By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal.
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Baby on Way, Worker Gets Her Job Back (NYT)
Angelica Valencia was fired when doctor's orders limited her from overtime during her pregnancy, but was helped by New York City's Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, writes Rachel Swarns.
Ms. Valencia, who has been out of work for nearly three months, can return “immediately without loss of seniority and without fear of retaliation,” Jeffrey D. Pollack, a lawyer who represents the Fierman Produce Exchange, wrote in a letter to Ms. Valencia’s lawyers.
Ms. Valencia, who earned $8.70 an hour as a potato packer for Fierman in the Bronx, was told by her supervisors in August that she could not continue working unless her doctor gave her a full-duty medical clearance. (Ms. Valencia, who had a miscarriage last year, was told by her doctor that she should work only eight hours a day, no overtime.)
More below the fold.
Work-Sharing: A Socialist Alternative to Layoffs? (The Nation)
Michelle Chen looks at government-supported work-sharing, in which many workers' hours are cut and the government subsidizes their lost wages, as a fix for underemployment.
Can Homeless People Move Into Baltimore's Abandoned Houses? (The Atlantic)
Alana Semuels reports on activists' push to create affordable housing for Baltimore's homeless. Their plan involves buying abandoned properties with a community land trust.
Yes, the Federal Reserve Can Reduce Inequality. (WaPo)
Jared Bernstein says that by doing its job right -- which means fighting unemployment, reducing bubbles and busts, and initiating important research -- the Fed will reduce inequality.
Republicans Say Minimum Wage Hikes Hurt Job Growth. Here's What the Evidence Says. (TNR)
A new study on job growth among low-wage workers shows that states that increased their minimum wage saw very slightly stronger job growth, writes Danny Vinik.
Good Jobs No Longer an Afterthought in Awarding Lavish Transit Contracts (AJAM)
Haya El Nasser explains a new coalition's efforts to ensure companies competing for transit contracts hire American workers, with a goal of rewarding better employers.