http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/uclairle/rss Recent eScholarship items from Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Fri, 15 May 2026 05:15:57 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6nr3254k <p>Throughout the 20th century, the combination of enormous consumer demand and an abundant supply of low-wage and immigrant workers made Los Angeles County a regional hotspot and powerhouse for meatpacking and food processing.</p><p>In the past several decades, corporate consolidations and deregulation in the industry has significantly transformed the national and local landscape. On a national scale, only a few firms dominate and control beef, pork, and chicken processing, to such an extent that they are able to maximize corporate profits while exerting greater pressures on all levels of the supply chain, from raising animals to stocking grocery stores. This unchecked corporate power has led to worsening outcomes for farmers and volatile prices and heightened food safety risks for consumers, as well as depressed wages and deteriorating working conditions for workers.</p><p>In Los Angeles County, and the industrial city of Vernon in particular, unionized processing facilities... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6nr3254k Fri, 7 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Blain, Leo Herrera, Lucero Justie, Brian Konishi, Aya Macias, Monica Park, Carolyn Solomon, Elda Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kw1z99x More than half of college students today must work, often in low-wage jobs, to cover the rising costs of tuition and living expenses. As inflation climbs and institutional financial support remains limited, students continue to shoulder the compounded effects of economic precarity, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pressures of balancing work, academics, and personal well-being. These overlapping challenges have placed a significant strain on the mental health and stability of worekrs and learners. This study builds on previous research examining the experiences of workers and learners, or students navigating employment and education in a post-pandemic context. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on 151 survey responses and 30 in-depth interviews conducted in July and August 2022 with students attending public colleges and universities in Los Angeles. Findings highlight the economic, emotional, and academic tradeoffs faced by working learners and underscore the need for... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kw1z99x Tue, 4 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9h3482v4 Working while attending school has become a common reality for many secondary and postsecondary students in California. Nearly half of young workers aged 16 to 24 also attend school, with many college undergraduates working many hours per week. While employment can provide valuable career experience and marketable skills, extensive work hours often limit access to academic and professional opportunities, contributing to lower GPAs, longer time to degree, increased debt, and reduced post-graduation earnings. To better understand these dynamics, the 2023 UCLA Labor Summer Research Program (LSRP 2023) conducted 159 surveys and 30 interviews with students working while enrolled in public colleges and universities across Los Angeles County. The study examined students’ experiences with academics, workplaces, commuting, housing, and financial aid. Findings highlight the challenges and trade-offs faced by students balancing work and education and provide recommendations for policies... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9h3482v4 Tue, 4 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8670w180 Universal Studios Hollywood, known as the “Entertainment Capital of L.A.,” attracts millions of visitors each year with its promise to bring movies to life. Yet behind the scenes, the park’s success depends on more than 6,000 workers, including bartenders, cooks, servers, ride operators, retail staff, parking attendants, and others,&nbsp; whose labor sustains its daily operations but who often face difficult working and living conditions. This report, developed in collaboration with UNITE HERE Local 11 and IATSE B192, draws on surveys from 1,330 and 19 in-depth interviews with Universal Studios workers, as well as company data. Together, these findings reveal the challenges faced by the workers who make the park’s “magical experiences” possible and underscore the urgent need for improved labor standards and economic stability within one of Los Angeles’s most prominent entertainment institutions. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8670w180 Tue, 4 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Marino, Katherine Narro, Victor Rayfield, Jacqueline https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83w7256b <p>California is home to the largest number of nail salons and licensed manicurists in the United States, making it a central hub of the national nail salon industry. Transformed largely by Vietnamese refugee women, the industry has grown into a dynamic and culturally significant space, yet it continues to be marked by deep inequities. Nail salon workers face persistent labor violations, including subminimum wages, misclassification, and unsafe exposure to toxic chemicals, compounded by limited language access and enforcement of labor protections. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified these challenges, revealing the fragility of the industry and the intersecting racial, gendered, and economic vulnerabilities of its workforce.&nbsp;</p><p>Using a mixed-methods approach, including a review of existing literature, secondary labor and licensing data, and in-depth interviews with workers, owners, and advocates across California, this report examines the industry’s structure, pay systems,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83w7256b Tue, 4 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Huynh, James Sharma, Preeti Fu, Lisa Herrera, Lucero Nguyen, Mary Porter, Catherine https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7bc5h4x5 Each year, tens of thousands of California high school students balance schoolwork with paid employment, contributing significantly to the state’s economy while navigating unique challenges. <em>After the Bell: A Portrait of High School Workers in California</em>, the latest brief from the UCLA Labor Center’s “State of Young Workers in California” research initiative, analyzes the demographics, and working conditions of high school students who work. Drawing mainly from the 2017–2021 American Community Survey, the analysis highlights the competing demands of work and school for young workers and underscores the need for policies that ensure fair wages, safe workplaces, and educational support for working students. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7bc5h4x5 Tue, 4 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ramakrishnan, Vivek Rock, Andrew Herrera, Lucero Shadduck-Hernández, Janna Ángeles, Sophia https://escholarship.org/uc/item/274122qv Young people are essential contributors to California’s economy and labor force, yet they face a complex landscape shaped by societal shifts, economic pressures, and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. <em>California’s Future is Clocked In: The Experiences of Young Workers</em> presents findings from the UCLA Labor Center’s “The State of Young Workers in California” research initiative, examining the conditions of workers aged 16 to 24. Drawing on survey and administrative data, as well as existing literature, the report analyzes the employment, educational, financial, and household experiences of young workers in California between 2019 and 2021. It highlights the challenges faced by this population and underscores the need for targeted policies and interventions to support young workers’ economic security and future prospects. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/274122qv Tue, 4 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ramakrishnan, Vivek Rock, Andrew Herrera, Lucero Shadduck-Hernández, Janna Ángeles, Sophia Kwong, Connie https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1kg9f7tb The introduction of automated cargo-handling technology at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach marks a transformative shift in the nation’s largest port complex, raising pressing questions about its impact on workers, operations, and surrounding communities. <em>The Future of Work at the San Pedro Bay Port Complex</em> presents findings from a mixed-methods study commissioned under Assembly Bill 639 and conducted by the UCLA Labor Center. Guided by a panel of industry stakeholders representing labor, management, and public agencies, the study draws on literature reviews, interviews, and expert testimony to assess the potential consequences of automation on job quality, workforce development, and regional economies. As automation expands across terminals, the report highlights the importance of collaborative planning, transparent data, and proactive workforce strategies to ensure technological innovation advances shared prosperity rather than deepening inequality. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1kg9f7tb Tue, 4 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Justie, Brian Koonse, Tia Macias, Monica https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8k93v2v5 <p>Seven years into the official launch of the adult-use market, cannabis is at a crossroads in California. Rapid cycles of booms and busts, rushes and slowdowns, and threats and opportunities have made for an industry that, despite many changes, still brings significant value to the state and stands as an expanding source of economic development. Often missing from the story of the industry’s shifts are workers, who in 2024 were estimated to number at least 78,618 in the legal market alone.&nbsp;</p><p>Through a research justice model guided by our community advisory board of labor and equity groups throughout the state, we built a team of worker researchers who conducted more than 1,111 surveys, collected more than 50 in-depth interviews, brought the findings to stakeholders in seven in-depth data “seshes,” and created a wide-ranging Instagram presence that shared 25 live episodes on key issues facing workers and the industry.</p><p><strong>“High Stakes: The State of the California... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8k93v2v5 Fri, 30 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Arana, Renee Victoria Batchelor-Ramirez, MsKindness Chala, Robert Hernandez, Madison Macias, Monica Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6dk7n11b Koreatown in Los Angeles, is a vibrant, multiethnic neighborhood whose renowned restaurant industry relies on a predominantly immigrant workforce from South Korea, Mexico, and Central America. Despite the neighborhood’s rapid gentrification and economic growth, many restaurant workers continue to face low wages, poor working conditions, and housing insecurity—challenges that were further intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report, produced in collaboration with the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), the UCLA Labor Center, Cal Poly Pomona, and San Diego State University, draws on 338 surveys, 12 in-depth interviews, and demographic and industry data to document the realities of immigrant restaurant workers and outline policy solutions to improve labor standards, protect affordable housing, and promote equitable development in Koreatown. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6dk7n11b Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba Collins, Brady Wong, Michelle Kim, AJ https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4j08v8ns Community college students in Los Angeles who balance work and school face an array of difficult barriers: housing insecurities, mental health hurdles, inadequate financial aid, and parenting stress, among others. These inequities were only exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Student Balancing Act: Worker and Learner Experiences in Los Angeles’ Community Colleges analyzes the experiences of Los Angeles County community college students who attend school and who work. For this analysis, the authors subsetted the data of 391 survey responses and nine interviews collected from community college workers and learners and featured in the UCLA Labor Center and Dolores Huerta Labor Institute (DHLI) report Unseen Costs: The Experiences of Workers and Learners in Los Angeles County. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4j08v8ns Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Alegre, Arlo Lord, Meagan Montaño, Brittany Samaras, Britt Shadduck-Hernandez, Janna https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2350r8n1 The Black jobs crisis is alive and well in the Inland Empire, with Black workers having the highest unemployment rates and lowest median earnings across the region. To address this, the newly-formed Inland Empire Black Worker Center (IEBWC) has implemented a pre-apprenticeship program for IE Works—a consortium of water/wastewater utilities and community groups in the Inland Empire—that prioritizes the respect and dignity of Black workers while also preparing them for high road jobs in the water/wastewater sector. Unlocking Potential: The Inland Empire Black Worker Center’s Transformative IE Works Program, a new report authored by the UCLA Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity (CARE) at Work at the UCLA Labor Center, showcases the results of this pioneering workforce development model. The program aims to provide stability, living wages, and a career path to support families utilizing a three-pronged approach: 1) internships for active college students, 2) pre-apprenticeship... