Public Policy 160AC: Work, Justice and the Labor Movement

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Food workers and the Fight for $15(link is external)

"I'll Take Some Protections with a Side of Fries": How fast food preparers in California deserve more rights, pay, and protections

This course provides a broad, interdisciplinary overview of the U.S. labor movement in the fight for social and economic justice. It will introduce students to critiques of racial capitalism and the power dynamics inherent in paid work while considering why and how workers form unions in response.  One of the primary objectives of this course is to develop a theoretical and analytical understanding of contemporary workers’ experiences of work in the U.S. shaped by race, class, gender, sexuality, immigration status, language, religion, and other social constructs. There will be a special comparative focus on the role of structures and the space for agency and mobilization in the Latinx, Black, and Asian American communities. 

Student Project Example
Fight for $15 protest

Food workers and the Fight for $15(link is external)

In this Spark presentation, entitled, "I'll take some protections with a side of fries," a student discusses how fast food preparers in California deserve more rights, pay, and protections.

Group Picture of Industrial all Global Union Members

The Masked Conditions of the Restaurant Industry(link is external)

In this Ted Talk, undergraduate Deven Radfar highlights the working conditions of servers in the restaurant industry, while focusing on the experiences of women and teens.

Cargo Ship Arriving at Port

Women Longshore Workers(link is external)

"Although the number of women on the waterfront is growing slowly, these are the numbers of women who are willing to tolerate a toxically masculine workplace and put up with wage gaps, discrimination, and harassment to open the door for more women to enter this workforce.

"Welcome to the Flea Market" sign from the San Jose Flea Market

Swap Meet Vendors(link is external)

This video takes a look at the lives and struggles of individuals who work at Swap Meets tailored to Latinx communities in the U.S. Although Swap Meets provide job opportunities to many Latinx communities, many struggle to survive--the mean annual wage for a swap meet vendor is at the federal poverty level, and most vendors are finding it increasingly difficult to offer competitive pricing with the rising costs of warehouse expenses.

Creative discovery in my classes centers equity and fosters space for students to deepen their understanding of themselves and each other in a transformative way.
Anibel
Photograph of Anibel Ferus Comelo

Dr. Anibel Ferus-Comelo

Faculty, Goldman School of Public Policy(link is external)

Director of Student Programming, Labor Center(link is external)

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Creative assignments allow me to take an interdisciplinary approach and offer students from a wide range of backgrounds, including the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields - the opportunity to develop and apply skillsets to real-world problem-solving.
Anibel

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