Perry Work Report: work&labour news&research, April 8, 2016

April 8, 2016

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U of T Rejects Fossil-Fuel Divestment Recommendations

“Following over three years of student led advocacy and the striking of a Presidential Advisory Committee on Divestment from Fossil Fuels, the University of Toronto will not be adopting recommendations to divest immediately from firms complicit in anthropogenic climate change, according to a copy of the official administrative response obtained by The Varsity.”

“Instead, Gertler proposed taking a ‘firm-by-firm’ approach, which advocates a targeted and flexible approach to divestment. This approach includes incorporating environmental, social, and governance-based factors (ESG) ‘instead of a blanket divestment approach.’”

“In the December 2015 report, the advisory committee advocated for an immediate divestment from firms that derive more than 10 per cent of their revenue from non-conventional or aggressive extraction: firms that knowingly disseminate information on climate change science or distort science or public policy to thwart or delay changes in behaviour or regulation, and firms that derive more than 10 per cent of their revenue from coal extraction.”

“The committee left it to the university to define what would count as ‘non-conventional or aggressive extraction.’”

The Varsity, April 4, 2016: “U of T rejects fossil-fuel divestment recommendations,” by Devika Desai

University of Toronto, March 30, 2016: “Beyond Divestment: Taking Decisive Action on Climate Change” (45 pages, PDF)

University of Toronto, December 15, 2015: “Report of the President’s Advisory Committee on Divestment from Fossil Fuels“ (24 pages, PDF)

U of T News, March 30, 2016: “’We have a responsibility to take decisive action on climate change’: University of Toronto president,” by Terry Lavender

The Globe and Mail, March 30, 2016: “U of T rejects recommendation to divest from fossil fuels,” by Simona Choise

CBC Radio As It Happens, March 30, 2016: “U of T president rejects calls to divest from fossil fuel industry”

Vice, March 30, 2016: “Canada’s Largest University Prepares for Backlash After Refusing to Drop Fossil Fuel Investments,” by Rachel Browne

Select former member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Divestment from Fossil Fuel write: 

“The essence of the Toronto Principle is the contention that it is wrong for the University through its investments to participate in and contribute to socially injurious activities that offer society no indispensable benefits that currently cannot reasonably be gained in any other way. Social injury, as the university’s policy makes clear, should guide our divestment decisions. Considering long-term investment risk and ESG factors is good investment practice, but it is not the extent of the university’s responsibility under the Toronto Principle.”

The Varsity, April 4, 2016: “Op-ed: An open letter to the University of Toronto on fossil fuel divestment”

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Sexual Violence Prevention and Support on Campus

At U of T

“The University of Toronto is creating a new Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre with locations on all three campuses, part of a series of measures to improve safety and co-ordinate services.”

“Established in November 2014 by [President Meric Gertler and Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr], the Presidential and Provostial Committee on Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence was chaired by Vice-President Human Resources & Equity Angela Hildyard and Vice-Provost Students Sandy Welsh (replacing former Vice-Provost Jill Matus), and included students, staff and faculty from all three U of T campuses. The committee submitted its report earlier this year.”

“The action plan released Tuesday calls for the new centre to be responsible for support services for those affected by sexual violence and for training those who take disclosures and share after-hours on-call services. The U of T Sexual Harassment Office will be incorporated into the new centre, which also will work with community partners and is expected to have a physical presence on all three campuses by the beginning of next year.”

“As part of the plan, the University will also create a new stand-alone policy on sexual violence. This work will be led by Faculty of Law professor and Trinity College Provost Mayo Moran.”

“Professor Moran will chair an expert panel, which will provide advice on a new draft policy and review existing policies and practices. This small group of experts will consult and offer advice in two areas:  the reporting process for sexual violence cases and the investigation, resolution and adjudication process for these cases.”

U of T News, April 5, 2016: “Action plan on sexual violence prevention and support at U of T,” by Elizabeth Church

University of Toronto, April 5, 2016: “Response to the Final Report of the Presidential and Provostial Advisory Committee on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence” (10 pages, PDF)

U of T News, April 5, 2016: “’Sexual violence will not be tolerated on our campuses,’” by Terry Lavender

The Strand, March 24, 2016: “Campus Safety: UofT’s handling of sexual assault reveals the cracks in our academic system,” by Clarrie Feinstein and Erik Preston

Elsewhere, reporting ...

“Victims of sexual violence on campus should be able to make anonymous reports to campus officials or the police, a measure that could help catch repeat offenders and reduce assaults, says a western Canada task force that is drafting guidelines for how postsecondary institutions can respond to such incidents.”

“A ‘third-party’ reporting mechanism on campus will be one of 10 recommendations to come later this spring from the Western Canada Sexual Assault Initiative, a group of four provincial sexual-assault response centres that is funded by the federal government. Its guidelines will be considered in a report the B.C. government is drafting in preparation for legislation that would establish rules for postsecondary institutions on how to handle campus assaults.”

The Globe and Mail, April 4, 2016: “Sexual-assault task force calls for anonymous reporting system on campuses,” by Simona Choise

The Globe and Mail, April 2, 2016: “Justice on Campus,” by Simona Chiose

NBC, April 4, 2016: “Students Say Stanford Survey on Sexual Assault, Campus Climate is Flawed,” by Laura Kane

CBC News, March 7, 2016: “Sexual assault policies lacking at most Canadian universities, say students,” by Laura Kane

... and silencing

“Victims of sexual assault at Brandon University are required to sign a behavioural contract that forces them to say nothing about the assault except to counsellors.”

“The contract, which Brandon University confirms is authentic, spells out that the signer cannot have contact with the other person involved in an incident and that they are not to discuss what happened with anyone else other than a counsellor.”

“Students are threatened with suspension or expulsion if they breach those conditions, according to a copy of the document obtained by CBC News.”

CBC News, April 5, 2016: “Brandon University sexual assault victims forced to sign contract that keeps them silent,” by Riley Laychuk

CBC News, March 11, 2016: "Brock University tells student to keep quiet about sexual harassment finding,” by Timothy Sawa

The Globe and Mail, March 15, 2016: “University of Victoria silencing sexual assault victims, students say,” by Simona Chiose

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Discriminatory Genetic Testing: Only in Canada

“Canada is the only country in the G7 that does not have a law in place to protect people from discrimination based on their genetics. Considering that there are more than 33,485 genetic tests available, and counting, the lack of protection affects everyone. Medical science is unlocking a database of life-saving information, but Canadians face a major barrier to obtaining that information.”

“To correct the situation, Senator James Cowan has proposed the S-201 Bill -- also known as the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act -- which is in the final stages of debate in the Senate. If passed, it will make it illegal for anyone to request genetic testing, or to ask a person for results, or collect or disclose the results of a genetic test without the person’s permission.”

“Bev Heim-Myers, chair of the Canadian Coalition for Genetic Fairness and the chief executive officer of the Huntington Society of Canada, knows of the case of a 24-year-old who got fired from his first career job when he confided in his employer that he’d tested positive for Huntington’s disease.”

“Currently, human-rights and privacy laws are too vague to protect against such discrimination, Heim-Myers says. ‘The onus would have been on him to take it through the courts and prove that his employer fired him because of his genetic mutation. That is cost prohibitive, and it’s open to interpretation. So, people aren’t going to do that -- they just aren’t.’”

“Dr. Yvonne Bombard, genomics health services scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, was the first to conduct a national study on genetic discrimination when she began hearing a common refrain about unfair treatment from patients.”

“Her national survey found 86 per cent of those sampled feared genetic discrimination, both against themselves and their children. Forty per cent reported experiences of genetic discrimination, which caused high levels of stress, she says.”

The Globe and Mail, April 4, 2016: “How genetic testing can be used against you - and how Bill S-201 could change that,” by Kerry Gold

The BMJ, June 2009: “Perceptions of genetic discrimination among people at risk for Huntington’s disease: a cross sectional survey,” by Yvonne Bombard et al.

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Criminalization Won't Help Youth Homelessness

“Poverty -- not delinquency -- is the leading cause of youth homelessness around the world, according to a groundbreaking international study led by a University of Toronto researcher.”

“The study, published online Monday by JAMA Pediatrics, analyzes research on youth homelessness involving more than 13,500 young people in 24 countries, including Canada and the United States and is believed to be the first of its kind.”