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2350r8n1 Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Sohail, Omer Thomas, Deja Wangari, Lorraine https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9ww5f5gg Janitors are an essential part of California’s economy. Janitors clean, sanitize, and maintain buildings and other indoor spaces while being some of the most exploited workers in the service industry. Many private sector janitors earn poverty wages and lack benefits, are routinely misclassified, subjected to wage theft, experience sexual harassment, and are exposed to unsafe working conditions. Based on our analysis of government data from the 5-year sample (2015–2019) of the American Community Survey (ACS) and a pooled 10-year sample (2011–2020) of the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group (CPS ORG), this research brief finds that across almost all measures of job quality and economic well-being, private-sector female janitors are significantly worse off than their male counterparts, earning lower median wages than male janitors, and reporting higher rates of poverty at nearly 45%. Low wages are prevalent in the private sector, with almost two-thirds of private-sector... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9ww5f5gg Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Hayes, Paul Herrera, Lucero Palma, Guadalupe Aaron, Yardenna https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5q09h352 In 2018, New York City became one of the first cities to regulate the economics of app-based for-hire vehicles like Uber and Lyft, by establishing a minimum rate for drivers and a cap on the number of licenses for for-hire vehicles. To better understand driver pay and passenger fares in relation to the TLC’s minimum rates, this report offers an analysis of publicly available data from the New York City Taxi &amp; Limousine Commission’s High Volume For-Hire Vehicle (HVFHV) trip database. The report authors focused on HVFHV rides taken in February 2019, October 2019, April 2020, and April 2022 and analyzed approximately 50 million rides, exploring the passenger fares, driver pay, and commission fee companies are exacting from the fares per trip. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5q09h352 Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Konishi, Aya Ramakrishnan, Vivek Waheed, Saba Herrera, Lucero https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j97s4n4 The research brief suggests that worker centers are invaluable actors in the state's public workforce development system. Worker centers -- community-based organizations created by and for BIPOC and immigrant job seekers and workers in low-wage industries -- provide a comprehensive alternative to the status quo of workforce development through fostering leadership development, movement building, and systemic change.&nbsp; https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j97s4n4 Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Lee, Kevin L. Lopez, Magaly Gonzalez-Vasquez, Ana Luz https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3xb1v2dn <p>According to the evaluation report, despite attending different UC campuses, undocumented student experiences and sentiments on resource accessibility are universal. Students from different UC campuses expressed challenges and barriers to accessing resources due to social stigma, internalized guilt, inadequate outreach efforts, lack of funding, and the location of undocumented student centers on campuses.</p><p>To alleviate the challenges and disparities undocumented students face, report authors recommend: 1) Supporting undocumented students in the UC system by providing sufficient funds for undocumented student resources. 2) Allowing undocumented individuals to actively partake in the creation of resources for undocumented students. 3) Holding universities accountable for increasing outreach efforts to support undocumented students. 4) Providing professional development opportunities such as internships and fellowships specifically for undocumented students that are paid.</p><p>While... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3xb1v2dn Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Avalos Padilla, Alondra Mey, Erika Sandoval Contreras, Ana https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1h37087f Essential Stories: Black Worker COVID-19 Economic Health Impact Survey finds that the current economic restructuring triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is compounding the Black jobs crisis in Southern California. With heightened unemployment, underemployment, and unsafe conditions for a workforce plagued by a long history of systemic racism, researchers find that it will take a decade to address these critical issues if state officials do not intervene sooner. This report is the first large-scale study of Black workers in Southern California, which is home to 60% of the Black population in the state. The report documents the challenges faced by nearly 2,000 Black workers in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other findings, the report notes close to 70% of Black workers who lost their jobs or were furloughed during the pandemic have not been called back to work. More than half of Black workers surveyed worked in... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1h37087f Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Thomas, Deja Murphy, Demetria Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Izuogu, Antonia https://escholarship.org/uc/item/13v21984 <p>Presently, over 700,000 Californian workers — primarily immigrant women and women of color — provide homecare for nearly three million older adults and people with disabilities. Researchers examined homecare in California by surveying 500 workers and 103 consumers, conducting in-depth interviews with workers and consumers, and reviewing homecare agencies and residential facilities for the elderly.</p><p>Lives &amp; Livelihoods: California’s Private Homecare Industry in Crisis&nbsp;finds that the California homecare industry is facing critical issues that strain workers and consumers alike, amid growing demand that further intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other findings, the report notes how the lack of infrastructure in homecare leaves both consumers and workers struggling. Over half of consumers determined employment terms on their own or turned to their friends and family for guidance. Only 22% of workers reported ever taking paid sick leave. Nearly two-thirds... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/13v21984 Thu, 5 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Shore, Kayla Herrera, Lucero Wong, Michele Rosen, Henry Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9ng752h3 The fast-food sector is an integral part of the food sector in Los Angeles, employing 150,000 Angelenos in 2019 and comprising over a third of Los Angeles’s restaurant workers. Fast-Food Frontline: COVID-19 and Working Conditions in Los Angeles is based on 417 surveys and fifteen in-depth interviews with non-managerial fast-food workers in Los Angeles County conducted between June and October 2021. The study finds that fast-food workers in Los Angeles County are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, in addition to facing difficult work conditions that became more acute during the pandemic. The report provides an in-depth portrait of COVID-19 safety compliance through the lens of fast-food workers themselves, the vast majority of whom are women and workers of color. Among other findings, the report finds that nearly a quarter of fast-food workers contracted COVID-19 in the last eighteen months, and less than half were notified by their employers after they had been exposed to... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9ng752h3 Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000 Justie, Brian Koonse, Tia Macias, Monica Ray, Jennifer Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7jr863sw California is a major hub for the nail salon industry, with more than 100,000 licensed manicurists throughout the state. Most of the nail salons are small mom-and-pop businesses, and are primarily staffed by women and Vietnamese immigrants and refugees. Nail salons, in particular, were upended by COVID-19 and the shelter-in-place order of March 2020 that forced their closures for most of that year. Nail salons were allowed to reopen and then were forced to close again as cases surged, and finally reopened again in early 2021. This cycle of openings and closings took a tremendous emotional and financial strain on owners and workers alike. Although the industry is expected to bounce back, a new plethora of factors may affect the future of the industry. Drawing on a survey of 158 nail salon workers and 42 owners and interviews with 4 workers and 2 owners, this report provides insight into the economic and emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nail salons in California. The... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7jr863sw Thu, 2 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Herrera, Lucero Waheed, Saba Macías, Monica Fu, Lisa Nguyen, Tony Nguyen, Dung https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4vr8671z The High Road to Economic Prosperity offers a macro analysis of the California Workforce Development Board’s (CWDB) High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) initiative. The report defines the HRTP model and evaluates the successes and challenges of adopting the high road approach, including recommendations on how to strengthen the HRTP framework and model as the initiative expands. The report finds that HRTPs offer a more inclusive definition of industry leadership and build collective power. HRTPs bring together employers, labor, and community actors to look at their industries from a bird’s eye view and use their collective expertise to find mutually beneficial industry solutions. This values-based approach prioritizes underlying systemic issues like racial inequality. HRTPs move beyond diversity initiatives by identifying racial inequalities and creating tailored workforce development interventions, including sustainable long term policies that can be widely adopted to address... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4vr8671z Mon, 29 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 González-Vásquez, Ana Luz López, Magaly N. Garcia-Perez, Javier https://escholarship.org/uc/item/31w6j318 Dismantling Disparity: Breaking Barriers to Employment explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the systemic discrimination Black workers have long faced. From March to December of 2020, 84% of the Black labor force in California filed for unemployment. Institutionalized racism leads to Black people being overrepresented in incarcerated and homeless populations and at risk for a number of health and educational disparities. These factors create economic insecurity and barriers to employment that are difficult to overcome without strategic support.The California Workforce Development Board’s (CWDB) Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative aims to create grant programs that ensure that individuals are equipped with skills training and educational services that will reduce barriers to employment. Authors note the need for state and federal funding allocated to workforce development prioritize addressing the barriers that impact many Black workers. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/31w6j318 Mon, 29 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Solomon, Elda Thomas, Deja Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1b90248m <p>The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound and disparate impact on the lives of millions of people. In Los Angeles County, college campuses remained closed for more than a full academic year. Workers and learners juggled academic demands with the need to work for an income. As the pandemic persisted and colleges across the country continued to modify their reopening plans, the&nbsp;researchers of this study recognized the urgency of investigating the possible effects the crisis may have on workers’ and learners’ academic and job experiences. This study builds on existing knowledge concerning workers and learners by documenting how their education, employment, and life experiences inform their concerns and expectations for the return to campus and work. Developed by the 2021 Labor Summer Research Program student research teams, the research is based on 128 surveys and 29 interviews collected from Los Angeles public colleges and universities students in August 2021.</p><p>The study... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1b90248m Mon, 29 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba Ángeles, Sophia L. Wong, Michele Aguilar, Sebastian Avella, Rochelle Cazares, Paulina Cruz, Daniel De Leon, Hector Duarte, Zuri Lindie Entoma, Mary Farr, Brian Guzman-Nieto, Federico Hernandez, Rosie Hong, Caroline Kalam, Maisha Linzner, Courtney Lopez-Martinez, Christian Mehra, Kanishka Muñoz, Amanda Ojeda Rosas, Raisa Olague, Brenda Perez, Lesly Piscopo, Christian Quintana Moreno, Rebeca Rall, Kassidy Rosales, Enrique Ruddick-Schulman, Saul Samaras, Britt Canete Serrano, Sandra Siddiqui, Samreen Valencia, Perla Ventura, Anthony Yoo, Jenny https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6057r999 <p>The Fast-Food Industry and COVID-19 in Los Angeles finds that working conditions in the Los Angeles fast-food industry lead to an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in communities of color, and $1.2 billion in public costs as a result of low wages that have plagued the industry for years. Fast-food is an integral part of the food sector in Los Angeles, comprising nearly 150,000 restaurant workers, the vast majority of whom are women and workers of color.