Sindicatos y cooperativas de trabajadores de Massachusetts unen sus fuerzas para ayudar a combatir la histórica brecha de riqueza del estado. Los datos del censo muestran que sólo un puñado de hogares tienen ingresos promedio casi 14 veces superiores a los del 20% más pobre.

Kevin O'Brien es un trabajador-propietario de la cooperativa sindicalizada Worx Printing en Worcester. Dice que los trabajadores quieren tener más voz y voto en las condiciones laborales, mayor seguridad laboral y una parte de las ganancias.

"Cuanto más sepan y entiendan sobre la propiedad cooperativa," dice O'Brien, "creo que el cielo será el límite de lo que podrán hacer para combatir esta brecha de riqueza."

O'Brien afirma que existe un gran potencial para que surjan más cooperativas de propiedad de los trabajadores debido al inminente "tsunami plateado" de propietarios de pequeñas empresas que se jubilan y que tendrán que vender o transferir sus activos.

Afirma que el modelo cooperativo ya existe para que las empresas lo reproduzcan, mientras que los sindicatos pueden ayudar a proporcionar los recursos que las cooperativas necesitan, incluido el acceso al capital.

El número de cooperativas propiedad de trabajadores en Massachusetts se ha triplicado en la última década.

Alrededor del 40% de estas cooperativas tienen una mayoría de propietarios trabajadores de color, que pueden carecer de otros medios para construir una riqueza generacional.

Soren Rose es trabajador-propietario de Circus Cooperative Café, en Cambridge.

Dice sentirse orgulloso de ser parte de un movimiento más amplio hacia el empoderamiento de los trabajadores y la sindicalización de los cafés, incluido el recientemente formado Blue Bottle Independent Union.

"Tenemos mucho en común con las luchas de nuestros compañeros sindicalistas," asegura Rose, "y nos gusta compartir recursos y asegurarnos de que todos nos unamos a una lucha más amplia por unas buenas condiciones de trabajo y de vida en la zona de Boston y el noreste también."

Rose dice que algunos clientes de la cafetería vienen por café, pero otros también para apoyar el modelo cooperativo.

Los legisladores estatales han creado una nueva agencia estatal para seguir desarrollando ese modelo y un fondo de asistencia técnica de casi $8 millones de dólares de pequeños subsidios para ayudar.



get more stories like this via email

Advocates for people with disabilities in Tennessee are concerned about the potential impact of a lawsuit challenging Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The Texas-led case, Texas v. Becerra, could weaken protections against discrimination for people with disabilities in federally funded programs.

Donna DeStefano, assistant executive director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, warned that rolling back these protections could lead to widespread exclusion for people with disabilities. She emphasized that Section 504 has been a key Civil Rights law ensuring equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

"If somebody comes into a school situation or a health-care situation and has a disability, they're not automatically denied," she explained. "Pre-Section 504, there was no legal reason that people could not be discriminated against, and they were."

DeStefano noted that Section 504 was one of the first laws to support disabled civilians, thanks to Judy Heumann and fellow activists. Their record-breaking sit-in helped secure protections against disability discrimination in federally funded programs.

DeStefano noted anyone receiving federal funding cannot discriminate based on disability. During COVID, some people with disabilities were denied treatment at medical facilities, which violates Section 504. This led some states to update their crisis care standards to prevent discrimination.

"This law protects that, and this law looks now at increasing accessibility in medical equipment," she continued. "There are things like examination tables that are accessible, that can go up and down. There are weight scales that people could roll onto, if they were in a wheelchair."

DeStefano said Section 504 bans discrimination against people living with a disability by the federal government. This law, which predates the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, ensures equal access. Eliminating Section 504 would remove key protections and allow disability-based discrimination.

A bill moving through the Alabama Legislature could change how people who are unemployed can qualify for benefits.

House Bill 29, sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, would require people getting unemployment to actively apply for at least five jobs per week, up from the current three.

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, defended the measure during a public hearing Tuesday, arguing with 127,000 job openings across the state, it is a reasonable expectation.

"What are you doing for 40 hours? Let's just say it's an eight to five, an hour for lunch. What's the harm in requiring a fourth and fifth application in to find a job?," Orr asked. "Because we can't sustain people staying on unemployment forever."

Orr noted if the bill passed, the increased job search requirement would not apply to counties with populations under 20,000.

David Stout, legislative director for Alabama Arise, a nonprofit advocating for low-income and marginalized communities, argued Alabama already has some of the strictest unemployment rules in the country. He believes making the process even tougher will not necessarily push more people into jobs.

"People think that if you can just pass another more stringent bill, you're going to have people get a job. That's not so," Stout asserted. "If you look at unemployment rates in Alabama, it's about 2.8% in December. If you're drawing unemployment, you're looking for a job under already stringent regulations."

Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, voiced concerns, warning the bill overlooks major barriers, like transportation and child care, making job searching harder for some.

"You may live in one end of the county but the job may be at the other end," Coleman-Madison pointed out. "We don't have infrastructure in place to support, like, public transportation, or transportation of any type."

The bill cleared a Senate committee, positioning it for final passage in the Senate. It has already passed the House.

A new report showed Pennsylvania's labor market is healthy and strong, with 139,000 more jobs than in early 2020 and a steady unemployment rate of 3.6%.

The report noted since 2022, the Pennsylvania labor market has offered robust job opportunities to workers.

Carrie Amann, executive director of the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association, said her group's research assesses how the state's economy stands now, compared to four years ago and pre-pandemic. She stressed the need for targeted strategies to help more people find and keep jobs.

"When we look at available jobs and workers, we're seeing a rebalancing," Amann explained. "What that means is, for every one job in Pennsylvania, we have returned to one worker looking for that one available job. Historically, over the last two years or so, we've had about more jobs than available people looking for that job."

Amann pointed out economic struggles for people who are not college graduates are in the spotlight, with debates on trade, immigration and apprenticeships gaining traction. In Pennsylvania, among working-age men, one in seven is unemployed, highlighting the need for stronger workforce programs and job creation efforts.

Amann described Pennsylvania's job picture as low unemployment and high workforce participation, especially among historically disadvantaged groups. She added the state is seeing encouraging job gains for Black and Hispanic workers, a group that had seen a peak unemployment rate of over 17%.

"Over the last three years, that unemployment rate has dropped 13 percentage points," Amann reported. "From 17% in 2020 to 4.1% unemployment in 2023 for Black workers in Pennsylvania is significant growth and opportunity for that population."

The report found unemployment rates are lower in every county and every Local Workforce
Development Area than before the pandemic, with the largest drop in unemployment in the western half of the state.


get more stories like this via email