Inequality and Worker Rights: Where Do We Go From Here?

The crisis of inequality is arguably one of the greatest social and economic issues facing the United States today.

In this webcast, representatives of The Worker Institute at Cornell examine the ways in which worker rights and collective representation impact inequality and explore innovative solutions developed by the labor movement to solve this growing crisis.

The presenters address the role that industrial and labor relations have historically had in reducing inequality and how changes in the country’s collective bargaining system can be linked to the extreme levels of inequality we see today. They also share new ways in which low-wage workers are organizing to address inequality and look at two specific examples: Caring Across Generations, a campaign that works to expand access to in-home care while creating living-wage jobs for care workers; and Fight for 15, a fast-food worker-led movement to raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour.