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NLRB Files Case Against Mozilla for Not Hiring Apple Labor Activist

"The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint Tuesday alleging Mozilla refused to hire Scarlett because of her past labor activism. The agency’s prosecutors called on Mozilla to offer Scarlett the position she applied for in 2021 or a similar role, and to otherwise make her whole for damages as a result of not being hired."

Whatever the outcome of this complaint, there is effective blacklisting in tech. I sincerely hope that people continue to speak out and organize.

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Paternity leave alters the brain — suggesting daddies are made, not born

"The more access dads have to paternity leave, [...] the better able they are to adjust to parenthood, helping also make them more effective co-parents as their children get older."

All the more reason to ensure that everywhere has fantastic parental leave for all parents. The US is one of only seven nations to not have a national paid parental leave policy - something we should all be ashamed of.

I feel privileged and happy that I got to take time off when my little one was younger, and that I get to spend the walk to and from daycare with him almost every day. It's a pleasure and I'm certain it's helped create a stronger bond between us. Why would I want to forgo it?

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Bandcamp Editorial Director: “Fuuuuuck Bandcamp United”

This is a complete misunderstanding of the nature and value of unions: they're not just for low-income workers. Unionization can help all workers and make healthier workplaces for everyone.

Even with that aside, this kind of public rhetoric pits a manager directly against his workforce in a way that surely can't be healthy for company culture or morale. A case study in what not to do.

TL;DR: unions are good, actually.

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Why side projects are essential for creatives—and employers should embrace them

I firmly agree with this stance (and my career wouldn't have been possible without it): let employees build and release side projects. It'll make them better at their jobs and a lot happier to boot.

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Remote work may help decrease sexual assault and harassment, poll finds

“About 5 percent of women who were working remotely reported instances in that time, compared with 12 percent of in-person women workers. Overall, only 5 percent of remote workers reported instances in the past three years, compared with 9 percent of those who work fully or mostly in person.”

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Working mothers reach record high, above pre-pandemic levels

Flexible work from home policies have allowed more mothers with young children to join the workforce than ever before. Yet another reason why these policies are positive for everyone and should not just stick around but be significantly expanded.

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Remote workers' connection to companies' missions hits record low

Remote workers feel less connected to company missions, but the big message here is that nobody really feels all that connected. There are no superficial answers here: the real differentiators are better company cultures where people feel truly valued, much stronger communication, and better missions.

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NLRB Says Companies That Union-Bust Must Recognize Busted Union

A neat rule: union-busters must recognize the unions they're trying to undermine. The union rebound continues.

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Why the Hollywood strike matters to all of us

On the wage threat of AI: “Hollywood is showing us how best to take that stand: by unionizing our workplaces, and fighting for strong contracts. Now’s the time to form a union with your coworkers, and discuss what protections you’ll need to face this moment.”

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Negative Space

A perfect piece on where we’re at in time. Personally, I’m not going back to the office, and I applaud greater worker power. We need to move forward.

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We're now finding out the damaging results of the mandated return to the office–and it's worse than we thought

Return to Office mandates are counterproductive and destroy morale. They also make your team less productive. They’re worker-hostile and work-hostile. So why do them?

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UPS reaches deal with union Teamsters to avert strike

An example of why unions are great: a better wage secured for a large workforce, with better conditions. They weren't asking for anything crazy: reasonable pay, guaranteed vacations, and air conditioning in the trucks. It's just unfortunate that they didn't have these things before.

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UPS pilots won’t fly if Teamsters strike

Really interesting to see people from across industries and disciplines fight for better conditions at the same time. I'd say it's promising; even hopeful. I would like to see them all succeed, and for more to follow.

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Adam Pickets Everything

Adam Conover's activism has been refreshing to see during the writer's strike: not just picketing the studios but educating the public about what a union does and how a strike works at the same time. It's also fun to hear about other entertainers I admire working hard to support the picket lines.

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Life before cellphones: The barely believable after-work activities of young people in 2002

It's probably not too controversial to say that ubiquitous internet has hurt everyone's work-life balance. To see what should be normal life reflected in a "remember when ..." nostalgia piece is jarring. I remember this world!

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Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right

Exactly this. What this piece calls People Theory, I call motivation over metrics. It's the same idea: there are no cheat codes for people. You've actually got to use empathy with each other and build a community made of three dimensional human beings.

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Hollywood Studios Anticipate Writers Strike Lasting Until October

This feels like a good opportunity for a studio to become pro-union and scoop up every amazing writer in the business.

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Pregnant Workers Fairness Act 2023: How it protects pregnant people

“The law, which passed in December, requires that employers provide accommodations for pregnancy-related medical conditions, everything from pregnancy to childbirth to postpartum recovery.”

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The Risks of Staying Put

“I have to remember that my health is more important than my job. And the pain that you’re used to is still a pain you should run away from.”

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Google Gets Stricter About Employees’ Time in Office

“Google will consider office attendance records in performance reviews and send reminders to employees with frequent absences, becoming the latest company to urge a return to in-person collaboration following an embrace of remote work during the pandemic.” This is wretched.

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Creating Psychological Safety for Black Women at Your Company

“Leaders who are truly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace must ask themselves these two critical questions: What are the individual, interpersonal, and organizational costs of neglecting how psychological safety is different for Black women? And how might a tailored approach to psychological safety boost well-being and work outcomes of Black women in the workforce?”

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Of Course We Should All be Working Less

“In 1940, the Fair Labor Standards Act reduced the workweek to 40 hours. Today, as a result of huge advances in technology and productivity, now is the time to lower the workweek to 32 hours—with no loss in pay. Workers must benefit from advanced technology, not just the 1%.”

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Hollywood writers strike could impact diverse stories on TV and in film

“When Kyra Jones wrote for the ABC broadcast show “Queens,” she collected a $14,000 residuals check that helped her get through the months after the project ended and she was without work. Then last summer, she got her first residuals check for writing on the Hulu streaming show “Woke.” It was $4.”

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Business Mentality

“Hi, we’re the company you work for and we care about your mental health!”

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Julie Su prioritized workers long before U.S. Labor Department nomination

“The press called it the great resignation. Many of our low-wage worker members are calling it the great revolution.”

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