</p><p>Among other findings, the report notes:</p><p>Black, Latinx, and Asian populations have disproportionately higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death compared to their White counterparts. The interplay between essential workers, household size, race, and income is nowhere more obvious than in Los Angeles, where nine in ten fast-food workers are workers of color, and nearly three-quarters are Latinx.</p><p>Workplace spread impacts households and communities. Over two-thirds of fast-food workers live in... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6057r999 Mon, 8 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Huang, Kuochih Jacobs, Ken Koonse, Tia Perry, Ian Eve Riley, Kevin Stock, Laura Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74g7f55z <p>Domestic work is an indispensable part of American life. Domestic workers provide childcare, homecare, and housecleaning services to support families, individuals, older adults, and people with illnesses or disabilities. Essential to the functioning of our economy and a more caring and sustainable future, domestic workers ensure our children, aging grandparents, and loved ones who are managing chronic illnesses or disabilities receive the assistance they need to live healthy and dignified lives. However, this work remains largely excluded from basic employment protections and benefits that can ensure the health and safety of domestic workers.</p><p>This report is part of a series of UCLA Labor Center studies that capture the experience of workers and employers in the domestic work sector. This industry lacks the structure common to others, and the resulting absence of regular and predictable practices leads to wide variations in work and pay arrangements. Studies have shown... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74g7f55z Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba Wong, Michele Whelan, Megan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3h60d754 <p>Based on a summer 2020 survey with 302 workers for app-based gig companies in California, this report presents the impact of COVID-19 on those workers and their reactions to new models of worker ownership in the gig economy. We also draw from in-depth interviews with 15 workers and 9 experts on labor issues and worker-owned and labor contracting cooperative models, along with an extensive literature review.</p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the precarity of gig work, exacerbating its well-documented exploitative conditions, including wage theft and routine violations of laws designed to protect workers’ health and safety. These conditions are enabled in app-based gig work by the lack of control, transparency, and stability experienced by this workforce. Misclassified gig workers—without access to paid sick leave, Unemployment Insurance, workers’ compensation, company-provided personal protective equipment (PPE), or income predictability—face a heightened risk of COVID-19... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3h60d754 Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Herrera, Lucero Justie, Brian Koonse, Tia Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3x33p6wv <p>LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, et al.) people are an increasingly organized portion of the United States and Canadian workforce. In 2013, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) formed OUTreach, a constituency group that works to secure rights and protections for LGBTQ+ workers against discrimination and mistreatment on the job. Their advocacy efforts have centered on ensuring access to workplace benefits through collective bargaining agreements, providing educational programming, and collaborating on political advocacy campaigns.</p><p>After several decades of patchwork civil rights legislation, LGBTQ+ workers are now legally protected from discrimination in employment under national law in both the United States and Canada. Yet awareness and implementation of nondiscrimination protections are uneven, and LGBTQ+ workers are still susceptible to differential treatment. There has been limited research about working conditions for LGBTQ+... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3x33p6wv Mon, 12 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Ángeles, Sophia Herrera, Lucero Jordan, Sid ShadduckHernández, Janna Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23p841g1 Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges have rapidly transitioned from in-person classes to remote learning, dramatically changing the way students receive instruction. At the same time, students who work are also facing unemployment or reduced hours. Most of those who were not laid off are working in frontline positions in essential services. Compounding those challenges are government policies that prohibit many college students and certain low-wage workers from accessing economic relief benefits. Based on 138 surveys and 25 interviews collected from Los Angeles public colleges and universities, this study builds on existing knowledge concerning the experiences of workers and learners by documenting how their academic, employment, and life experiences have changed since the onset of the global health crisis. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23p841g1 Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba Angeles, Sophia Wong, Michele Angeles, Dayana Avalos Padilla, Alondra Ayala, Lesly Bautista, Sophia Caballero, Sara De La Torre, Antonio De Leon, Joseline Espinoza, Lefter Galeana, Kate Gomez, Ernesto, Jr. Guzman-Argueta, Guadalupe Hernandez, Susana Lee, Johnny Lord, Meagan Lukius, Josephine Martin, Bianca Mueller, Miranda Perez, Ruby Ramos, Hazel Reniva, Jamie Reyes, Lourdes Rosales, Maria Rose, Talan Schwartz, Samantha Tafolla, Jaquelin Vallejo Ramirez, Diana Velasco, Brianna Zamora, Nina https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kj023cj <p>Nail salons in the United States are a booming multi-billion dollar industry. Due to immigrant and refugee labor and changes in technology, the nail salon industry grew from a high-end, luxury service to an affordable service available to low- and middle-income clients. Nail salons include their predominantly Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Nepali, Tibetan, and Latinx immigrant and refugee labor force. These immigrant and refugee communities have not only created economic niches that are unique to the industry but also developed health, labor, and community organizing initiatives that advocate for quality and safe jobs. They continue to shape the parameters of beauty service work, but they are also a key facet of today’s service economy, subject to its market forces and labor issues.</p><p>While there have been some studies focusing on health and safety conditions in salons, few have explored labor conditions. The UCLA Labor Center launched this study in collaboration with the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kj023cj Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Sharma, Preeti Waheed, Saba Nguyen, Vina Stepick, Vina Orellana, Reyna Katz, Liana Kim, Sabrina https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f79p4mp This report highlights the validity of public sector work as a solution in the response and recovery to the Covid-19 pandemic on Black people across communities in Los Angeles County. Covid-19 disproportionately impacts Black workers and communities. History shows that even once a disaster is over, Black workers and Black people across communities continue to disproportionately feel its impact far longer than other communities. Through the most recent government data and relevant literature, this report demonstrates why and how public sector jobs should be a tool used to address the Black jobs crisis and the recovery from Covid-19, particularly in Los Angeles County. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f79p4mp Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Thomas, Deja Smallwood Cuevas, Lola Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/98f8556s <p>More than a century ago, before there was a national legislative consensus around paying workers a fair day’s wage, California took the lead to establish minimum wage and working conditions for workers. Since then, the state has remained a national standard bearer, enacting laws that help workers recover stolen wages, access paid leave from work, and enforce safe and humane working conditions.</p><p>However, these rights fail to deliver economic security to working Californians unless accompanied by strong enforcement mechanisms. Workers lose an estimated $15 billion in minimum wage violations alone every year — far more than retailers lose to shoplifting. In just three cities, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, workers lose an estimated $56.4 million per week to wage theft violations when employers fail to pay minimum wage and overtime or provide meal and rest breaks.</p><p>In addition, with the rapid expansion of forced arbitration by employers, workers’ ability to pursue... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/98f8556s Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Deutsch, Rachel Fuentes, Ray Koonse, Tia https://escholarship.org/uc/item/910451g7 <p>Today, over half of college students work. Their experiences as workers and learners are impacted by increasing college costs and often exorbitant living expenses, and compounded by low wages. Meanwhile, state funding for public institutions has decreased dramatically: in 2017, it was nearly $9 billion less than in 2008. Tuition and fees have increased across every institution of public higher education in California. Financial aid rarely covers the educational expenses of workers and learners, and students generally face an acute funding gap. Workers and learners are concentrated in the low-wage service economy, and nine out of 10 worked more than 15 hours a week. Many simply lack the resources to pay for their tuition and fees, books, other necessary supplies, housing, and utilities.</p><p>Yet this emerging reality has not produced a systematic infrastructure that might provide support and necessary accommodations for workers and learners. In fact, their schoolwork and engagement... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/910451g7 Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Angeles, Sophia L. Chen, Mindy Galvez, Jennifer Shadduck-Hernandez, Janna Sharma, Preeti Thomas, Deja Waheed, Saba Wong, Michele https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7xn741zz <p>The retail sector is an integral part of the Los Angeles landscape with almost half a million workers in the county, and 147,157 workers in the city. Retail makes up one-tenth of the private sector workforce in the county and is its second largest employer. Yet more than half of the county’s workforce earn low wages. In the past few years, local and statewide policies have focused on transforming low-wage work, including a raise in the minimum wage, increased worker protections, and required paid time off. Despite the statewide strengthening of workers’ rights protections, the unreliable hours and unpredictable schedules endemic in the retail industry mean these benefits become inaccessible to many workers. In part, the retail industry relies on scheduling practices that are not good for workers, such as forcing them to wait for their weekly schedules with only a few days notice. These practices not only undercut workers’ hours and their expectations thereof, but also their... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7xn741zz Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Shadduck-Hernandez, Janna Waheed, Saba Sharma, Preeti Stepick, Lina Nguyen, Vina Macias, Monica Orellana, Reyna https://escholarship.org/uc/item/70b6t85q As a leading hub for the nail salon industry, California comprises more than 100,000 licensed manicurists who work in mom-and-pop salons throughout the state. With the sudden rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, nail salons were upended as they were forced to shut down to comply with shelter-in-place orders. A Survey of Nail Salon Workers and Owners in California During COVID-19 analyzes and summarizes the socio-economic impacts that COVID-19 had on the nail salon industry through both owner and worker perspectives. Based on 636 worker and 90 owner online surveys, this report provides a brief snapshot of the experiences, needs, and challenges facing workers and owners during the COVID-19 shutdown and as they anticipate reopening. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/70b6t85q Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Herrera, Lucero Waheed, Saba Flowers, Kean Fu, Lisa Nguyen, Dung Nguyen, Caroline https://escholarship.org/uc/item/66b2v7gt Learning Together! ¡Aprendiendo Juntos! An Innovative Tutoring Program for Low-wage Janitor, Garment, and Domestic Worker Children https://escholarship.org/uc/item/66b2v7gt Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Shadduck-Hernandez, Janna Granillo Arce, Marisol https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5bt2s84f <p>Home care is an indispensable part of American life and one of the fastest-growing sectors of the healthcare industry. As of 2015, half a million Californians employed homecare workers. Medical advances and a shift away from institutional care have led to a growing need for home care support. Home care consists of assistance with a number of personal care tasks, such as dressing, bathing, and assistance with eating. Home care allows seniors and people with disabilities to live in their own homes and communities, rather than nursing homes or other facilities. It allows individuals to “age in place,” maintain self-determination, and remain independent. The homecare industry is facing a crisis stemming from problems of unaffordability, insufficient government support, and challenging work conditions that have led to a shortage of workers. These challenges have given rise to low wages or reduced hours and high turnover.