Aside from a moral obligation to treat workers well and pay them a living wage, there’s nothing to prevent more companies from jettisoning full-time employees and shifting to lower-paid gig workers. | |
They’d just be following what has been happening for decades in other fields. Just as manufacturing shifted overseas for cheaper labor and as gig economy apps drove down wages for taxi and delivery drivers, the pandemic has hastened the gig-ification of white-collar jobs. The gig economy might have been a crowded space before COVID-19, but the booming economy masked its workers’ struggles because many of them could find other jobs to supplement their income. Now, that extra work has dried up, and their desperation is more evident than ever. When gig work is the only pie that’s available to millions of people, sharing it means that some don’t even get crumbs. | |
— Alana Semuels | |
In her article: “As the gig economy grows, its workers’ paychecks shrink“ | |
In: Time Magazine, dtd: 1-8 June 2020 | |
This article also appears online with a different title: “‘It’s a Race to the Bottom.’ The Coronavirus is Cutting Into Gig Worker Incomes as the Newly Jobless Flood Apps“ | |
The specific link is: https://time.com/5836868/gig-economy-coronavirus/ | |
You may have to go through a paywall to view the online article. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Or In This Case – What’s Wrong |
2018 | Just Passing Through |
2017 | True Torture |
Happy Thanksgiving – 2017 !! | |
2016 | Overtaken |
2015 | Alone Praying |
2014 | A Full Man |
2013 | Off Defending The Universe |
Taking Precautions | |
2012 | Never, Never, Never |
2011 | Testing 1, 2, 3 |
Posts Tagged ‘Living Wage’
No Crumbs
Posted in Economics, Quotes, Work, tagged Alana Semuels, Economics, Gig Economy, Gig-Workers, Living Wage, Quotes, Time Magazine, Work on November 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
An Approaching Disgrace
Posted in Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged "Sir Charles", Earlier Posts, Economy, Excerpts, Living Wage, Localism, Nationalism, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Tribalism on May 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »
I believe racism in America is about fear and economic opportunity. The fear is the fear of “others”. Those not like us. Those not from around here. Them. I believe there is a natural tendency in humans to bond with those we are near and associate with. Call it localism, nationalism, tribalism or some other kind of “groupism” and it still results in the same thing – “us” against “them”. This tendency is played upon and magnified by those who seek to “control” the majority of Americans – the majority who just want to get on with their lives, get ahead a little financially and raise a family. The tactic is to divide and conquer and, as I mentioned previously, race is one easy way of dividing people who might otherwise find common cause. | |
There is a perception in modern society that we can’t ALL have great jobs – whatever “great jobs” means. That may be correct. But, we should all be able to work hard for a living wage. Note, I said “living wage”, not “minimum wage”. “Work hard” means more than just showing up, although that is a very important part of working hard. It also means giving your best effort during the time you are working. It normally means using your brains as well as your muscles. | |
I question this perception / belief / assumption. I believe we can all earn a living wage. We are not all going to be “rich”, but I believe our nation is unique in its ability to fund equal opportunity. I’m not sure we always had this ability, but I certainly believe we do now. I believe we are moving into a post-industrial (post-standardized, post-mass produced) world where the benefits of industrial scaling are beginning to decrease and the benefits of limited, customized, specialized manufacturing are starting to dominate. On top of that, we are now better able to use technology to make very specific (small scale) manufacturing cost effective for the majority of products. And finally, a significant portion of the economy is now purely digital, meaning: it isn’t consumed by use. | |
There is a saying that a smile is something you can give away freely and never have less of. This is what we are approaching with an economy based on digital use without consumption. The trick will be the distribution of wealth and opportunity for economic advancement. It will be a disgrace to see race rather than ability as the determinant factor in distribution. | |
[The above is an excerpt from a book review I posted back in 2011. The specific post is located here: https://kmabarrett.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/sir-charles/ | |
The original posting was from “way back when” and I had almost no followers. I just re-read the original and the above seemed (to me) to bear repeating… | |
— KMAB] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | Liberty, Collusion, History And The Republican Majority |
2016 | But I Have Too Many Questions |
2015 | A New Friend |
2014 | Do I Have To Fall In Love? |
2013 | More Democracy, Please |
2012 | Speaking Of Love |
2011 | Limits |