Artwork by Ernesto Yerena.
Essay: How San Francisco Became a Labor Enforcement Laboratory
Community Partners Are Helping Local Government Protect and Empower Low-Wage Workers
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Panelist Spotlight: THE RIDESHARE GUY’S SERGIO AVEDIAN
I’d Rather Go Flip Burgers for $20 an Hour
Essay: Can a Side Hustle Be a ‘Proper’ Job?
Forget ‘Good’ or ‘Bad,’ Workers Want Something Real
Oakland Recap: The App Economy Is the Past—And Not Necessarily the Future
“‘What Is a Good Job Now?’ In Gig Work” Shows How Algorithms Have Transformed Freelancing, and What Comes Next
Featuring gig worker and advocate Sergio Avedian, gigs founder and CEO Allen Narcisse, and the Workers Lab chief research officer Shelly Steward. Moderated by CalMatters reporter Levi Sumagaysay …
Essay: Tips and Tricks From an Uber Driver
Don’t Talk Politics, Store a Towel in Your Trunk, and Let Them Sing Their Songs
Panelist spotlight: Office of the L.A. Mayor’s Strategic Reentry Initiatives Director Gilbert Johnson
You Are More Than Your Worst Mistakes
Essay: With Sentencing Reforms, the Distance Between Prison and the Job Market Is Shrinking
California’s Criminal Justice System Is Offering More Opportunities and Training for Lifers Like Me
Featuring Amity Foundation president and CEO Doug Bond, Root & Rebound executive director Carmen Garcia, Anti-Recidivism Coalition executive director Sam Lewis, and Gilbert Johnson from Director of Strategic Reentry Initiatives, Office of Mayor Karen Bass …
L.A. Recap: Life After Incarceration Starts in Community
“‘What Is a Good Job Now?’ For the Formerly Incarcerated” Reveals the Hard, Long Work of Building Careers for People Reentering Society
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Essay: People Coming Out of Prison Need Good Jobs, Too
Like Anyone Without Recent Employment Experience, They Want More Pay, More Stability, and More Upward Mobility
Essay: Prison Time Can Be Your Superpower in Business
I’m Formerly Incarcerated, and I Help People Reentering the Job Market Understand the Value of Their Experiences Inside
Featuring California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, warehouse worker Sara Fee, California Labor Commissioner Assistant Chief Daniel Yu, and Zócalo’s California Columnist & Democracy Editor Joe Mathews …
Sacramento Recap: ALL’S NOT YET FAIR IN CALIFORNIA WORKPLACES
At Last Night’s Event ‘How Can Workers Make Sure They’re Treated Fairly in the Workplace?,’ Panelists Called for More Collaboration for Better Protections
Panelist Spotlight: CALIFORNIA SENATOR MARIA ELENA DURAZO
I Love the Dodgers
Essay: My Boss Owes Me Over $12,000
A Bay Area Restaurant Worker Recounts His Fight Against Wage Theft
Fresno Recap: Better Health Care Starts with Better Health Care Jobs
The Industry Needs Higher Wages, More Paid Leave, and Pathways to Advancement
Featuring California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, warehouse worker Sara Fee, California Labor Commissioner Assistant Chief Daniel Yu, and Zócalo’s California Columnist & Democracy Editor Joe Mathews …
Panelist Spotlight: Health Care Advocate Martha Valladarez
I Always Think About How Lucky I Am
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Essay: My Work as an In-Home Caregiver Shouldn’t Be This Hard
Minimum Wage, Unpaid Hours, Tricky Client Dynamics, and No Outside Support Sometimes Make This the Worst Job I’ve Ever Had
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Essay: Who Cares for Caregivers’ Families While They’re Caring for Us?
A Mass Exodus Looms if the Profession Can’t Offer Workers the Childcare, Wages, and Leave Programs They Need to Stay
Riverside Recap: We Can Solve California’s Service Worker Crisis
Ending Tipping Culture, Implementing a Livable Wage, and Training Future Leaders Can Sustain an Essential Industry
Featuring One Fair Wage president Saru Jayaraman, hospitality expert Lesley Butler, restaurant worker Ralph Prado IV, and freelance journalist and Zócalo’s Elizabeth Aguilera …
ESSAY: Why Restaurant Workers Can’t Win
A Powerful Lobby Made Californians Pay for Food Safety Training—Then Spent the Money Fighting Against Raising the Minimum Wage
Panelist Spotlight: Journalist Elizabeth Aguilera
If I Were in Charge, Los Lobos Would Headline Coachella
Register for our upcoming programs!
Taking place in Fresno, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Salinas, and Oakland
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“What Is a Good Job Now?” Asks New Partnership Between the James Irvine Foundation and Zócalo Public Square
The Event and Editorial Series Will Elevate the Stories and Experiences of Low-Income Workers Across California
The partnership will elevate the individual stories and experiences of low-income workers in California—in tourism, health care, agriculture, and other sectors. The series will examine the real-life effects of changes in state and local policy that have been intended to help workers, including formerly incarcerated people and gig economy contractors …