Still Nickel and Dimed and (Not) Getting by in America
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Congratulations to author Barbara Ehrenreich for the 10th anniversary re-issuance of her classic study of the working poor, “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America.” Ehrenreich didn’t just write a theoretical study, she based the book on her experiences working as a waitress, a Wal-Mart “associate,” a nursing home aide and a maid employed by a cleaning service. At the time the book came out, Ehrenreich wrote a piece for us based on her experiences. She concluded:
…even in an economy celebrating unequaled prosperity, a person can work hard, full-time or even more, and not make enough to live on.
That was in 2001. The U.S. unemployment rate at mid-year was 4.5 percent. There were 150,400 home foreclosures in the first quarter of that year, as reported in Aug. 17, 2001, by The New York Times, which noted that home sales were on track to make 2001 the second-best year ever.
Today, the 2001 economy seems like a dream. America’s jobless rate has hovered between 9.1 percent and 10.1 percent for more than a year, with foreclosures in July alone totaling 221,763—and that figure is a 44-month low.
Working at low-wage jobs during the dot.com boom when the economy was buzzing, Ehrenreich wrote that while employed as a waitress,
55 Students Graduate From National Labor College
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Bridget Benjamin was unemployed for the entire two years she attended the National Labor College (NLC) and wasn’t sure from day to day where the money was going to come from for tuition. Dennis Miller balanced a full-time job, a family of four and traveling across country for classes at NLC.
Despite these obstacles, Benjamin and Miller are now college graduates. Last weekend, they joined 53 other union members who received degrees during NLC’s 13th commencement.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka paid tribute to the graduates, saying:
Today, the labor movement confronts challenges everywhere we turn.
That’s why it’s important that we have graduates who understand the world that we live in and how to effectively respond to these challenges.
Our Picks for Holiday Gift-Giving
Now more than ever, this holiday season is the time to support our flailing economy with holiday gifts that are union made and made in America. The AFL-CIO Union Shop OnlineTM offers CDs, DVDs, books, buttons and more. Our blog and Web team has assembled our favorites here. Items ordered no later than Dec. 17 are guaranteed for delivery in time to be wrapped and ready.
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Mike Hall’s pick: If you’re like most of us this holiday season, thrifty will trump extravagant during your shopping adventures. But for under $25, I came up with a fun-and somewhat practical-six-piece, activist, pro-union gift set. Or, if you’re into quantity, you can wrap each one individually.
For just a buck each, you get the now classic “Kickin’ Ass for the Working Class” button along with a “Fight Ignorance, Not Immigrants” button and the Mother Jones “Sit down and read. Educate yourself for the coming conflict” bookmark.
