Portside

Celebrity chef José Andrés, owner of 31 restaurants, has made a name for himself as a philanthropic restaurateur. But while he generates headlines with displays of generosity, his company is quietly trying to block restaurant workers from receiving better pay.

The movement follows years of speculation that minor leaguers could unionize to address long-standing accusations of the unfair treatment of players, including wages that frequently fall below the federal minimum and subpar living conditions.

Worker rights activists are turning to the local level to win protections that are not coming at the Federal level. “It’s not just the coasts..It’s happening in Denver, Chicago, the Twin Cities, smaller municipalities, larger municipalities."

Workers over the years have complained that pay is too low to cover basic goods, which are often more expensive than in other countries due to weak infrastructure and gang violence.

California was the first state to implement a $15 minimum wage, and is now at the forefront of raising the wage floor, fast becoming the Fight for $20 and a Union. Can the minimum wage issue impact the mid-term elections?

Global real wage growth has stagnated compared to productivity in recent decades contributing to widening income inequality. Economic desperation is compounded by the fact that half of the world’s population lacks any form of social protection.