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The Future of Work
On this week’s episode of JustLove, Monsignor Sullivan focuses on ” The Future of Work” with Dr. John Bourdreau, Professor of of Management and Organization at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and USC’s Center for Effective Organization; and Marc Bain fashion industry journalist for Quartz, the digitally native news outlet owned by Atlantic Media Company Msgr. Sullivan and Dr. Boudreau will be talking about changes that have taken place in the workplace over recent years, and particularly the increase in the number of people employed in the “Gig” economy like Uber. They examine whether such employment opportunities are essentially exploitative or empowering for workers. Marc and Msgr. Sullivan will be speaking…
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The President Goes Shopping: What’s the Bigger Picture?
I hope President Obama was not trying to surprise his wife and daughters with the gifts he brought for them at the Gap when in New York earlier this week. We all know the point wasn’t the gifts, but rather his desire to highlight the increase in wages that the Gap has committed to paying entry-level workers. This certainly was a good thing to do. It’s encouraging that some of the lowest paid workers will be getting a moderate increase. A couple thoughts came to mind. When I checked around, I discovered that our Catholic Charities agencies were already paying the increased new minimum to their entry-level staff and were…
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Bangladesh: A Step Forward Compensating Victims of Garment Factory Tragedies
Read the recent Wall Street Journal article. When I was in Bangladesh in early December 2013, the issue of compensation for victims of the fire and building collapse tragedies was one of the issues in the forefront. (The other major issues were building safety and working conditions going forward.) Adequate compensation for workers who were disabled and family members whose breadwinners had died was sought. We have insurance and other compensation mechanisms in place in the United States. These are not in place in Bangladesh. Therefore the establishment of this victims fund and the initial contributions to it are major steps forward. Progress does not come easy or all at once,…
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More on Bangladesh
When I visited my family earlier this week for Christmas, the millenniums and the baby boomers were all quite inquisitive about my recent trip to Bangladesh. I showed them my cell phone pictures of the workers who were disabled by the garment factory tragedies of the last year. Immediately, they wanted to know about the conditions in the factories there. Their initial reaction – without even the slightest goading by me – was outrage by the unsafe conditions that led to the two recent tragedies. They didn’t know until a little later that their Christmas gifts would further raise their awareness about the garment industry in Bangladesh – and the…
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Bangladesh Fact-Finding Trip to Garment Factories and Business, Labor and Governmental Leaders
I accepted an invitation to accompany the New York State Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli, and the head of the RWDSU (Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union) Stuart Appelbaum to visit garment factories in Bangladesh to learn about the garment industry and in particular, working conditions. The reason is straight forward. The importance of work and the dignity of workers has always been a key element of our Catholic social vision. In today’s economy, goods purchased locally in the United States are made in factories around the globe. I’ve heard it said that our economy is “glocal.” We recall that about six months ago we mourned the tragic loss of the lives…