Literature Review 4

Author
Stanley Aronowitz

Citation
Aronowitz, Stanley. "The Death And Life Of American Labor." Social Policy 44.4 (2014): 49-53.Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.

Summary
This reading discusses the lower end employee, protests, the strengths of unions and government.  The potential growth or decline in the American labor market is according to the reading heavily influenced by the policies that the government implement, and how the unions and workers react to them.  It points to many specific stats/cases such as gender inequality in the workplace, and the inability for many people to be unable to properly sustain themselves even though they work.  He focuses on what government policies do that affect these topics, such as the government cutting retirement benefits, and what the people currently working need to do to protect themselves in case unions cannot.

Quotes
"In 2013 half of U.S. households reported having trouble making ends meet, and that is an egregious scandal in the richest country in the world." (51)

"Courts brazenly support employer demands for antistrike injunctions, while employers freely intimidate workers in the job, especially those seeking union recognition; routinely violate the laws enacted to protect worker's wages and hours; and engage in outright wage theft- all because they know that the federal and state governments are lax in enforcement" (51)

"Yet in the past twenty years schooling has become a labor issue: credentials are the first qualification for the new high-tech workplaces and for entrance into the burgeoning army of administrative workers.  Yes, more working class students today do enter some institution of higher education.  But the dropout rate is appalling, because most of these students are forced to work full-time to pay tuition ad support themselves or contribute to the family income." (53) 

Relation
The piece has several points that are directly related to my topic.  One huge reason why student debt is so large is because the people cannot get a good sustainable job post graduation.  The piece discusses how the government is not making it easy to pay off debts, and that simply having a job isn't enough due to the negative influences caused by the employers and government.  It points to the issues of the unions and how they can't or don't do what's required for employee safety, and ties education to the wage crisis, housing etc.