“The study provides more evidence why Ontario’s so-called anti-squeegee law should be abolished, say advocates opposed to the province’s Safe Streets Act, introduced by the former Conservative government in 1999 to deter panhandling and other activities used by homeless people to survive.”

“According to the JAMA study, 39 per cent of street-involved children and youth globally reported poverty as the main reason they were homeless or living off the streets. Family conflict and abuse were the next most frequently reported reasons, estimated at 32 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.”

“Delinquency was the least frequently cited reason globally, with just 10 per cent of youth saying it was the main reason they were homeless.”

“The report is based on 49 studies conducted between 1990 and 2013. Street-connected children and youth were defined as those who are 24 or younger and who spend a portion, or a majority, of their time living or working on the streets. Tens to hundreds of million of children and youth globally are estimated to be living on the street, according to the report.”

The Toronto Star, April 4, 2016: “Poverty the leading cause of youth homelessness: Study,” by Laurie Monsebraaten

JAMA Pediatrics, April 4, 2016: “Causes of Child and Youth Homelessness in Developed and Developing Countries”

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Safety in the Film Industry

“A recent accident on a TV set in Sudbury is serving as a warning to northern Ontario’s booming film and television industry. Last month, actor Brendan Fletcher suffered an injury to his throat when a pistol went off on the set of the TV show Cardinal.”
“While the union that represents him reports the actor is ‘doing much better,’ the incident serves as a reminder for many that on-the-job safety is a key part of working on set.”

“Northern Ontario film promotion organization Music and Film in Motion is keeping an eye on the situation. Spokesperson Heather Dahlstrom said she’s concerned the number of injuries will increase.”

“There are numerous precautions taken on set, Dahlstrom said, such as following a Ministry of Labour safety handbook that outlines everything from using explosives to handling animals.”

“[Joshua Bainbridge, who has been working as an actor and director in northern Ontario for several years] said ‘the pressures are tremendous’ for those working on the set”:

“You never want to look like the guy [who] can’t handle it, [who] can’t keep up. There’s so many moving pieces in the machine. And every piece costs so much money. And no one wants to be the person delaying what’s happening. No one wants to be the person costing the production more money.”

“Just being aware of the risks involved with a particular shoot is important, he added”:

“This is a work environment, and like any other work environment, there are dangers.”

CBC News, April 4, 2016: “Safety concerns mount in northern Ontario’s booming film industry”

Ontario Ministry of Labour, 2016: Health & Safety: Performance Industry; Safety Guidelines for the Film and Television Industry

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Canadian Employment for International Students

“A program that allows international students to work in Canada after graduation is creating a low-wage work force, encouraging low-quality postsecondary programs, and needs to be redesigned, says an internal report from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.”

“Under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program international students with degrees from Canadian colleges and universities can work here for up to three years after their programs end. Between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of eligible international students applied for a work permit, the report says, with more than 70,000 people holding permits in 2014.”

“The program is designed to make Canadian postsecondary institutions an attractive destination and to give international students work experience, making it easier to apply for permanent residence. But the 35-page report found that the majority of those employed through a work permit are in low-skilled jobs in the service sector, and have median earnings that are less than half of other recent university and college graduates.”

“Its findings are likely to complicate the recently announced review of how the new Express Entry immigration system is treating international students who want to become permanent residents. Express Entry, introduced in January, 2015, does not award applicants any extra points for studying in Canada, as had been the case under a prior immigration program for international students. As a result, it has been heavily criticized for making it much harder for international students to become permanent residents.”

The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2016: “International student work program creating low-wage work force: report,” by Simona Chiose

The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2016: “Ottawa looks to ease international students’ path to permanent residency,” by Michelle Zilio and Simona Chiose

CBC News, March 15, 2016: “Express entry review to ease path to permanent residency for foreign students,” by Susana Mas

Express Entry From Within Canada

“Almost 80 per cent of the people who were invited to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry were already in Canada, the government said in its year-end report on the new immigration system, released on Thursday.”

“Slightly more than 31,000 invitations were issued in 2015, a number that will grow in coming years as Express Entry becomes the main pathway for economic immigrants. The system was designed to improve how well immigrants do in the labour market by better matching them with employers, but some say that the results from its first years show it is too skewed toward jobs in demand right now.”

