As the economy opened up to women a half century ago, one in three working women was an office employee. As the clerical workforce grew by leaps and bounds, so did a sense of injustice among the women, leading to the founding of the 9 to 5 Movement.
Federal lawmakers failed to increase the minimum wage, but US workers made other gains, and they are setting their sights on new goals. But across the country, states and companies have raised wages in the wake of Fight for $15’s efforts.
Between 2019 and 2021, the overall percentage of U.S. union members stayed flat. But the percentage of workers ages 25-34 who are union members rose from 8.8% to 9.4%, or around 68,000 workers, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The industry bemoans benefits, but workers don’t want jobs where pay is low and risks high, say Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, and author Mark Bittman.
Karesha Manns is a McDonald's worker in Memphis, Tennessee, in the city where Dr. King was fighting for a living wage when he was assassinated. She makes just $10 an hour; nowhere near enough to cover basic necessities.
From basic safety issues like nonslip mats in the kitchen to better salaries and benefits, the fight to create a more just industry ramped up this year.
A regular series in which people lay out what it’s actually like to work at some of the country’s most powerful companies.
Recent graduates face enough difficulty trying to find employment and pay off their large student debt. Imagine doing it with a criminal record and trying to find the money to pay for legal fees.
Outside of traditional labor structures, a new labor activism is surging, often supported by traditional unions. This new activism ranges from the “Fight for $15” movement to the statewide teacher strikes that broke out last spring.
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