Port Strikes Mirror Organized Labor’s Roots

Port Strikes Mirror Organized Labor’s Roots

Port truckers in California walked off the job in November to protest their dismal working conditions. Required to lease trucks while paying insurance and maintenance costs, drivers often earn less than minimum wage. The strike came just days after big box retailers,...
For Retail Workers, Time Is Money

For Retail Workers, Time Is Money

In late November, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a Retail Workers’ Bill of Rights — the first law of its kind in the nation. The focus of the new law might surprise you. A bill of rights for workers is probably about wages, right? Think again....
Here Come the Rain and Drought

Here Come the Rain and Drought

What is it about natural disasters and irony? Just as local authorities in Detroit were denying thousands of people access to running water, the bankrupt city experienced an epic downpour. More than 4.5 inches of rain pounded Motown in mid-August, causing $1.2 billion...
Port Strikes Mirror Organized Labor’s Roots

Port Truck Drivers Draw a Line in the Sand

Imagine your boss suddenly told you that from now on you were going to be considered an independent contractor. You’d have to pay for your office space, supplies, and equipment. Your employer would deduct those expenses from your paycheck. And you’d have...
Solar Power Gets Hot, Hot, Hot

Solar Power Gets Hot, Hot, Hot

With so many homeowners and businesses making greener energy choices, private utilities — along with big oil, gas, coal, and nuclear companies — see the writing on the wall. Unlike some other denizens of the fossil-fueled set, this gang isn’t beating oil wells...