Writing for the Atlantic, Sarah Lacy describes that Women in Tech Are Rising Higher in China Than in the U.S. Lacy notes the disparity between the percent of U.S. tech companies that, when asked how many women have C-level jobs at their company, answered “one or more” (53%), and the percentage of Chinese tech companies that answered “one or more” (almost 80%).
Also at the Atlantic, Lolade Fadulu discusses American skepticism of automation displacing certain interactive jobs. Fadulu cites recent Pew Research Center reports in which almost 60% of respondents said they would not use a driverless car or use a robot caregiver out of concern for ceding control of those things to technology. Ironically, some evidence indicates that humans are worse drivers and caregivers than their automated counterparts (e.g. Fadulu notes that 37,000 of 2016’s fatal crashes were attributed to poor decision making by drivers).
Last week, a British court upheld a ruling that Uber must give drivers benefits. Uber, which lost its license to operate in London in September (see our coverage here), lost its appeal of a 2016 decision deeming Uber drivers “workers,” rather than “contractors.” This designation gives drivers more rights than they would receive as “contractors,” though not as many as they would receive if classified as “employees.”
Tesla, another Silicon Valley titan, has been accused by employees of a California production plant of racial discrimination. A class-action suit filed Monday described the plant as a “hotbed for racist behavior.” This suit is at least the third this year alleging employment discrimination in Tesla workplaces.
Daily News & Commentary
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January 18
Met Museum workers unionize; a new report reveals a $0.76 average tip for gig workers in NYC; and U.S. workers receive the smallest share of capital since 1947.
January 16
The NLRB publishes its first decision since regaining a quorum; Minneapolis labor unions call for a general strike in response to the ICE killing of Renee Good; federal workers rally in DC to show support for the Protecting America’s Workforce Act.
January 15
New investigation into the Secretary of Labor; New Jersey bill to protect child content creators; NIOSH reinstates hundreds of employees.
January 14
The Supreme Court will not review its opt-in test in ADEA cases in an age discrimination and federal wage law violation case; the Fifth Circuit rules that a jury will determine whether Enterprise Products unfairly terminated a Black truck driver; and an employee at Berry Global Inc. will receive a trial after being fired for requesting medical leave for a disability-related injury.
January 13
15,000 New York City nurses go on strike; First Circuit rules against ferry employees challenging a COVID-19 vaccine mandate; New York lawmakers propose amendments to Trapped at Work Act.
January 12
Changes to EEOC voting procedures; workers tell SCOTUS to pass on collective action cases; Mamdani's plans for NYC wages.