>A Wenatchee fruit grower is facing $353,000 in fines for safety violations that led to a worker being buried alive in a trench collapse last fall in Othello.

>Photographs obtained by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) show multiple workers of Stemilt Ag Services LLC digging in a trench more than five feet deep and about 25-30 feet long without any type of cave-in protection such as sloping, shielding or shoring.

>A crew of 10 workers was repairing an irrigation pipe when a portion of the trench caved in on one of the workers, knocking him down and burying him. His co-workers were able to uncover his face after a couple of minutes to allow him to breathe while they dug for another 10 minutes to get him out of the trench. He was taken to the hospital with multiple crush injuries to his head, face, and body.

>“This could have easily ended in death, all because the employer chose to ignore rules to protect workers,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

>L&I cited Stemilt in March with five willful serious violations in connection with the cave-in. There was no protective system inside the trench to prevent a collapse, and no ladder or way for the workers to get out of the trench within 25 feet of where they were working. The piles of dirt dug from the trench were not set back at least two feet away from the edge. Dirt piles too close to the trench can cause the walls to collapse.

>Also, there was no one onsite with the knowledge needed to inspect the trench before workers went into it, and no training program for trenching and excavation work. The company was also cited for changing the scene by filling in the trench after the cave-in before L&I inspectors arrived.

>Willful violations are among the most serious and mean the employer knew or should have known the safety requirements, but chose to ignore them. The company is appealing the new citation.

>It’s not the first time Stemilt has been cited for trenching issues. The company was cited and fined nearly $17,000 in Quincy in 2021 for violating the same trenching safety rules.

>“We hope the latest fines will be the wake-up call that motivates Stemilt to keep their workers safe, before someone is killed,” said Blackwood.

>The company is now is now considered a severe violator and is subject to follow-up inspections to determine if the conditions still exist.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16730069

> >Democracy at Work is a non-profit 501(c)3 that produces media and live events. Our work analyzes capitalism critically as a systemic problem and advocates for democratizing workplaces as part of a systemic solution. We seek a stronger, fuller democracy – in our politics and culture as well as in our economy - based on workers’ equal collaboration and shared leadership inside enterprises and throughout society. > > >[EU S14 E21] New Energies Organizing Unions

Not sure if this is the right place to ask. But I was interested in learning about how co-ops would function, so I was looking for some reading recommendations for the same. Would also be helpfulitf it included some comparisons of real life co-ops with more hierarchical organizations in the same sector

I'm thinking about starting a rumor at work about a bonus. Eg "does anyone else know what's going on with the mid quarter bonus?" There is no bonus but wondering if a rumor gets started if it can cause management to maybe give one because of employee expectations. Do you think this will work?

Jimmy ate my yogurt now he's putting it back Used to ignore but I'll plain attack Drop the defence now I've got you in my scope Jimmy walk away from the fridge slowly

Got your email Jimmy, you sent it at night You expect a response but I'm tucked in tight I'm different now Jimmy, I'm in my power I'll respond to your email at a reasonable hour At a reasonable hour At a reasonable hour At a reasonable hoooouuuur

Self care, bad bitch, I'm a villain, I'm a villain, out of office email saying zero fucks given x4

You ask me to work late, but I'm all done Off the clock punched out time for fun! You ask me where I'm going so I tell you the truth Jimmy boy I'm going to a spin class! Kind regards, best wishes, EAT SHIT Yours truly, sincerely, THIS BITCH I'm different now Jimmy, I'm in my power I'll respond to your email at a reasonable hour At a reasonable hour At a reasonable hour At a reasonable hoooouuuur

Self care, bad bitch, I'm a villain I'm a villain, out of office email saying zero fucks given x6

Non paywall https://archive.is/DCIVo

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/15914243

> >The academic workers at UCLA and UC Davis will join 2,000 already on strike at UC Santa Cruz.

Most job responses I get is they're not hiring anymore due to restructuring. Aka they just go for pure profit increase while overworking the understaffed employees. No more remote interviews either. Tons of requests to do one sided video interviews. And the pays appear lower than they were during the main pandemic, even though all prices have gone up since. I've no clue how I'll find a job, yet alone one which will cover my expenses just to exist. And the employers catch on and push abusive shit. My current job has unpaid overtime. I'm leaving, but I've no clue what fate holds.

