Truthout
Economy & Labor
![Workers from the Elmwood Starbucks are pictured on day 2 of their walkout on January 6, 2022.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/2022_0106-starbucks-workers-400x300.jpg)
Workers at First Unionized Starbucks Walk Off Job to Protest Working Conditions
The workers are protesting unsafe working conditions, especially management’s failure to address COVID-related concerns.
![A view of The New York Times headquarters on August 8, 2020.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/2022_0106-new-york-times-400x300.jpg)
New York Times Parent Company Interfered With Union Efforts, Labor Board Says
Tech workers were forbidden from sharing pro-union imagery, the National Labor Relations Board said.
![Mayor Eric Adams speaks at Concourse Village Elementary School in Bronx of New York City on January 3, 2021.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/2022_0105-eric-adams-400x300.jpg)
Ocasio-Cortez Slams NYC Mayor Eric Adams for Disparaging “Low-Skilled Workers”
The lawmaker pointed out that describing jobs as “low-skill” is a tool used by the ruling class to suppress wages.
![Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a rally with Peoples Action in front of PhRMAs Washington office on September 21, 2021.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/2022_0105-bernie-sanders--400x300.jpg)
Bernie Sanders Encourages Workers to “Rise Up and Fight Back” in New Op-Ed
“The stakes are just too high. Despair is not an option. We must stand up and fight back,” Sanders wrote.
![A masked protester holds a sign reading "TAX THE BILLIONAIRES; FUND THE WORKERS"](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/2022_0105-billionaire-protest-400x300.jpg)
Wealth of US Billionaires Rose $1 Trillion in 2021 as Build Back Better Stalls
The taxes for this massive windfall would be enough to fund major priorities in the Build Back Better package.
![Children and teachers from the KU Kids Deanwood Childcare Center complete a mural in celebration of the launch of the Child Tax Credit on July 14, 2021, at the KU Kids Deanwood Childcare Center in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/2022_0104-child-tax-credit-400x300.jpg)
As Tax Credit Expires, “Huge Increase” in Child Poverty Feared Amid Omicron Wave
The program's expiration cuts off a key lifeline at what anti-poverty activists see as the worst possible moment.
![People participate in a March on Billionaires event on July 17, 2020, in New York City.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/2022_0103-billionaires-pay-400x300.jpg)
“Tax the Rich:” 10 Billionaires Added $402 Billion to Their Fortunes in 2021
Amid a public health emergency and economic crisis, billionaires saw staggering growth in their wealth.
![Supporters of organizing a union at Amazon Staten Island warehouse rally in front of the field office of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) located at Brooklyn. New York, on October 25, 2021.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/GettyImages-1236248217-400x300.jpg)
Staten Island Amazon Workers Pause Unionization Battle, But the Fight Isn’t Over
Amazon Labor Union organizers withdrew their petition to the NLRB in November, but they remain hopeful about the future.
![Localization offers the means to return to a real and stable economy not based on speculation, exploitation and debt.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2021/12/GettyImages-1305636257-400x300.jpg)
“Localization” Can Help Free the Planet From Neoliberal Globalization
Localization offers the means to return to a real and stable economy not based on speculation, exploitation and debt.
![A Starbucks store is pictured in the Allston area of Boston, Massachusetts on December 9, 2021.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/01/GettyImages-1237245808-400x300.jpg)
In Wake of Buffalo Victory, More Starbucks Workers Are Forging Unions
Starbucks employees in Colorado and Illinois locations have filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board.