</p><p>Drawing its findings from surveys with 327 homecare... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5bt2s84f Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Herrera, Lucero Waheed, Saba Lehman, Jessica Hong, Lindsay Imai Crisp-Cooper, Melissa Orellana, Reyna Soriano Versoza, Aquilina https://escholarship.org/uc/item/01j7p2wd <p>Health insurance is an important factor in health care. Lack of health insurance dissuades people from seeking both routine and emergency health services. Those who do access health care without insurance can face enormous costs. Based on a statewide survey, the Healthy California project found that most immigrant youth did not grow up with health insurance, usually due to lack of affordability or immigration status. Nonetheless, as young adults, immigrant youth have found ways to navigate the system and obtain health care through school, work, or a family member’s insurance plan.</p><p>As of 2013, over 54% of immigrant youth reported that they had recently obtained health insurance for the first time. Of those, 20% reported being covered by someone else’s insurance plan, such as a parent or spouse. Eleven percent reported using government programs, such as Medi-Cal and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). An additional 8% percent paid for private insurance. The... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/01j7p2wd Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Plascencia, Imelda S Leyva, Alma Jaimes Pena, Mayra Yoana Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9tn5j1zb <p>Each year in Los Angeles County, about 100,000 people are forced to work for free. We refer here not to wage theft or labor trafficking but to a formal government practice that uses the power of the criminal legal system to require people to work without pay. This practice is called “community service,” a euphemism for a fundamentally coercive system situated at the intersection of mass incarceration and economic inequality, with the most profound effects on communities of color. This report provides the first in-depth, empirical study of a large-scale system of court-ordered community service in the contemporary United States.</p><p>Court-ordered community service is typically understood as a progressive alternative to incarceration for people who would otherwise face jail time and/or court debt they cannot afford to pay. However, it also functions as a distinct system of labor that operates outside the rules and beneath the standards designed to protect workers from mistreatment... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9tn5j1zb Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Herrera, Lucero Koonse, Tia Sonsteng-Person, Melanie Zatz, Noah https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6qv034xg <p>Young workers are vital to the future of California, the fifth-largest economy in the world. Workers between the ages of 18 and 29 make up a quarter of all employees in the state. Young fast food and retail workers played a critical role in California’s organizing campaign to increase the minimum wage to $15, which will raise low-wage workers’ lifetime earnings by over 20% and could increase their retirement incomes by roughly half. Young Californians represent an influential force in shaping current public debates around the future of work, student debt, access to safe, quality schools, immigration reform, and affordable housing.</p><p>Despite the 2018 Supreme Court decision Janus vs. AFSCME, which attempted to weaken public sector unions’ efforts to organize workers, raise wages, and provide sick pay, a recent Gallup Poll indicated that 66% of people aged 18-34 approve of labor unions, and millennials are responsible for the gains in current union representation. Ultimately,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6qv034xg Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Orellana, Reyna Quiroz, Jeylee Macias, Monica https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4527r1t4 <p>Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges have rapidly transitioned from in-person classes to remote learning, dramatically changing the way students receive instruction. At the same time, students who work are also facing unemployment or reduced hours. Most of those who were not laid off are working in frontline positions in essential services. Compounding those challenges are government policies that prohibit many college students and certain lowwage workers from accessing economic relief benefits.</p><p>This study supplements the report Unseen Costs: The Experiences of Workers and Learners in Los Angeles County with new data on the effects of the pandemic on this population. Based on 236 surveys collected from Los Angeles public colleges and universities in April and May 2020, this study builds on existing knowledge concerning the experiences of workers and learners by documenting how their academic, employment, and life experiences have changed since the onset of the global... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4527r1t4 Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Angeles, Sophia L. Chen, Mindy Galvez, Jennifer Shadduck-Hernandez, Janna Sharma, Preeti Thomas, Deja Waheed, Saba Wong, Michele https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0196m0hm <p>The County of Los Angeles faces an extraordinary task in the coming weeks as it attempts to reduce its record COVID-19 rates while fostering a beleaguered economy. Health officials observe that workplaces throughout LA County are focal points of transmission, as enforcement of public health orders has lagged in a climate of desperation and fear. Lack of access to information and inadequate reporting mechanisms for public health order violations, particularly LA County’s detailed, industry-specific “Reopening Safer at Work and in the Community” (County Health Order) jeopardize public health and economic recovery. Meanwhile, the County’s Department of Public Health (DPH) lacks sufficient investigators to pose a credible threat of a compliance check at the county’s 244,000 businesses.</p><p>This report examines the costs and benefits of an innovative LA County proposal to recruit frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 transmission. The proposal requires businesses to... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0196m0hm Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Koonse, Tia Jacobs, Ken Ray, Jennfier https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kp513sn Tips constitute a growing form of income for roughly three million American workers today. While existing scholarship on tipping focuses on worker-customer dynamics, it neglects the implications of gratuities beyond the service counter. Drawing on the case of restaurant workersin Los Angeles, this study analyzes tip work, the bundle of social relations and labor experiences framed by tips in commercial settings. I argue that tipping strains relations between subgroups of workers who, despite collectively producing service, are subject to unequal access to tip earnings. Tips thereby shape relations among workers in ways that exacerbate existing organizational and social hierarchies. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kp513sn Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Wilson, Eli R https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5q75j2cc <p>The entry of digital platform corporations, such as Uber, Lyft, and Taxify, into established taxi and limousine markets has severely challenged organized interest groups on both sides of the capital-labor divide as well as public policymakers who regulate these markets. Interest associations in different countries have regarded the market-disrupting strategies of platform corporations as either a unifying threat or as an opportunity to pursue and enforce their particularistic interests, and existing associational fields have shaped interest associations’ responses.</p><p>The author compares California and Austria because of their distinctive traditions in valorizing the public participation of nonstate societal groups and interest associations in political and economic fields. By drawing on interest group theory and on sociological field theory, this paper demonstrates that both pluralist and neocorporatist associational fields have the potential to balance societal interests... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5q75j2cc Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Pernicka, Susanne https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4w6112md <p>Ride-hailing, also known as ridesharing and ridesourcing, is where drivers connect withpassengers through Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft,through a phone app. This report, the first comprehensive study of ride-hailing driversin Los Angeles County, is based on 260 surveys, 8 interviews and an extensive policy andliterature review. It captures the reality of TNC drivers in the so-called “gig economy,”foregrounds the experience of drivers, and describes what this labor entails.</p><p>Because of its high population density, an increased demand for service work, and anemergent desire for more independent working conditions, Los Angeles is an ideal site for on-demand ride-hailing companies. Yet the rise of TNCs and other online labor platforms has prompted concerns about the future of essential employment laws, the quality of available work, and whether an economy that works for everyone is attainable. Moreover, uneven regulation has allowed technology... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4w6112md Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba Herrera, Lucero Gonzalez-Vasquez, Ana Luz Shadduck-Hernández, Janna Koonse, Tia Leynov, David https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1f50d5pb Heat is a well-recognized hazard for workers in many outdoor settings, yet fewinvestigations have compared the prevalence of outdoor work at the community level and rates of&nbsp;heat-related mortality and morbidity. This analysis examines whether heat-related health outcomes&nbsp;occur more frequently in communities with higher proportions of residents working in construction,agriculture, and other outdoor industries. Using 2005–2010 data from Los Angeles County, California,&nbsp;we analyze associations between community-level rates of deaths, emergency department (ED) visits,&nbsp;and hospitalizations during summer heat events and the prevalence of outdoor work. We findgenerally higher rates of heat-related ED visits and hospitalizations during summer heat events&nbsp;in communities with more residents working outdoors. Specifically, each percentage increase in&nbsp;residents working in construction resulted in an 8.1 percent increase in heat-related ED visits and&nbsp;a 7.9... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1f50d5pb Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Riley, Kevin Wilhalme, Holly Delp, Linda Eisenman, David https://escholarship.org/uc/item/031649nf Undocumented students face a multitude of barriers when pursuing highereducation. This report examines what universities can do to promote theeducational equity of undocumented students. We focus on the Universityof California system, nine undergraduate educational institutions thathave supportive institutional policies and are located in a state that offersaccess to in-state tuition and state-funded financial aid. Drawing on focusgroups and interviews with 214 undocumented University of Californiaundergraduate students and an original survey with 508 respondents, weoutline how these educational institutions have successfully closed someresource gaps by creating undocumented student programs. We thenexplore four persisting barriers: financial need, academic distraction, mentalhealth, and limited postgraduate preparation. We end by outlining policyrecommendations. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/031649nf Fri, 15 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000 Enriquez, Laura E. Burciaga, Edelina M. Cardenas, Tadria Cha, Bibla Delgado, Vanessa Lopez, Miroslava Guzman Millan, Daniel Mireles, Maria Hernandez, Martha Morales Ramirez, Estela Ro, Annie Vera, Daisy Vasquez https://escholarship.org/uc/item/95d7v8qp Workers and residents in Ontario are not benefiting as much as they could from the city’s economic development projects. Ontario’s politicians have overlooked the community building potential of economic development projects found in other California cities where politicians have engaged residents in negotiations to incorporate community benefit agreements (CBAs) or project labor agreements (PLAs) into public agreements with developers. The model CBAs and PLAs in other California cities that we review show how they involve community stakeholders in on-going monitoring and oversight of the completion and implementation of the economic development project. Here we contrast these “best practices” for economic development as well as Measure JJJ in Los Angeles City with the 2015 operating agreement between the City of Ontario and QVC, Inc., an on-line and shopping channel retailer, regarding its distribution center located in Ontario. That agreement establishes Ontario as the “point... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/95d7v8qp Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Allison, Juliiann Cline, Nathaniel Reese, Ellen https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3dv9920b Brazil is currently suffering economic stagnation and a political crisis. The economic growth that buoyed Brazil through most of the 2000s has stalled, and the ruling Workers’ Party, which through three presidential terms led Brazil toward relatively worker- and union-friendly policies, is under fierce political attack. These circumstances make it an apt time to evaluate the challenges currently faced by workers and their unions in Brazil. This Brief undertakes that evaluation by placing the current situation in a longer historical context. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3dv9920b Wed, 25 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000 de Oliveira, Roberto V https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1ng4q448 In this brief, I review the impact of wage inequality on total income inequality and how the liberalizing reform of industrial relations is an important driver of economic inequality in the United States. The purpose of the brief is to renew the discussion on how the nature of work explains the rise of income inequality in the United States. At the center of this discussion is the role of occupational polarization in exacerbating income inequality amongst workers. Despite a growing interest in the proliferation of "good" and "bad" jobs, decision-makers are less concerned with developing labor policies aimed at mitigating wage differences within and between sectors. Accordingly, I suggest contemporary labor movements and progressive policy-makers need to advocate for alternative reform measures in reshaping the industrial relations system in the United States. The goal of these alternative reform measures is to mitigate wage inequality through building strategic partnerships between... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1ng4q448 Wed, 25 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Roberts, Anthony https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7fm329p1 This paper uses a unique panel dataset from China's initial reform of fiscal decentralization to analyze the relationships between fiscal decentralization, local economic development, and rural-rural undocumented inter-provincial labor mobility. Using a modified gravity model with Heckman Maximum Likelihood Estimation method, this paper shows that fiscal decentralization has two contending effects on labor market integration: Local economic development promotes labor mobility at the labor migration destination, but local public goods crowding restrains the inflow of labor. This paper also demonstrates that the crowding effect is stronger at lower levels of government. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7fm329p1 Thu, 4 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Chen, Yiu Por (Vincent), Dr. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42q1792z <p>A recent innovation, the ride-share sector, is the fastest growing sector of the sharingeconomy. These companies provide drivers with a mobile-based platform to find a fare and take a cut of the same, discouraging cash tipping. As advertisements for the companies suggest that these drivers can make anywhere between $20-$40 per hour, it’s no surprise that the companies are welcoming throngs of workers suffering in a sluggish economy and searching for a way to make ends meet, advertising themselves a potential vehicle for micro-entrepreneurial opportunity that allows workers to have more control and flexibility at work.</p><p>This paper provides a brief examination of the relevant legal framework as concerns the misclassification of rideshare drivers; recent misclassification decisions in Oregon, Florida, and California; and the recent Uber and Lyft settlements. This analysis considers the way ridesharedrivers are impacted by the fact that no one determinative test concerning... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42q1792z Fri, 17 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Izvanariu, Pamela A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0hx0126r Domestic work is defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as: ‘work performed in or for a household or households within an employment relationship’. Domestic work has largely been an invisible and mysterious occupation, considering that this kind of work takes place in private homes.  Like many other countries, Sudan benefits greatly from the social and economic contributions of domestic work. However, very little is known about the marginalisation, and exclusion of domestic workers. This article attempts to expose the history, evolution and current context of domestic work in Sudan. It traces the history of domestic work to the practice of slavery in Sudan, when slaves were mainly used as domestic helpers. It then analyses the contextual factors that influenced the evolution of domestic workers from slaves to servants before examining the current political, legal, economic, and socio-cultural context in which domestic work takes place. The article concludes with... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0hx0126r Thu, 2 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Elobeid, Hadelzein https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8b9364pm Employment through a temporary agency, or temporary employment, typically offers a greater degree of flexibility in working hours than regular employment, but with low wages, few fringe benefits, little autonomy, and unstable employment, resulting in such jobs being deemed inferior. Previous studies have often treated this work as similar to part-timeemployment in terms of status differences compared to regular employment. In contrast, our study examines regular employment, non-regular employment, and temporary employment by considering the effect upon job quality of the three-party employment relationship among workers, client firms, and temporary staffing agencies compared to the traditional two-party employment relationship and the employment contract (non-fixed versus fixed term). The results of a statistical analysis of data gathered in our questionnaire surveying employees working in clerical jobs in the metropolitan areas of Japan show that both the three-party employment... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8b9364pm Wed, 27 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Shimanuki, Tomoyuki https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1bj2p75s In 2013, the California Legislature passed and Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 241 which established a bill of rights for domestic workers in the state of California. The enactment of Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (DWBOR) in California is part of the general diffusion of these policies across states. The report surveys DWBORs in U.S. states and Western European countries. Based on a review of the enforcement mechanisms in DWBOR legislation, the report concludes enforcement is vexed because it depends on low-waged workers themselves to initiate complaints without any guarantee of speedy redress and the risk of retaliation against workers. Since the enforcement mechanisms reflect structures of antagonism between domestic workers and their employers, civil organizations and state agencies play an important role in ensuring worker complaints are properly expedited and adjudicated in accordance with state labor standards. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1bj2p75s Fri, 11 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Moris, Eileen Unden, Megan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0m96d1fm When a group of undocumented migrants blocked a road in San Bernardino, California, in the summer of 2011, it was at first sight one out of many events organized by the protest movement of undocumented youth. While they marched down the road and started their action of civil disobedience, they were chanting “education not deportation” and wore academic caps and t-shirts with the campaign slogan “The DREAM is coming” as a reference to higher education and the federal DREAM Act . On the one hand, they were thus continuing the activism of the undocumented youth movement, which became nationally known because of its struggle for the rights of students without legal status in the US since its inception in the early 2000s (cf. Nicholls 2013; Corrunker 2012; Anguiano 2011; Unzueta/Seif 2014; Seif 2014; Costanza-Chock 2014; Eisema/Fiorito/Montero-Sieburth 2014; Negron-Gonzales 2014, 2015). On the other hand, this direct action was symbolic of a shift in the movement that heavily impacted... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0m96d1fm Tue, 5 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Schwiertz, Helge https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6kt522jr Immigration law is no longer the exclusive domain of the federal government. That was certainly clear in the mid 2000s, with restrictive laws on immigration enforcement in many states and localities. Starting in 2012, however, momentum shifted away from these restrictionist laws, and towards a growing number of state laws that push towards greater immigrant integration, on matters ranging from in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented students, to expanded health benefits and access to driver’s licenses. California has gone the furthest in this regard, both with respect to the number of pro-integration laws passed since 2000, and in their collective scope. Indeed, as we argue in this paper, these individual laws have, over time, combined to form a powerful package of pro-integration policies that stand in sharp contrast to the restrictive policies of states like Arizona. In this paper, we provide a deeper look into the “California package” of immigrant integration policies,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6kt522jr Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Karthick Ramakrishnan, S. Colbern, Allan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/60z2r78j Young workers are an essential part of the workforce who contribute substantially to local economies. But in cities like Los Angeles, the soaring cost of living means that making ends meet can be especially difficult for young workers. They earn less than previous generations, face higher education costs, and are concentrated in service sector jobs. Many employers rely on youth to supply cheap and temporary labor, while adults often perceive these early jobs merely as rites of passage in a way that justifies their precarious conditions. Framing these jobs as transitional or solely for young people undermines these forms of labor as real work. This study aims to highlight the experience of young people who work and to challenge clichés about young workers. We frame young people as workers in order to connect the experiences of all workers and to affirm youth work as real work. Our research focuses on workers between the ages of 18 and 29 in retail and food service, the two largest... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/60z2r78j Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, S. Shadduck-Hernandez, J. Alvarez, A. Amin, M.K. Campos-Valenzuela, D. Franco, M.A Geraldo, E. Herrera, L. Marin, Y. Orellana, R.G. Orozco, P. Quiroz, J. Valenta, B. UCLA Labor Center https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4bt5s9qd <p>California has long been a leader in climate change policy. Considering the gridlocked nature of the United States Congress and the increasing degradation of the environment through excess carbon emissions, the need for leadership today is especially critical. California’s focus on combating climate change and promoting equitable development through a legislative agenda takes advantage of the significant investment opportunities provided by California’s Cap-and-Trade auctions. As a result, California remains a trend-setter of environmental policies for other states and even other countries around the world.</p><p>California’s ability to provide replicable models for the rest of the world depends upon the development of successful policies and programs in the initial funding cycles of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Informing this groundbreaking approach through “best practices” of equitable green development, technical expertise and authentic community engagement... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4bt5s9qd Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Russak, Ben https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2h373831 <p>As part of the UCLA Labor Center’s Global Solidarity project, the Institute for Transnational Social Change (ITSC) provides academic resources and a unique strategic space for discussion to transnational leaders and their organizations involved in cross-border labor, worker and immigrant rights action. The overarching goal of ITSC is to promote solidarity among worker-led transnational organizations in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. The Institute organizes annual gatherings for labor leaders and grassroots organizers to think critically and creatively building the human and social assets necessary to strengthen the transnational worker organizing movement. The Institute works in close collaboration with strategic partners in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada representing labor unions, worker centers, grassroots advocacy organizations, and academic institutions.