I haven't figured out the exact date, but it'll be effective 120 after publishing in the federal register.

https://hachyderm.io/@scottsantens/112241673798122034

> The wealthiest people in this country have never had it so good. While income and wealth inequality in the United States is soaring, more than 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, we have one of the highest rates of childhood poverty among major countries on Earth, and more than 650,000 people are homeless. > > According to a study by the Rand Corporation, since 1975, there has been a nearly $50 trillion transfer of wealth in America from the bottom 90% to those at the top. Meanwhile, since 1973, weekly wages for the average American worker have actually gone down after adjusting for inflation. > > It’s time for a change — real change. As more Americans are giving up on government and democracy, the time is long overdue for Congress to stand up for the hard-pressed working families of our country. And an important step in that direction would be implementing a 32-hour work week with no loss in pay. > > As far back as 1866, one of the central planks of the trade union movement in America was to establish an eight-hour workday with a simple and straightforward demand: “Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest and eight hours for what you will.” > > Americans of that era were sick and tired of working 12-hour days for six or seven days a week with very little time for rest, relaxation or quality time with their families. They went out on strike, they organized, they petitioned the government and business leaders, and they achieved real results after decades of struggle. > > Finally, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation into law to establish an eight-hour workday for railroad workers. Ten years later, the Ford Motor Company became one of the first major employers in America to establish a five-day work week for autoworkers. > > By 1933, the US Senate had overwhelmingly passed legislation to establish a 30-hour work week. And, just a few years later, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act into law and the standard 40-hour work week was created. That is the good news. > > The bad news is that despite massive growth in technology and skyrocketing worker productivity, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages. In fact, nearly 40% of employees in the United States are working at least 50 hours a week, and 18% are working at least 60 hours. > > What this means is that the American people now have the dubious distinction of working far more hours per year as the people of most other wealthy nations. > > On average, Americans work 470 more hours on the job per year than people in Germany, 300 hours more than people in France, 279 hours more than people in the United Kingdom, 204 hours more than people in Japan, and 125 hours more than people in Canada. > > As a result of the extraordinary technological revolution that has taken place in recent years and decades, American workers are more than 400% more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, almost all of the economic gains from these technological achievements have been going straight to the top. > > For example, in 1965, the CEO of a large corporation in America made about 20 times more than their average worker. Today, CEOs of large corporations make nearly 350 times more than their average workers. > > At a moment in history when artificial intelligence and robotics will radically transform our economy, it is time to make sure that working people benefit from this increased productivity, not just corporate CEOs and the billionaire class. > > It’s time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow Americans to enjoy a better quality of life. It’s time for a 32-hour work week with no loss in pay. > > This is not a radical idea. > > In fact, movement in that direction is already taking place in other developed countries. > > France, the seventh-largest economy in the world, has a 35-hour work week and is considering reducing it to 32. As a result of strong unions, the standard workweek for most employees in Denmark is about 37 hours, and Belgium has already adopted a four-day work week. > > In 2023, the trade union movement in Germany won a 32-hour work week for metalworkers, while autoworkers at Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have 35-hour work weeks. In December, Lamborghini announced that it would be moving to a four-day work week after union workers established a guiding principle: “Work less and work better.” > > Pilot programs in the UK and South Africa have found that worker productivity and business revenue both go up with a four-day work week. In other words, a 32-hour work week with no loss in pay is good for workers and good for business. > > In the US and Canada, more than two-thirds of workers showed less job burnout; anxiety and fatigue declined for roughly 40%; and 60% reported more success achieving a work-family balance. Almost every participant wanted to continue the program, company turnover fell by more than 20% and absenteeism by 39%. And when Microsoft tested a four-day work week in Japan, it reported a 40% increase in productivity. > > Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, both said last year that the advancements in technology would lead to a three- or three-and-a-half-day work week in the coming years. > > As much as technology and worker productivity has exploded in recent years, there is no debate that new breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and robotics will only accelerate the transformation of our economy. Major industries like auto manufacturers are undergoing once-in-a-generation transformations, and our jobs are changing with them. > > The question is: Who will benefit from this transformation? Will it be the billionaire class, or workers? > > In my view, the choice is obvious. > > Eighty-six years after Roosevelt signed a 40-hour work week into law, it’s time for us to move to a 32-hour work week at no loss of pay.

My formerly amazing company just sent us this in an internal email. Unfortunately, too long to post here so I pastebin` it. Hopefully this is allowed.

My apologies if it's not.

Bet you won't see this reported as a crime on the news

!

It's funny how the narrative changes when a group can actually fight back. Most of the Gen-Xers I know in tech aren't going back to the office, not because they are ultrawealthy but because they are getting old, are virtually irreplaceable, and are prioritizing life over work after having survived the pandemic.

Also, sure Millenials and Gen-Z are "choosing" to go back. They aren't compelled in any way. Right.

I feel like any young person I speak to who is plugged into the English-speaking world will at least have encountered anti-work discourse. I've heard of people lying flat in China and nearby countries. Is there comparable discussion going on in your language? What does it look like?

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/7273195

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