“Express Entry is to become the main entry route for economic immigrants, but the report shows that last year it brought in only a fifth of this group. Most of those who were successful are in skilled jobs, with 40 per cent working as financial and investment analysts and 8 per cent in tech and design. But 16 per cent are cooks and supervisors in the food industry and 2 per cent are retail managers.”

“Many of the 80 per cent who were already in Canada were here as temporary residents, including temporary foreign workers, intracompany transfers and international students.”

The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2016: “Express Entry program skewed too heavily toward in-demand jobs: critics,” by Simona Chiose

Government of Canada, March 31, 2016: “Express Entry Year-End Report 2015"

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Promoting Innovation in Canada

“From the moment the Liberal government took office last fall, it left no doubt that innovation was going to be a top priority. Gone was Industry Canada, replaced by the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development, with Navdeep Bains, a close confidant of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, installed as the responsible minister.”

“Last week’s budget continued the emphasis on innovation, promising $150 million in 2017-2018 for an innovation agenda. The full details have yet to be revealed, but the budget also added tax reforms to create investment incentives (and quietly dropped a tax change that would have hurt start-up companies), support for innovation clusters, and increased dollars for scientific research.”

“’The government says its goal is to make Canada a ‘centre of global innovation,’ a significant challenge given that studies persistently point to Canada’s innovation gap. Last year, the Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC), a government-backed group, concluded that Canada ‘was not globally competitive’ and that ‘it is falling further behind global competitors and facing a widening gap with the world’s top five performing countries.’”

“The STIC data shows that Canadian businesses lag behind their global counterparts in investing in research and development and do a poor job of integrating advanced research talent into the workplace.”

“Reversing these trends will take a concerted policy effort to establish incentives to encourage Canadian businesses to innovate at home. Indeed, a recent U.S. study shows that Canadians are behind a significant number of new start-up companies with billion-dollar valuations. The problem? The Canadians no longer live in Canada, having moved to the U.S. to find their business success.”

The Tyree, March 29, 2016: “Liberals Move to Stop Billion-Dollar Start-Ups from Fleeing South,” by Michael Geist

Canadians leading immigrant founders of million dollar U.S. businesses

“Entering the United States as an international student has shown to be a good avenue for starting  successful  U.S. companies. Nearly one-quarter (20) of the 87 billion dollar U.S. startup companies -- and almost half of the companies with an immigrant founder -- had a founder who first came to America as an international student. With 14 entrepreneurs on the list, India was the leading country of origin for the immigrant founders of billion dollar companies, followed by Canada and the United Kingdom with 8 each, Israel (7), Germany (4), China (3), France (2), Ireland (2) and 12 other countries with one."

National Foundation for American Policy, March 17, 2016: “Research: Immigrants Started More Than Half of America’s Billion Dollar Startup Companies” (4 pages, PDF)  

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Immigration, Business Ownership and Employment in Canada

“The goal of this paper  is to provide, for the first time, basic data regarding ownership and  employment creation by two groups of entrepreneurs: immigrant owners of private  incorporated businesses and unincorporated self-employed immigrants. To provide a benchmark, the results are compared with those for a comparison group that consists largely of Canadian-born people. The data cover the period from 2000 to 2010.”

“The analysis in this paper is presented in two forms. First, the job-creation activity of immigrants in Canada in a specific year, 2010, is presented. This provides an overview of immigrant ownership activity at a given point in time. But, of equal, or perhaps greater, interest is the evolution of ownership and job-creation activity among new immigrants in the years after entry to Canada. This paper provides evidence on this by tracking entering cohorts of immigrants for a number of years to determine how business ownership and employment generation evolves.”

Statistics Canada, March 21, 2016: “Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series -- Immigration, Business Ownership and Employment in Canada, no. 375" (50 pages, PDF)

Statistics Canada's The Daily, March 21, 2016: “Study: Immigration, business ownership and employment in Canada, 2001 to 2010"

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U of T Study on Social Class and Income Inequality in the United States

“A study published in March 2016, 'Social Class and Income Inequality in the United States: Ownership, Authority, and Personal Income Distribution from 1980 to 2010,' argues that income is correlated with class and that a person’s class is determined by his or her role within the workforce. The study breaks social classes into four distinct groups: proprietors, who own the means of production and control the activities of others; managers, who do not own the means of production but do control the activities of others; workers, who control neither the means of production nor the activities of others; and independent producers, who own and operate small firms by themselves.”

