On Oct. 30, Clark Atlanta, a historically Black college and university, announced the launch of its Institute for the Advancement of Black Strategists.
The institute is geared toward researching collective bargaining, unionization, and organization in the South. It is partnering with Jobs For Justice, an organization already active in progressing Black Southern workers.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states, “Unionized workers only make up about 10% of the labor force nationally.”
This figure decreases in Southern states. Right-to-work laws make it easy for companies to terminate employment for any reason. These laws also make it difficult for employees to organize and negotiate, which may jeopardize their careers.
Erica Smiley, executive director of Jobs With Justice, spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the lack of equity for Black workers.
“Black workers are less likely to have fair wages compared to counterparts in other parts of the country, are less likely to have good health insurance, are less likely to have a level of economic sustainability (and) more likely to have multiple jobs to make ends meet.”
Waffle House employees are the latest employees to engage in the fight for better working conditions and pay. BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on actions by Georgia Waffle House employees to prevent alleged “wage theft.”
Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW) filed a claim with the Department of Labor on behalf of workers.
“The complaint accused the Georgia-based corporation of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act’s tip credit requirements by failing to pay servers the federal minimum wage, which has been paused at $7.25 since 2009.”
An employee at the Conyers, Georgia, Waffle House detailed how extra, unpaid duties are assigned to workers, yet no compensation is offered.
The lack of a formal worker’s union forces employees to turn to organizations like USSW to advocate on their behalf.
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