this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2024
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Work Reform
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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
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I am astounded that people think that you must work for free. This is illegal for good reason. The most valuable commodity that we have is our time. It is limited for every person. My time is as valuable to me as her time is to her.
Serious question to up voters. How do you defend a privileged person demanding that time be given for free? Do you not value yourself?
The only practice I can think of where people work for free that is socially acceptable are internships(which I fundamentally disagree with).
One of my younger coworkers was required to do an internship, for free, for a set amount of hours so she could graduate and earn her degree. That internship took valuable hours away from her paying job, which she needs to afford to go to school full-time come fall.
Wealthy people, or kids from wealthy families can afford to do that. People who have to work can't really afford that, which filters out poor people trying to better themselves, or runs people into the ground trying to do both.
It's honestly disgusting that schools still do this and that it's an accepted practice. I don't know why anyone is okay with it to be honest. Maybe it's just that normalized or something.
I'm so glad my community college refused to offer or honor any internship that was unpaid (or paid less than a set amount). We even got the local university to go along with it, so now pretty much nobody offers unpaid internships in the area because they all realize that they'd be missing out on a huge labor pool otherwise.