</p><p>The idea to organize labor delegations and encourage worker-to-worker solidarity in support key campaigns that exemplified... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2h373831 Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Bacon, David Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Institute for Transnational Social Change https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9v48z3mf <p>The Los Angeles region—and the City of LA, in particular—face unacceptable levels of poverty, a situation that has severe impacts on the neighborhoods that the LA Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is aiming to help. </p><p>Charged with revitalizing poor and blighted communities in the City of LA, the CRA is the largest redevelopment agency in the country. In recent years, the agency has put in place policies—such as a living wage requirement—to ensure that its developments benefit those the agency is intended to serve. In pursuit of this goal, the agency is currently considering a policy that would ensure that LA City residents—including those with barriers to employment—have access to construction jobs on agency projects.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9v48z3mf Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Delugach, Sharon Reddy, Raahi https://escholarship.org/uc/item/810534bd With funding support from the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Garment Worker Center, the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education (UCLA Labor Center), and Research Action Design surveyed 82 garment workers in LA’s iconic garment district about their experiences accessing child care. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of child care demands on low-wage workers in the garment industry, in order to inform policy makers and the public about the needs of low-income working families. Workers’ responses offer a glimpse into the difficult choices working parents, particularly immigrant women, face as they attempt to care for their children and earn a living in the shadows of the 21st century global economy. Survey respondents were employed in the Los Angeles Downtown Fashion District. The district is located around major transportation hubs, apparel wholesalers, and around a readily available pool of recently arrived immigrants, often undocumented workers. Women,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/810534bd Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Garcia, Natalia ShadduckHernández, Janna Valles, Dario https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7f66t0v2 This report focuses on young people between the ages of 18 and 29 working across Los Angeles County. While most studies of young workers focus on middle-class youth experience, we have captured a diverse segment of young people in the early stages of their employment journeys and careers. Youth in Los Angeles make up nearly 20 percent of the nation’s most populated and diverse county and 1 of every 4 LA County workers is a young worker. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7f66t0v2 Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba Herrera, Lucero Valenta, Blake Shadduck-Hernández, Janna https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5jt7n9gx This report focuses on the findings of a survey of 1,815 workers in Los Angeles County, conducted in conjunction with similar surveys of Chicago and New York City in 2008. Using a rigorous methodology, this research study included interviews with unauthorized immigrants and other vulnerable workers who are often missed in standard surveys. The goal was to obtain accurate and statistically representative estimates of the prevalence of workplace violations. All findings are adjusted so that they are representative of the larger population of front-line workers (that is, excluding managers and professional and technical workers) in low-wage industries in L.A. County in 2008. This population includes about 744,220 workers, or 17.0 percent of all workers in L.A. County. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5jt7n9gx Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Milkman, Ruth González, Ana Luz Narro, Victor https://escholarship.org/uc/item/573499xq Over the last three decades the lowest rungs of American labor have endured a quantum shift in working and living conditions as many employers, aided by lax enforcement, have made a lucrative game of flouting labor and employment laws. But the erosion of protections hasn’t been limited to the working poor. Well before the current economic downturn, the sweatshop ethic expanded broadly throughout the economy, with a wide range of business owners and managers adopting a “gloves-off” approach to their own employees. In the best cases they have simply turned a blind eye to the shenanigans of subcontractors, in effect outsourcing their moral and legal responsibility. In the worst cases employers have directly engaged in inhumane acts, cheating their staff out of hard-earned pay and blithely ignoring codes meant to ensure their health and safety. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/573499xq Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Martelle, Scott https://escholarship.org/uc/item/55f107vf <p>In 2015, Los Angeles increased the minimum wage to one of the highest in the country, leading the way to boost stagnating pay for workers and to ensure that workers are able to earn enough to support themselves and their families. Los Angeles needs to take the same care to ensure quality employment within the taxi industry, particularly in light of the rapid growth of transportation networking companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft into Los Angeles.</p><p>TNCs are on-demand ride services where unlicensed individuals use their personal vehicles as for-hire vehicles. These companies have constructed an app-based ridesharing model that is having a major impact on the taxi industry in regards to income for taxi drivers, revenue for cab companies, and the local economy. TNCs are receiving praise for their innovation and their rapid growth is changing the way we do work. Yet these changes inevitably signal a business model shift that has a widespread and dramatic impact on workers... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/55f107vf Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Waheed, Saba Herrera, Lucero Ritoper, Stefanie Mehta, Jonaki Romero, Hugo Narro, Victor https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4x1871bt Almost twenty years after the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a group of union leaders, academics, and independent journalists met in Los Angeles on December 2–3, 2013, to assess the development of international solidarity between workers in Mexico, the United States, and Canada during that period. One of the features of this three-country solidarity movement has been the creation of trinational networks, and the conference looked at their development in several sectors. These included the Trinational Solidarity Alliance, the Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education, the Trinational Telecommunications Alliance, and the Trinational Energy Workers Network. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4x1871bt Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Bacon, David https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4qg631b6 This report exposes a surprising, but unfortunately common problem facing low-wage workers in California and nationwide. Workers whose employers have failed to pay them face serious challenges in recovering their hard-earned wages — even after state authorities have found in the workers’ favor and have issued a legally binding judgment ordering employers to pay. To a worker who has lost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in unpaid wages, winning a judgment is often at best a hollow victory. Non-payment or underpayment of wages, moreover, remains rampant nationwide. As a landmark survey of low-wage workers found in 2008, 26 percent of low-wage workers were paid less than the minimum wage in the prior week; 76 percent of those who worked more than 40 hours were not paid the legally required overtime rate. More than two-thirds of low-wage workers have experienced at least one payrelated violation in the previous work week—leading workers to lose an average of $2,634 annually due... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4qg631b6 Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Cho, Eunice Hyunhye Koonse, Tia Mischel, Anthony https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4g29653x For many, Los Angeles evokes images of year-round sunshine and celebrity, a dream city of wealth and possibility. Yet in reality, half of L.A. residents living in poverty are employed, showing that low wages drive poverty as much as unemployment does. This report assesses the benefits and consequences of raising Los Angeles’s minimum wage to $15.25. The result will be an increase of $5.9 billion in wages with a stimulus effect for the region. Paying fair wages will be an adjustment for some businesses, but the result will be a bigger, more sustainable and inclusive economy for Los Angeles. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4g29653x Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Flaming, Daniel Toros, Halil Liu, Yvonne Yen Burns, Patrick Herrera, Lucero Koonse, Tia Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/41q3d7z9 <p>Labor relations in construction in Central America have been deregulated and informalized in recent years (UPF 2012, BWI 2013), as part of a longer and broader process of informalization in this region. Though official statistics report only slightly higher rates of informality in construction than economywide (in Guatemala, for example, 31.3% in construction compared to 30.8% overall; computed from INE 2014, Tables 4.1 and 4.4), there is reason to believe these are serious underestimates (for example, the ILO [2012] estimates 77.8% of construction employment in neighboring Mexico is informal, more than twice the official estimate; comparable estimates are not available for Central America).</p><p>In this context, Guatemala and Costa Rica present an instructive contrast. Guatemala is much poorer, with GNP per capita around half of Costa Rica’s level, and for construction draws heavily on rural migrants, many of them indigenous, in construction. Wealthier Costa Rica relies on... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/41q3d7z9 Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Salas, Minor Mora Sarmiento, Hugo Tilly, Chris https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3z14x2t5 <p>Public construction projects are an expenditure of public tax dollars; as such, public agencies have an opportunity to develop policies for public construction projects to benefit taxpayers with employment and business opportunities. Targeted hire initiatives create institutional mechanisms to increase the participation of socially and economically disadvantaged workers and businesses in public construction projects based on work availability. Many public agencies have used targeted hire to leverage their investment in construction into good jobs for those who need an economic boost. For communities that experience historic disinvestment and chronic un- and underemployment, such work can create lasting stability for families and a pathway to revitalize the local economy.</p><p>To better understand the different targeted hire options available to municipalities, the City of Seattle Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) commissioned the University of California,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3z14x2t5 Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Herrera, Lucero E. Waheed, Saba Koonse, Tia Ovando-Lacroux, Clarine https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3fj8v9fv Wage theft is the non-payment or underpayment of wages and other benefits to which workers are legally entitled to. Workers in low-wage industries, immigrant workers, women, and people of color are disproportionately affected by wage theft. On average, victims of wage theft lose $2,070 annually from total annual earnings of $16,536. In a given week, an estimated 655,000 low-wage workers in Los Angeles County experience at least one pay-based violation. The majority of these violations take place within the City of Los Angeles. Low-wage workers in Los Angeles lose more than $26.2 million per week as a result of wage theft violations, making L.A. the wage theft capital of the United States. The most common forms of wage theft experienced by L.A. low-wage workers include violations of the laws that require minimum wage, overtime pay, and breaks for meals and rest, as well as “off-the-clock” work without payment of any kind. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3fj8v9fv Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Santiago, Fabiola Staton, Brooke Garcia, Natalia Marucut, Jill Koonse, Tia https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1vn389nh This report exposes a world of work in which the core protections that many Americans take for granted—the right to be paid at least the minimum wage, the right to be paid for overtime hours, the right to take meal breaks, access to workers’ compensation when injured, and the right to advocate for better working conditions—are failing significant numbers of workers. The sheer breadth of the problem, spanning key industries in the economy, as well as its profound impact on workers, entailing significant economic hardship, demands urgent attention. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1vn389nh Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Bernhardt, Annette Milkman, Ruth Theodore, Nik Heckathorn, Douglas D. Auer, Mirabai DeFilippis, James González, Ana Luz Narro, Victor Perelshteyn, Jason https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pb1w5hs Expanding Walmart’s share of urban markets is becoming increasingly important to the company because of declining sales growth and the over-saturation of suburban and rural retail markets. The company has sought urban expansion, especially outside its home base in the South, for over 15 years, but in recent years their quest has taken on added urgency. During 2009’s 16th Annual Meeting for the Investment Community of Walmart, former Vice Chairman Eduardo Castro Wright stated achieving average market share in the most urban areas of the United States would increase annual sales by $80 to $100 billion. Over the next six years, Walmart developed an ambitious growth strategy aimed at expanding the company’s share of the urban retail market by using smaller store models designed to boosts grocery and e-commerce sales in these areas. Neil Currie, an analyst at UBS Securities LLC, estimated in 2010 that the company’s strategy for expanding into urban markets could potentially increase... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pb1w5hs Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Roberts, Anthony https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0d28p1gj Until recently, the spread of “right-to-work” (RTW) legislation formed a fairly dormant chapter in the history of labor relations and state policy. By the conventional narrative, the state-by-state adoption of RTW rules represented a key front of postwar anti-union politics, helping to establish an uneven geography of workplace regulations, possibly contributing to the shift of manufacturing to the Sunbelt, and undermining union-dense production sectors in the Northeast and Midwest. However, this once largely closed episode of economic restructuring has re-opened with three Midwestern states adopting RTW over the past three years and a broader uptick in related legislation in other states. Focusing on one new front of anti-union legislative campaigns, this report examines the emergence of RTW law as a viable option for local governments. Beyond probing the limits of federal regulations, local RTW’s circulation as a flexible policy concept strategically exploits political and economic... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0d28p1gj Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Habans, Robert Roberts, Anthony https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05f6g6s7 <p>In the period since the North American Free Trade Agreement has come into effect, the economies of the United States and Mexico have become more integrated than ever. Through Plan Merida and partnerships on security, the military and the drug war, the political and economic policies pursued by the U.S. and Mexican governments are more coordinated than they’ve ever been.</p><p>Working people on both sides of the border are not only affected by this integration. Workers and their unions in many ways are its object. These policies seek to maximize profits and push wages and benefits to the bottom, manage the flow of people displaced as a result, roll back rights and social benefits achieved over decades, and weaken working class movements in both countries.</p><p>All this makes cooperation and solidarity across the U.S./Mexico border more important than ever. After a quarter century in which the development of solidarity relationships was interrupted during the cold war, unions... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05f6g6s7 Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Bacon, David https://escholarship.org/uc/item/99w6b4kd Immigration law is no longer the exclusive domain of the federal government. That was certainly clear in the mid 2000s, with restrictive laws on immigration enforcement in many states and localities. Starting in 2012, however, momentum shifted away from these restrictionist laws, and towards a growing number of state laws that push towards greater immigrant integration, on matters ranging from in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented students, to expanded health benefits and access to driver’s licenses. California has gone the furthest in this regard, both with respect to the number of pro-integration laws passed since 2000, and in their collective scope. Indeed, as we argue in this paper, these individual laws have, over time, combined to form a powerful package of pro-integration policies that stand in sharp contrast to the restrictive policies of states like Arizona. In this paper, we provide a deeper look into the “California package” of immigrant integration policies,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/99w6b4kd Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Ramakrishnan, Karthick Colbern, Allan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8gg5s97s A Five Part Report on Immigrant Youth and the Struggle to Access Health Care in California https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8gg5s97s Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Plascencia, Imelda S Leyva, Alma Jaimes Pena, Mayra Y Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7q25m73q Domestic workers and their employers, labor advocates and the general public, have a stake in ensuring a robust labor standards regime to enhance the quality of care and maintain everyday life across the generations. This policy report begins with the assumption that better care requires decent working conditions: only when nannies, elder care, and other household workers obtain fair compensation, a decent working environment, and recognition as workers with skill and knowledge, who have opportunities for training and career advancement, can they provide the kind of services that will enable households and individuals to retain employment while sustaining homes and the lives of those needing assistance or care. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7q25m73q Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Boris, Eileen Jokela, Merita Unden, Megan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bm118ss As family and work patterns have shifted over recent decades, the demand for time off from work to address family needs has grown rapidly. Women—and increasingly men as well—often find themselves caught between the competing pressures of paid work and family responsibilities, especially when they become parents, or when serious illness strikes a family member. “Work-family balance” has become an urgent but elusive priority for millions of Americans, driven by high labor force participation rates among mothers and the caregiving needs of an aging population. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bm118ss Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Appelbaum, Eileen Milkman, Ruth https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3060d4z3 T he U.S. is home to approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants, including nearly 5 million undocumented children and young adults under the age of 30. California is home to roughly 2.6 million undocumented immigrants, making it one of the largest immigrant communities in the nation. Existing research on undocumented youth and young adults shows that this population faces severe barriers to higher education and good jobs, and that precarious immigration status can negatively impact youths’ health and wellbeing. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3060d4z3 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Patler, Caitlin Cabrera, Jorge A Dream Team Los Angeles https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d63f7nn Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence documents findings from the first National Asian Pacific American Workers’ Rights Hearing, a historic gathering of over 200 Asian American and Pacific Islander trade unionists and community allies. The hearing was convened in the Samuel Gompers room of the AFL-CIO headquarters, Washington D.C., on Friday, November 13, 2009 . Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers from around the country spoke about challenges they faced in exercising their right to organize – including employer intimidation, immigrant worker exploitation, health and safety violations, wage theft and union suppression – while also highlighting the strategies that individual workers and unions have developed in the fight for worker solidarity and economic justice. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d63f7nn Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Delloro, John Fan, Caroline Lin, Lucia Uno, Malcolm A Wong, Kent https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0zj455z5 The report is based on a 100-person survey with Filipino elderly caregivers in Los Angeles. We organized our findings into the following sections: Demographics, Age of Migration, Labor Conditions, Health Care and Living Expenses. The data particularly highlights the precarious labor conditions that Filipino elderly caregivers continue to face including job insecurity and lack of work standards. For example, they can instantly lose their job once the care recipient no longer needs their services or passes away. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0zj455z5 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Nazareno, Jennifer P Parreñas, Rhacel S Fan, Yu-Kang https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0kk64071 IRLE’s State of the Unions 2015 starts by considering the impacts of the fifteen dollar minimum wage on Los Angeles and San Francisco. Proposals to exempt unions from the minimum wage provision will not make a difference to the majority of union jobs, which tend to pay well above regulated price floors. The minimal employment dislocation associated with the new wage will likely be concentrated in the hospitality and trade (including retail) sectors. Though one might expect a minimum wage increase to reduce the value of unionization to workers, an increase in the wage floor may well instead nudge unionization rates above their historic lows through reducing employers’ incentives to oppose unionization. Other current changes in the state of California unions are limited. Union membership remains most common in the public sector. Given their disproportionate concentration in jobs such as education and health care, women, black workers, and the college-educated are particularly likely... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0kk64071 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Adler, Patrick Tilly, Chris Thomas, Trevor https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0b73b6f0 <p>This study represents the most definitive analysis of a living wage lawís impact on workers and employers. It provides important new insights on the effects of living wage policies, which have been adopted by more than 120 local governments around the country. The studyís findings are based on three original random-sample surveys of workers and firms. Random sampling techniques ensure that survey findings are representative of the entire population being studied. The surveys include:</p><p>• A survey of 320 workers affected by the Los Angeles Living Wage Ordinance, conducted after the pay increase had taken place. This is the first such survey ever completed.</p><p>• A survey of 82 firms affected by the Los Angeles Living Wage Ordinance.</p><p>• A control group survey of non-living wage firms in similar industries, which provides a baseline for comparison in order to isolate the impacts of the living wage.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0b73b6f0 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Fairris, David Runsten, David Briones, Carolina Goodheart, Jessica https://escholarship.org/uc/item/07z83113 A Five-Part Report on Immigrant Youth and the Struggle to Access Health Care in California https://escholarship.org/uc/item/07z83113 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Plascencia, Imelda S Leyva, Alma Jaimes Pena, Mayra Y Waheed, Saba https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9g61w4tp This report outlines the context in which labor violations occurred, describes maquiladora (foreign-owned manufacturing plant) workers’ claims against the Sara Lee Corporation, and explains how the IOA emerged from a need to organize at the local level in the face of a multinational employer. The case study underscores various components of the Integrated Organizing Approach at a time when the maquila industry in Mexico was in decline, highlights organizing tools and points to how the IOA could be applied to other cases, and shows that the IOA can have an impact beyond addressing immediate claims for better working conditions. In sum, organizing with the IOA resulted in workers who learned about their labor rights and strengthened ties at the national and international levels among organizations fighting to defend low-wage workers. To give an idea of organizers’ role in the case, below is a brief history of two key organizations in the struggle, Enlace and Servicio, Desarrollo,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9g61w4tp Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Martinez, Carolina ENLACE Team https://escholarship.org/uc/item/69n6t5bp In this report, we provide a statistical overview of the AAPI workforce in the United States. Three broad themes emerge from our analysis of the data. The first is that AAPI workers are highly diverse. AAPIs come from dozens of national and ethnic backgrounds. They speak many languages, from English to Chinese to Hindi. Three-fourths are immigrants. They are concentrated in the Pacific Coast region and the East Coast, but have a presence in every state in the country. They are more likely than whites to have a college degree, but they are also less likely than whites to have finished high school. The top 20 occupations held by AAPI workers range from doctors and computer engineers to hotel room cleaners and cashiers. