September 26, 2023

For 146 days, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have picketed in front of Hollywood movie and television studios, demanding increased financial security and more control over their work. Talks mostly broke down as the months stretched on, until last week when the two parties met over five straight days and brokered a tentative deal. Although this agreement still needs to be written into a contract and ratified by the WGA’s more than 11,000 members, industry observers Continue reading

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September 15, 2023

While South Korean car makers Kia and Hynudai face legal action from seven American cities, domestic auto companies also have their fair share of problems on the horizon. For weeks, Detroit’s Big Three–Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (owner of Chrysler)–have been deadlocked in negotiations with the United Automobile Workers (UAW). Representing more than 150,000 workers across the industry, the union has demanded a 36 percent raise over four years, pointing to rising inflation and big corporate profits. Carmakers, meanwhile, Continue reading

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July 28, 2023

Last weekend, the highly anticipated summer movie Barbie opened in theaters to rave reviews and huge ticket sales, earning $162 million in just a few days. Of course, Barbie wasn’t the only film to make a splash at the box office: the 3-hour long drama Oppenheimer also enjoyed a big weekend with domestic receipts totaling $82.5 million. The success of these two films follows months of viral marketing that made light of the stark differences between sunny and bright Barbie Continue reading

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July 19, 2023

At the beginning of May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted to strike against major Hollywood studios, citing poor working conditions and declining pay as the primary causes of the work stoppage. Although the union does not appear to be any closer to signing a new deal than they were months ago, members of the WGA have recently seen their picket lines become stocked with new faces, some of which are quite famous. That’s because last week the Screen Continue reading

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Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began walking picket lines yesterday after failing to agree a new deal with production companies. This strike marks an end to 15 years of labor peace in Hollywood, bringing dozens of television and film projects to an immediate and indefinite halt. According to representatives of the approximately 11,500 striking writers, the rise of streaming has upended the industry and led to declining conditions for creative workers. For example, in the past network Continue reading

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July 21, 2020

Yesterday, tens of thousands of workers across the U.S. walked off their jobs in support of the “Strike for Black Lives.” According to organizers, the strike was held to bring greater attention to issues like income inequality and systemic racism in both the private and public sectors. The nationwide event included members from labor unions and political groups such as the Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, American Federation of Teachers, and dozens of other organizations. 

The Continue reading

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December 3, 2019

Analysts at Adobe estimate that consumers spent more than $29 billion online last week between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Although brick-and-mortar sales rose slightly as well, e-commerce sales surged to record highs as consumers increasingly turned to online retailers for their holiday shopping needs. In fact, experts predict that companies like Amazon earned as much as $9.4 billion on Cyber Monday alone. 

But while Amazon enjoyed another successful start to the festive season in the U.S., the e-commerce giant Continue reading

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October 29, 2019

In mid-September, nearly 50,000 General Motors employees represented by the United Auto Workers union went on strike after failing to reach an agreement with the company. Staffers walked picket lines for more than a month as they fought for improved wages, benefits, and job security. Then last week the standoff finally ended as the union struck a deal with management that partially gave in to some of the workers’ demands.

For instance, employees are now guaranteed a 3 percent pay Continue reading

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September 17, 2019

On Monday around 48,000 General Motors employees walked off their jobs and onto picket lines after the United Auto Workers failed to reach a new agreement with the company. Along with improved pay and health benefits, the striking workers also want to keep plants open to ensure job security. “Our members have been very clear about what they will and will not accept from this contract,” said UAW Vice President Terry Dittes. “We are standing up for fair wages, we Continue reading

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Today, Uber will start to trade shares on the New York Stock Exchange in one of the mostly highly anticipated IPOs ever. Although the ride-hailing service had been pushing for a $100 billion valuation, it began the day trading at $45 per share, amounting to a valuation of about $82.4 billion. This enormous windfall will create instant fortunes for those who invested early in Uber. For the company’s millions of drivers, however, it’s unlikely they will benefit that much from Continue reading

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