September 1, 2017 Hello ,
Most Americans celebrate Labor Day as the last long weekend of summer and give little thought to its origins. (The holiday to honor workers was born of political compromise after President Grover Cleveland deployed 12,000 troops to break a strike against the Pullman Company in 1894.)
However, despite what
you might hear, a majority of Americans approve of labor unions, 56% according to a recent Gallup poll. (See more below.)
Labor Day More Important Than Ever!
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Sixty-five million people in America work day in and day out as nannies, housekeepers, home healthcare workers and family caregivers--that's more than the citizens of California and Texas combined. They are mostly invisible except to the families they serve. Though they perform important work, they are not valued in our economy and have few legal protections. Many tolerate low, or no pay and
abusive employers.
D’Rosa Davis is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which lobbies for workers rights and fair compensation. “I earn $9 an hour....I work 70 hours one week, and then around 45 the next week...Like any mom I wish I didn’t haven’t to work so much — but when at $9 an hour what choice
do I have? Earning so little means I can’t do much with my kids — and that breaks my heart."
Take one minute and watch the video below. Let Nancy inspire you! Ninety percent of home health aides and 95% of domestic workers are women. Women are 47% of our country's workforce, and nearly half of them contribute an equal share to the family budget or are the primary breadwinners in the family. Ninety percent of working women do not belong to unions. Another group of hard working, women who often live in poverty are restaurant servers.
70% of the people waiting tables are women, and they suffer “the worst sexual harassment of any industry in the United States.”
Aisha Thurman, told ROC, male customers “think, you know, my body is for them to enjoy, to look at, touch, say what they want. They think if they throw me a couple dollars in the form of a tip, it’s OK.” Immigrants and women of color, have it the worst. A recent report by the Institute of Policy Research, found that while black women vote at high rates, are increasingly earning college degrees and succeeding in owning their own businesses,
they still earn less than white men and women.
• Black women who worked full-time and year-round had median annual earnings that were 65% percent what white men earn.
• Nearly a quarter of the nation’s black women,live in poverty, more than twice the percentage of white women. Then there's the hotel/motel industry... A study of phone calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline showed 124 reports came in concerning "slave" workers in the hospitality industry in the last nine years. (Non-sex
related)
Another 510 calls reported workplace abuse and labor violations. Calls to a hotline most likely represent the tip of an iceberg.
At left, Sonia Guevara, employed at a downtown Seattle hotel, voiced support for Initiative 124 which assured hotel workers new rights related to assault and sexual harassment,
injuries, workloads, medical care and changes in hotel ownership. (Photo courtesy Seattle Times) As traditional unions fail to make gains and anti-union laws proliferate, new labor leaders are forced
to become more creative.
I wrote earlier this year about Ai-Jen Poo here.... As the Director of
National Domestic Workers Alliance, she sees that the traditional bargaining process does not work between families and caregivers.
These women are not afraid to take on company bosses. They are also working creatively to build broad
support across communities for workers rights and greater justice in the lives of poor women and children.
Plenty to think about and celebrate as we enjoy the last long weekend of summer.
If you know folks in the San Diego area, let them know I will be there for Veteran's Day this November, presenting a program about the WWII POW Navy Nurses, at the public library. If you're in the neighborhood, I'd love to see
you!
Grit Arises in the Darkest Places
November 9, 10AM
Central Library 330 Park
Blvd, San Diego , CA
If you're settling in for some end-of-the summer reading, you might want to check out this list. Compiled by Emily Temple over at Literary Hub, it's a list of 100 Books Across America, Fiction and Nonfiction for Every State She also recommends the most famous book set in each state, so we won't miss put on the classics. I have read two of the books
for my state! How do you stack up? Until next week... Have you read a great book? Tell me about it. Have a burning question? Let me know. If you know someone who might enjoy
my newsletter or books, please forward this e-mail. I will never spam you or sell your email address, you can unsubscribe below anytime with a single mouse click. To find out more about my books, how I help students, teacher and librarians, visit my website at www.MaryCronkFarrell.com. My best, Mary
Questions? Comments? Contact me at MaryCronkFarrell@gmail.com. Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. |
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