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During the anniversary of the Labor DayOxfam America published its “Best States to Work For Index,” which includes an interactive map that analyzes labor policies in all 50 states, plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
The journalist specialized in politics, immigration and national affairs, Jesús García, spoke in a new broadcast of the podcast “The Opinion Today” about this new information.
California achieves the first position, followed by Oregon; while Washington, DC occupies the third position; New York fourth, and Washington state fifth.
The worst states to work They are North Carolina, followed by Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama.
“It is not only about salary, it also qualifies the types of protections that are offered to workers, the right to organize and create unions, because this allows workers not only salary, but also benefits,” García explained.
The journalist spoke with the Dr. Kaitlyn Henderson, Senior Research Advisor for Oxfam America’s Home Policy Program and lead author of the Index, who noted that the analysis highlights how lack of federal policy unequally affects states.
“The impacts of this inaction are not affecting all communities equally (…) At the end of the day, it comes down to where these workers live and what jobs they have, and it is clear that these realities are exacerbating inequality in the United States, especially based on gender, race and social class”, acknowledged the expert.
The states with the best salaries
The report highlights that the five states that lead the index have some of the highest minimum wages in the country, plus employers provide paid vacations and guarantee protections against child labor.
“Three of the five – California, Oregon and Washington – have high temperature standards for outdoor workers”, indicated. “In contrast, the bottom five states have a stagnant federal minimum wage of $7.25, don’t require paid vacation, and adhere to so-called ‘right to work’ laws.”
There is a particular focus in the report, related to the heat wave in the US, something that is known as a “hot labor summer”, in addition to highlighting greater labor organization and strikes by workers demanding better conditions .
“Four states tie for first place in the organizing rights dimension with a perfect score of 100: California, the District of Columbia, New York and Oregon,” it says.
That’s while Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas all scored zero on “organizing rights.”
And the women?
The report is part of the third edition of the “Best States for Working Women.”
“In this index, Oregon is the ‘best’ state for working womenfollowed by California, New York, Illinois and Washington”, it is indicated.
The “worst” states for working women are North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia.
“Wage stagnation and occupational segregation in the United States disproportionately harm women, specifically women of color, who are often trapped in low-wage jobs that lack paid family or sick leave and are overwhelmingly the breadwinner for their families,” Henderson lamented. “This year’s federal passage of the Pregnant Workers Equity Act and the PUMP Act are important steps in the right direction, and these policies are just the beginning.”
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