Archive: Gig Economy
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WCP: The Challenges of Organizing “Gig” Workers
When we think about organizing precarious “gig” workers, the task seems biblical. The workers may be ready, or not, but the spirit and the flesh are weak. We all bemoan the rise of gig workers. Low pay, few hours, no benefits are some of them, worsened by the uncertainty of a position where you can only work to deliver something being demanded by consumers at a premium you are powerless to control.
Category: Visiting Scholars
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Tax Uber and Lift the Veil
For Game 6 of the Capitals’ conference finals, Uber provided funding for late-night Metro service. It may have been a coincidence that Uber’s gesture came just as the D.C. Council weighs a proposal th
Categories: Articles, In the News, Practitioner Fellows, Visiting Scholars
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Katie Wells Joins KI to Research Work Lives of Uber Drivers
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Katie Wells, who is beginning a 3-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor the Working Poor. Katie has been conducting groundbreaking researc
Categories: People, Practitioner Fellows, Visiting Scholars
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WCP: Uber, “Metropocalypse,” and Economic Inequality in DC
Researchers have already revealed the poor working conditions, high risks, and financial instability that Uber drivers face. In this week’s Working-Class Perspective, Katie Wells, Kafui Attoh, and Declan Cullen show how Uber’s cozy relationship with D.C. policymakers allowed it to pass special rules in its favor. As a result, Washingtonians will likely experience heightened inequality, more discrimination, and worse public transportation.
Category: Visiting Scholars
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WCP: The Work Lives of Uber Drivers Are Worse Than You Think
Uber promises freedom and flexibility to drivers but instead delivers risk, exploitation, and low wages that compel drivers to work long and inconvenient hours. That is what Katie Wells, Kafui Attoh, and Declan Cullen discovered by conducting a groundbreaking series of interviews with 40 Uber drivers in the DC area, highlighted in this week’s Working-Class Perspective.
Category: Visiting Scholars
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WCP: Everyday Encounters: Antagonism in the Sharing Economy
Both workers and consumers are bearing the brunt of changes to contemporary service industry jobs caused by the advent of the sharing economy. In this week's Working-Class Perspective, Diane Negra a
Category: Visiting Scholars
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KI Visiting Scholar John Russo to Speak on the Gig Economy
The Labor and Income Inequality Team at Our Lady of Queen Peace Church is hosting a presentation where KI Visiting Scholar John Russo will share his insights on the gig economy. Join this timely discussion about what the new economy is and how contingent contract workers can build power and secure pay and benefits to support themselves and their families.
Categories: Events, Visiting Scholars
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WCP: Poverty and Precarious Work
Over the Labor Day weekend we celebrated workers and unions, but work itself is becoming increasingly precarious. In this week's Working-Class Perspective, John Russo argues that we should examine t
Category: Visiting Scholars