.

SHOW FULL NABTU STATEMENT

Upcoming Events

Visit labornotes.org/events for updates. Nobody will be turned away from a Labor Notes event, virtual or in-person, for lack of funds—if the registration fee is a barrier, email us.

Workshop: Winning a Strong Contract Parts I & II

We will cover the basics of building a Contract Action Team (CAT), putting together an escalating campaign (potentially culminating in a strike), and dynamics between the bargaining committee, CAT, and the membership.

When: Mondays, July 7 & 14
Time: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. PT
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom.

Registration fee
$15 - Regular Registration

REGISTER HERE

Prerequisites for this workshop: We strongly encourage workshop participants to also first attend our upcoming "Secrets of a Successful Organizer" workshop series in June. 

A large gathering of workers in purple, black, blue and other dark colored shirts. They're standing on the bleachers at a gymnasium.

Who Has the Power? A Mapping Tool to Build our Movement

This workshop will teach skills to analyze power in the present moment to strategically build the workers movement we need. We’ll be joined by labor educator Stephanie Luce.

This is an advanced workshop for those organizers who are already part of a union or other worker organizations.

When: Wednesday, July 16
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific)
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom.

Registration fee
$10 - Regular Registration

REGISTER HERE

Webinar: Building Power Through Coordinated Bargaining and Contract Alignment

Join us for a discussion about how unions are coordinating bargaining and even aligning their contracts to maximize leverage in negotiations.

We'll also discuss takeaways for workers seeking to align contracts leading up to the UAW's call for unified action on May Day 2028.

When: Monday July 21
Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 pm ET
Registration: $10

This panel will feature:
- Francisco Ortiz, the president of United Teachers Richmond in California

- Jane Fox, a unit chair in UAW Local 2325, the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys

- Chris Spurlock, a steward in Teamsters Local 135 at Zenith Logistics, a third-party operator for Kroger

REGISTER HERE

Workers gathered in a classroom.

Stewards’ Workshop: Build a Steward Network

Stewards are the backbone of the union! Learn how to build a strong stewards structure that helps workers use their power in the workplace to effectively fight the boss.

When: Wednesday, July 23
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific)
Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom.

Registration fee
$10 - Regular registration

REGISTER HERE

Secrets of a Successful Organizer 

Secrets of a Successful Organizer is Labor Notes' core organizing training, in three sessions full of lively participatory exercises. We welcome first-timers and repeat attendees looking to sharpen their skills.

These workshops are based on our widely acclaimed book Secrets of a Successful Organizer. These trainings will be held via Zoom.

When: Mondays, September 8, 15 and 22
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern / 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific
Cost: $15 for the whole series. Includes access to all three sessions.


REGISTER HERE

Workers sit at a table in a lunch discussion. There are "Secrets of a Successful Organizer" handouts with the bulleye logo on the cover, interspersed between a bowl of food, drinks and snacks.

North Carolina Troublemakers School

Join labor activists from around North Carolina—and the whole region—to strategize, share skills, and learn how to organize to win.

Whether you're new to unions or are an experienced union activist, there's something there for you. We encourage local unions to send a group of members.

Date: September 20
Time: 10 am - 5 pm
Location: Jordan High School, 6806 Garrett Rd., Durham, NC

Registration fee
$35 - Regular registration
$15 - Low-income registration 

REGISTER HERE
 

Milwaukee Troublemakers School

Bringing together union members, labor activists, and local officers, a Labor Notes Troublemakers School is a space for building solidarity, and sharing successes, strategy, and inspiration.

It’s a real shot in the arm for newbies and seasoned activists alike.

When: 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2025
Where: Steamfitters Local 601
3300 S 103rd Street
Milwaukee, WI 53227

Registration fee
$30 - Regular registration
$15 - Low-income registration 

REGISTER HERE

Event We Recommend: UALE 2025 Women's Southern Summer School

At the Southern Summer School, women workers come together to learn about labor and leadership development, experience labor history and culture, and share stories.

Contact Amanda Pacheco with questions at amanda_pacheco@ibew.org.

When: Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, Aug. 3
Where: Port Authority
200 Port Authority Way, Charleston, SC
Registration Price: $230

REGISTER HERE

KEEP IN TOUCH!

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Order a bundle subscription of five copies a month ($50 a year) or more to give out to your stewards and co-workers.
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A composite image of labor notes merch including a black hoodie and red T-shirt with the Labor Notes slingshot logo, and the covers of three Labor Notes books, namely, "How to Jump-Start Your Union," "Secrets of a Successful Organizer," and "The Legal Rights of Union Stewards."
Visit the Labor Notes Store for books, knit caps, hoodies, T-shirts and more! Check it out at labornotes.org/store.