Maxwell School News and Commentary
Filtered by: Labor
Benanav Speaks With the Washington Post About the Four-Day Workweek
Some of what Americans want today—better work/life balance and stronger community—can be found in what former President Richard Nixon proposed long ago, says Aaron Benanav, assistant professor of sociology. And, he adds, he was fairly progressive on economic issues by today’s standards.
See related: Autonomous Systems, Congress, Economic Policy, Labor, United States
The Next Wave of Energy Innovation: Which Technologies? Which Skills?
"The Next Wave of Energy Innovation: Which Technologies? Which Skills?," co-authored by David Popp, professor of public administration and international affairs, was published in Review of Environmental Economics and Policy.
See related: Economic Policy, Energy, Labor, United States
Mitra Articles on India’s Labor Force Published in East Asia Forum and Economic Times
"The recent set of labour reforms are also an encouraging development. Numerous labour regulations have been consolidated into four codes, eliminating contradictions among them," writes Devashish Mitra, professor and chair of economics.
See related: Economic Policy, India, Labor, Trade
Yingyi Ma Article on the Renewed Fervor for China’s Civil Service Exam Published in Nikkei Asia
"The contrast with today's youth highlights broader economic and global trends, namely China's current economic slowdown, which has led to reduced hiring, stagnating wages and a general sense of job insecurity in many industries. This environment naturally makes the stability and predictability of government jobs more appealing," writes Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology.
See related: China, Education, Government, Labor
Benanav Speaks With Vox About the Politics of Leisure Time
In the glory days of the American labor movement, when unions were strong and wages rose alongside productivity, “organized workers could cash that out as more free time,” says Aaron Benanav, assistant professor of sociology. “But for decades, workers haven’t even been getting that choice because, for the most part, productivity growth has ended up as higher profits and more inequality.”
See related: Autonomous Systems, Labor, United States
Purser Weighs In on Why Hospital Workers and Pharmacists Are Striking in BBC Article
"Pharmacy workers at CVS or Walgreens have been saddled with this exacerbation of workplace duties without a corollary growth of staffing," says Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology. "They feel very overwhelmed, very overburdened, very overworked. And none of that has come along with increased wages, either."
See related: Income, Labor, United States
Huber Discusses the Build Public Renewables Act in Public Power Review Articles
In his two-part essay on the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA), Professor of Geography and the Environment Matthew Huber examines the labor question and assesses dubious campaign claims that BPRA is a climate victory.
See related: Climate Change, Energy, Labor, New York State, State & Local
Huber Weighs In on the Latest Victory in the United Auto Workers Strike in El País Article
Matthew Huber, professor of geography and the environment, calls the outcome of the strike a huge victory for the United Auto Workers and its workers. “It shows that when workers harness their collective power through strikes, they can force employers to give in to workers’ ambitious demands,” he says.
See related: Income, Labor, United States
Rutherford Talks to Barron’s, Christian Science Monitor About the UAW Strike
“There is a very different kind of spirit right now” in the UAW, Tod Rutherford, professor of geography and the environment, tells Christian Science Monitor. “People are just saying, ‘That’s enough. We’ve got to do something, make a stand.’”
See related: Income, Labor, United States
Rutherford Talks to Marketplace About the United Auto Workers Strike
When automakers faced bankruptcy in 2008, auto workers faced a tough decision: lose jobs or agree to contract changes that would help the companies get a federal bailout. The union chose the latter. “This was a concession they had to make in order to sustain the bailouts and have some kind of recovery,” says Tod Rutherford, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Income, Labor, United States