“Study author Geoffrey T. Wodtke, an assistant sociology professor at the University of Toronto, used data from the 1980-2010 waves of the General Social Survey.”

Study Findings:

“An individual’s role within the ‘ownership and authority structure’ of an economic organization--managers, proprietors, etc.--largely determines personal income. The increase in income inequality was driven primarily by rising incomes for high-level managers and large proprietors together with stagnating incomes for workers and independent producers: The proportions of workers and independent producers increased, while the proportions of proprietors and managers declined during this period.”

American Journal of Sociology 121, no. 5 (March 2016): “Social Class and Income Inequality in the United States: Ownership, Authority, and Personal Income Distribution from 1980 to 2010,” by Geoffrey T. Wodtke, p. 1375-1415. DOI: 10.1086/684273 (U of T access provided in link)

Americans’ perceptions of income distribution and the reality:

“Americans are bothered by the increasingly unequal distribution of wealth in the U.S., according to several surveys. Interestingly, studies also show that most Americans have a poor understanding of how unevenly wealth is distributed, according to a 2011 study by economists Michael Norton and Dan Ariely.”

“A viral video, published in 2012 and based on their study, highlighted substantial differences between Americans’ perceptions of income distribution and the reality. The video showed in graphic form how Americans think wealth is distributed: The average American believes that the wealthiest fifth own 59 percent of the wealth and that the bottom 40 percent own 9 percent. The reality is strikingly different. The top 20 percent of US households own more than 84 percent of the wealth, and the bottom 40 percent combine for a paltry 0.3 percent.”

Shorenstein Centre, Harvard Kennedy School, Journalist’s Resource, March 30, 2016: “U.S. income inequality highest since the Great Depression”

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CUNY Faculty's Lost Decade & The Risk Ahead

“The faculty at the City University of New York has lost a decade. Salaries at CUNY have been frozen since the October 2010 expiration of our contract and even before that they failed to keep pace with inflation. In 2015, assistant and associate professors at the top salary step earned 92% in real terms of what they earned in 2006. Full professors at the top step did slightly better, taking home just under 96% of their 2006 salaries.”

“Since the contract expired, living costs in New York have risen 7.6%. Food is up 10.9%, rent 15.8%, and medical care 18.2%. Tenured full professors like me feel this on a daily basis as we struggle to balance our families’ budgets.”

“But we’re the lucky ones. Adjunct faculty do much of the heavy lifting at CUNY, teaching more than half of all classes, and for salaries that can be less than $3,000 per course, with little job security. In return for this paltry wage, they run classes, grade papers, and hold office hours for students. The adjuncts are the sorriest victims of the salary freeze, with many commuting frantically from one campus to another -- from the Bronx to Staten Island -- in an exhausting struggle to survive and to preserve a toehold in the academy and a professional identity. No wonder CUNY campuses are plastered with posters decrying ‘adjunct poverty.’’

Gotham Gazette, March 18, 2016: “CUNY Faculty’s Lost Decade & The Risk Ahead,” by Marc Edelman

Socialist Alternative, April 1, 2016: CUNY on the Brink,” by Bryan Watson

And the risk ahead ...

“This week the New York State Legislature voted to slash $485 million in funding for the City University of New York (CUNY), a sum comprising one third of state allocations to the senior colleges of CUNY, including Hunter, Brooklyn, Queens and City Colleges. Fabled in Jewish history because of its fine and affordable education, the CUNY system has educated generations of immigrant and working class students. It continues to serve Jewish students, with both Brooklyn and Queens Colleges ranking as having the top ten largest Jewish populations at institutions of higher education in the United States.”

“Since the legislature voted, Governor Andrew Cuomo responded to faculty, students and staff protests by restoring full funding to CUNY. But the legislative vote represents the emergence of a dangerous collaboration.”

“The gloves-off attack on CUNY emanates from an unholy alliance between the increasing McCarthyism of the American Jewish establishment and the savage, starve-the-beast right-wing evisceration of public education. That’s right: Jewish institutions are now helping to eliminate affordable public education.”