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/69n6t5bp Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Rho, Hye Jin Schmitt, John Woo, Nicole Lin, Lucia Wong, Kent https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5mf540hc In this article, we argue that understanding the impact of economic structures on low-wage workers requires the study of emerging worker centers and networks and that individual labor market outcomes and experiences are mediated and impacted by the work of these institutions. We focus on the formation of sectoral worker center networks and address three key issues: (1) What are some of the reasons why worker centers and worker center networks have developed? (2) How do these organizations manage their roles as labor market institutions and social movement organizations? and (3) Why did worker center networks focus on employment and in particular sectors of the low-wage labor market? We find that sector-based organizing (1) facilitates the development of worker- and sector-targeted service strategies, thereby enabling low-wage worker groups and organizations to better achieve their service and policy goals; (2) maximizes opportunities for the organizations to obtain national resources;... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5mf540hc Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Cordero-Guzman, Hector R Izvanariu, Pamela A Narro, Victor https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4f48040t Recent tragedies in Bangladesh and Pakistan have led to greater public attention on the garment and textile industry. Hence, this study is timely and provides insights into the current working conditions, organizing efforts, and the changing organization and structure of the industry in question. Our central question in this study is the extent to which worker organization can improve monitoring and enforcement of labor standards in subcontracted and home-based work in the garment and textile sectors in Brazil, China, India, and South Africa. Existing research literature suggests that in at least some cases of informalized and casualized work, formation and mobilization of worker organizations can do much in this regard. The research has particularly pointed to the importance of innovative and alternative forms of organization that depart from standard trade union models—in line with the departure of whole sections of the world of work from standard forms of work organization.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4f48040t Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Tilly, Chris Agarwala, Rina Mosoetsa, Sarah Ngai, Pun Salas, Carlos Sheikh, Hina https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4f02h407 The first ever California State Assembly Hearing on Asian Pacific Islander Workers was convened by the Labor Employment Committee and the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, at the request of Assembly member Judy Chu. The Hearing brought together Asian Pacific Islander workers and advocates from all over California. Their stories are a snapshot of millions of workers. The testimonies gave a glimpse of the detrimental impact that worker exploitation has on families and communities. Most importantly, workers and advocates made concrete recommendations for state legislative and enforcement actions that could significantly improve the lives of Asian Pacific Islander workers, their families and their communities. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4f02h407 Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance AFL-CIO UCLA Labor Center https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8fc707t8 This report highlights the testimonies of perseverance and hope presented by the students at the hearing. These students share not only the formidable obstacles facing undocumented students but also the hope that comprehensive immigration reform will change their lives and allow them to fully contribute to American society. In an effort to make more information available to the public about the California and federal Dream Acts as well as the broader policy issues involving immigrant youth and higher education, the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education will release a student publication in the summer of 2007. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8fc707t8 Wed, 4 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Amaya, Lisette Escobar, Wendy Gonzalez, Monique Henderson, Heather Mathay, Angelo Ramirez, Marla Viola, Michael Yamini, Negin https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6vz6t1tr Mimicking Arizona’s goal of mass expulsion would be economically self-destructive to the California economy and the L.A. county economy. California went down that road in the early 1990s and accomplished nothing except to unleash a political backlash from the fastest growing demographic group in the state and nation. California should opt instead for the more forward-looking approach that puts all workers on a legal, even footing. That progressive strategy could serve as a costless stimulus to the economy that would improve the state’s fiscal balances. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6vz6t1tr Wed, 4 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Hinojosa-Ojeda, Raul Fitz, Marshall https://escholarship.org/uc/item/28k9r7dd This report is part of a series on Latin American immigrant civic and political participation that looks at nine cities around the United States: Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Fresno, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Omaha, NE; Tucson, AZ; San Jose, CA; and Washington, DC. The reports on each city describe the opportunities and barriers that Latino immigrants face in participating as civic and political actors in cities around the United States. This collection explores recent trends in Latino immigrant integration in the aftermath of the 2006 immigrant civic mobilizations, highlighting both similarities and differences across diverse cities and sectors. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/28k9r7dd Wed, 4 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Rivera-Salgado, Gaspar Wilson, Veronica https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pw6151k As of 2014, there were approximately 11 million undocumented people living in the United States and an estimated 200,000 to 225,000 undocumented students enrolled in college. Nationally, undocumented students are significantly less likely than U.S. born citizens to complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education. This brief will illustrate the need for greater resources and engagement on social equity and immigrant rights issues. It also highlights the role that government, community-based organizations, educational institutions, and foundations can play in removing barriers to postsecondary success for undocumented students, especially for those living in hostile environments. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pw6151k Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Lopez, Magaly N. Mojtahedi, Zahra Ren, Wanmeng Turrent-Hegewisch, Renata https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9n3060g7 This brief examines the history regulation and organizing short-haul trucking at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. During a long period of high union density and strong regulation, short haul truck-driving grew into a desirable blue-collar occupation. However, deregulation during the 1970s and 1980s incentivized trucking companies to shift their workforces to owner-operator truckers in response to competitive pressures. Amplified by rampant misclassification, this arrangement shifts risks and costs onto drivers while exempting them from labor protections and the ability to form a union. Wage theft in the form of lengthy and uncompensated wait times is also common. The brief concludes with a consideration of the applicability of model legislation from other states to the particularly acute issues faced by California's short-haul truckers.  https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9n3060g7 Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Halvorsen, Jesse https://escholarship.org/uc/item/88p788s5 In 2013, the California Legislature passed and Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 241 which established a bill of rights for domestic workers in the state of California. The enactment of Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (DWBOR) in California is part of the general diffusion of these policies across states. The report surveys DWBORs in U.S. states and Western European countries. Based on a review of the enforcement mechanisms in DWBOR legislation, the report concludes enforcement is vexed because it depends on low-waged workers themselves to initiate complaints without any guarantee of speedy redress and the risk of retaliation against workers. Since the enforcement mechanisms reflect structures of antagonism between domestic workers and their employers, civil organizations and state agencies play an important role in ensuring worker complaints are properly expedited and adjudicated in accordance with state labor standards. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/88p788s5 Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Boris, Eileen Jokela, Merita Undén, Megan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83t3z81x The low-wage survey was designed to assess wages, hours, working conditions, and labor law violations in low-wage industries along the South Coast, especially those linked to the tourist, hospitality, and retail trade sectors of the local economy. In early 2014 the Santa Barbara office of California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) first proposed the survey as part of its very recent effort to more effectively serve those working in the urban service economy.  Although unemployment in Santa Barbara has dropped to just 4 percent and most low wage workers in the survey benefit from something close to a 40 hour work week, wages seem not to have responded to these demand-side pressures: they are stagnant, little higher than for similar occupations in California as a whole. Various forms of “wage theft,” illegal employer behavior involving overtime pay, rest breaks, and other mandated benefits and standards, have reached epidemic proportions, especially for undocumented workers. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83t3z81x Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Lichtenstein, Nelson https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6b56v27p Announced by President Obama in June 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program offers eligible undocumented youth and young adults a reprieve from deportation and temporary work authorization. This study assesses DACA’s impacts on the educational and socioeconomic trajectories and health and wellbeing of young adults in Southern California, comparing DACA recipients with undocumented youth who do not have DACA status. The study took place 2.5 years after DACA’s initiation, with the purpose of exploring the longer-term impacts of the program. Findings suggest that existing policies related to health, education, employment, and immigration may not go far enough in meeting the needs of immigrant youth. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6b56v27p Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Patler, Caitlin Cabrera, Jorge Dream Team Los Angeles https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5dn0b14r The logistics industry is one of the most important industries contributing to economic development in Inland Southern California, which includes eastern portions of Los Angeles County, and Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The logistics industry employs warehouse workers, truckers, electricians and other trades specialists, supervisors and managers, and other types of workers engaged in moving goods from sites of production to retail stores. This brief summarizes the key findings from a recent survey of warehouse workers administered by UC Riverside researchers that assesses warehouse workers’ wages and benefits, specifically, the availability of health insurance to cover routine and emergency medical expenses. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5dn0b14r Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Allison, Juliann Herrera, Joel Huston, Mila Reese, Ellen UCR Labor Studies Program Center for Sustainable Suburban Development School of Public Policy https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5548x6m8 This brief examines how organized labor is addressed within Social Studies standards in the U.S. and Canada, tracking how the social and political perception of unions and labor history influences how they are referenced within curricular content standards. The authors use this analysis to explore how state and provincial governments conceive of organized labor, what is being taught with regard to the same, and where strategic action might be necessary to help shape future narratives of the place and value of labor in the high school curriculum. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5548x6m8 Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Berryman, Anthony Ishimoto, Michael Rogers, John