By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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America’s Fastest-Growing Profession is Joining a Very Public Fight for Higher Wages (WaPo)
Lydia DePillis looks at the differences in home health aides' fight for "15 and a union" when compared to fast food workers. For one, most home health aides are paid by Medicaid. When a higher wage is also tied to state budgets, the fight gets more difficult.
Home health aides can’t entirely replicate the fast-food workers’ tactics. Unlike someone flipping burgers, they can’t just walk off the job: That would leave those they care for — the nation’s parents and grandparents — in danger. And crucially, although most low-wage workers battle big corporations, home health-care workers usually are dealing with a different beast: the state, which ultimately pays their wages.
Follow below the fold for more.
Gov. Scott Walker on the Minimum Wage: "I Don't Think It Serves a Purpose" (MoJo)
Andy Kroll places the Wisconsin governor's comments in context with his other remarks opposing the minimum wage, and his state's strong support for an increase.
Can Rehabilitating Prisoners Repair Wall Street’s Broken Reputation? (Buzzfeed)
Matthew Zeitlin questions whether financial products that fund social services are more than just a charm offensive meant to make Wall Street look nicer to the public.
Americans Face Post-Foreclosure Hell as Wages Garnished, Assets Seized (Reuters)
An uptick in "deficiency judgements," in which banks go after debt that wasn't covered by a foreclosure sale, is preventing people from moving forward after the Recession, writes Michelle Conlin.
When the Guy Making Your Sandwich Has a Noncompete Clause (NYT)
Neil Irwin says the noncompete clauses for "sandwich artists" at Jimmy John's typify the trend toward practices and procedures that leave low-wage workers even worse off.
Walmart’s Cuts to Worker Compensation Are Self-Defeating (AJAM)
By raising workers' share of insurance premiums, David Cay Johnston says that Walmart and other companies are only ensuring their own customers have less to spend.
The Real World of Reality TV: Worker Exploitation (In These Times)
David Dayen explains the difficult working conditions of the writers and editors who create "unscripted" reality television in light of one staff's recent push for unionization.