Jewschool, March 31, 2016:  “An Unholy Alliance: Jewish McCarthyism and the Attack on Public Education,” by Rachel Ida Buff 

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The 2016 PayScale Compensation Best Practices Report

“This report shows that talent management is becoming strategically important for businesses to realize growth in today’s more competitive economy.”

“There is a distinct correlation between modern pay practices and business success, according to the findings from the 2016 PayScale Compensation Best Practices Report. Top performing companies are more likely to pay fairly, practice pay transparency, and embrace variable pay versus average companies.”

The 2016 PayScale Compensation Best Practices Report (25 pages, PDF)

The 2015 PayScale Compensation Best Practices Report (26 pages, PDF)

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The Gig Economy is Growing: The Rise of Alternative Work Arrangements in the United States

“This week, [Harvard economist Lawrence Katz] told [Robe Wile] his research with Princeton economist Alan Krueger has revealed that all net employment growth in the U.S. economy since 2005 appears to have occurred in alternative work arrangements.”

“The pair defined ‘alternative’ as any type of temporary, gig, or contract work, including Uber drivers. Overall employment for all jobs, as measured by the Census, increased by 9.1 million (6.5%) from 140.4 million in February 2005 to 149.4 million in November 2015. As measured by Katz and Krueger, the share of workers in alternative work arrangements climbed from 10.1% in 2005 to 15.8% in 2015. This implies that the number of workers employed in alternative arrangements increased by 9.4 million (66.5%) from 14.2 million in February 2005 to 23.6 million in November 2015.”

“’Thus, employment in traditional jobs (standard employment arrangements) actually slightly declined by 0.4 million (0.3%) from 126.2 million in February 2005 to 125.8 million in November 2015,’ they write. ‘The implied conclusion is that all U.S. net employment growth (for main jobs) has occurred in nonstandard work arrangement over the last decade. ‘As of late 2015, we had not yet quite fully recovered from the huge loss of traditional jobs from the Great Recession.’”

“Katz said examples of the fastest-growing class of alt-worker (in orange above), contracted workers, would include janitors, cafeteria workers, and security guards, who could work directly for a private company but who are increasingly contracted out to outside firms. He also said increasing numbers of IT and even transportation occupations are being farmed out in this way.”

“As for online ‘gig’ work, like Uber driving, it’s been growing at a tremendous clip in recent years. In fact, if you worked in the online gig economy, you almost certainly worked for Uber: according to their data, Uber drivers now represent up to two-thirds of all such work. But online gig worker numbers remain ‘swamped’ by ‘offline’ workers who find side gigs through more traditional means, they found.”

Fusion, March 29, 2016: “Harvard economist: All net U.S. job growth since 2005 has been in contracting gigs," by Rob Wile

Harvard University, March 29, 2016: “The Rise and Nature of Alternative Work Arrangements in the United States, 1995-2015," by Lawrence Katz and Alan Krueger (34 pages, PDF)

Gawker, March 31, 2016: “The Gig Economy Is Growing, and It Is Terrifying“

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Taking a Stand Against the Pay Gap

In Women’s Soccer ...

“Beyond being one of the highest achieving set-ups in all of sport, the U.S. women’s senior national soccer team is easily the most activist. The entire roster is suffused with a philosophy of righteous disobedience.”

“On Thursday, a frequent policy of non-co-operation became a shooting war. Five players filed suit against their governing body, U.S. Soccer, alleging wage discrimination. The five -- veteran stars such as Hope Solo, Alex Morgan and current world player of the year, Carli Lloyd -- say they are speaking on behalf of the entire team.”

“Referring to a detailed breakdown in U.S. Soccer’s most recent financial report, the women point out that they are paid as little as 40 per cent of what their male colleagues receive. Just one example they’ve offered: American men are paid a bonus of $5,000 (all currency U.S.) for a loss in a friendly match, and as much as $17,000 for a win. American women get $1,350 for a comparable victory and nothing for a loss or draw.”

“The first line of defence here might be that the men earn more for the federation. Except that it’s not the case. The women are more popular, fill more stadiums and do things the men don’t -- such as stage victory tours -- making millions more for their bosses than their mediocre brethren. U.S. Soccer has already budgeted their gold-medal tour into this year’s projected earnings. It’s additionally galling when you consider prestige. You can’t put a figure on that, but nobody who follows the game believes that U.S. men’s soccer matters as much as (forget about more than) U.S. women’s soccer. The women lead in their world. The men follow in theirs.”

