“Labor Day must be one of the most significant days on our calendar. On this day we should think with pride of the growing place which the worker is taking in this country…That is as it should be in a democracy.”
– First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Labor Day, 1940
1. The diversity issue in tech firms starts before the recruiting process
Washington Post- The problem starts in the pipeline. It begins when kids are young and have access to scant engineering and computer science role models, especially those who are female, black or Hispanic. Schools are dropping the ball, too. Few teach any tech skills beyond how to consume, rather than create, technology. Which is understandable, to an extent; if you’re a struggling public school, you’re not going to invest resources in computer science when your funding depends on not leaving children behind in math and reading. Most states don’t even allow computer science to satisfy math or science requirements, relegating such instruction to elective or extracurricular activities, if it’s available at all — which does not exactly invite inclusivity.
2. Fast-Food Workers Challenge Stereotypes
Truthout– During the keynote address at the Union Club in Chicago last fall, Nancy Salgado, a 26-year-old single mother of two, interrupted McDonald’s USA president Jeff Stratton’s speech, asking: “Do you think this is fair that I have to be making $8.25 when I worked for McDonald’s for 10 years?” As she was being removed under the threat of arrest, Salgado maintained her composure and offered her own answer: “The thing is that I need a raise, but you’re not helping your employees. How is this possible? We’re still living on poverty wages. And you know what, it’s not fair.”
3. This Major Retailer Has Eliminated The Pay Gap Between Women And Men
Think Progress – The spokeswoman added, “We pay people based on the work they do and the value they bring to our company.” The company worked with a firm called Exponential to evaluate its pay by gender and the firm said it hasn’t seen another company in its work over the last 10 years make a statement on equal pay of this nature.
4. More Workers Are Claiming ‘Wage Theft’
The New York Times- Some federal and state officials agree. They assert that more companies are violating wage laws than ever before, pointing to the record number of enforcement actions they have pursued. They complain that more employers — perhaps motivated by fierce competition or a desire for higher profits — are flouting wage laws.
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