“To accept that the U.S. men should make more because they’ve bargained for it (U.S. Soccer’s argument) is like suggesting that Canada’s national tiddlywinks team should make more than our senior hockey squads because the tiddlywinks guys have a smarter agent.”

The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2016: “Kelly: U.S. women make legal pitch for their fair share. What about Canada?” by Cathal Kelly

US Soccer, February 2016: “2016 Annual General Meeting” (96 pages, PDF)

The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2016: “Five female players accuse U.S. soccer federation of wage discrimination,” by Anne M. Peterson

The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2016: “U.S. female soccer players are rightly enraged about wage parity,” by John Doyle

And in Boston ...

“Mayor Marty Walsh announced this week that the number of Boston-area businesses that have signed a commitment to close the gender wage gap has doubled -- from 50 last year to over 100 in 2016.”

“The commitment, called the ‘Boston Women’s Workforce Council’s 100% Talent Compact,’ is a voluntary pledge that companies in Boston sign to indicate their promise to help close the gender wage gap in the workplace. Boston’s initiative is the first of its kind in the country.”

“By signing, businesses agree to share payroll data (broken down by sex, race, job category, and length of employment) with the city’s Women’s Workforce Council. The data will be used to provide an accurate measurement of the wage gap and to help develop solutions later on.”

“The involved businesses -- in industries including academia, biotech, technology, consulting, and finance -- have also agreed to implement research-tested interventions and participate in a biennial review to discuss successes and challenges. The first review will be held this fall.”

Boston.com, March 28, 2016: “How 100 Boston businesses are committing to closing the gender wage gap”

The Boston Globe, March 29, 2016: “More Boston businesses join drive to end gender wage gap”

City of Boston, March 2016 “100% Talent: The Boston Women’s Compact” (2 pages, PDF)

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Protecting Syrian Refugees from Exploitation

“In February, the Business & Human Rights Resource Center reported that an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 Syrian refugees were working in Turkey illegally, including at apparel factories that supply well-known brands. While providing income to these migrants is undoubtedly helpful, those that get jobs without a work permit are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.”

“To make sure refugees aren’t being exploited, Primark, the Irish chain known for its astoundingly cheap clothes, has said it doubled its factory inspections in Turkey. Primark said it discusses the situation with the supplier and puts a ‘time bound’ plan in place to resolve any problems. ‘If we do not see the required level of engagement we expect on remediation, business relationships with suppliers are reviewed, and in some cases terminated,’ the company said in a statement.”

“There are different points of view about what steps are best for brands if they do discover refugees without work permits in their supply chains. No brand wants its image tainted by child labor or human rights abuses, but at the same time these jobs, which often require little training, can be vital for migrants who have no other source of income.”

“H&M says it will terminate its relationship with any supplier found to be employing workers without a work permit. Others say the best approach is to continue working with the factory, but help workers to get the right permits and make sure they’re being paid properly. Ruth Vermeulen, senior international verification coordinator at the Fair Wear Foundation, told the Guardian that brands ‘should work together with the supplier towards formalising the workers’ status, however possible.’”

“Many companies, including Inditex, told the Business & Human Rights Resource Center they have programs in place to assist migrants in getting the proper documentation. Some of the camps set up by the Turkish government even run workshops to train Syrian refugees in marketable skills, such as sewing.”

Quartz, April 1, 2016: “Major fashion brands are trying to stop their factories in Turkey from exploiting Syrian refugees,” by Marc Bain

The Guardian, January 29, 2016: “Hidden child labour: how Syrian refugees in Turkey are supplying Europe with fast fashion,” by Frederik Johannisson

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, February 1, 2016: “PRESS RELEASE: Garment brands not acting fast enough to safeguard Syrian refugees from exploitation in their supply chain”

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Book of the Week

Shaping the Future of Work: What Future Worker, Business, Government, and Education Leaders Need To Do For All To Prosper, by Thomas A. Kochan. New York: Business Expert Press, 2016. 165 p. ISBN 9781631574016 (paperback)

From the publisher: "Shaping the Future of Work lays out a comprehensive strategy for changing the course the American economy and employment system have been on for the past 30 years. The goal is to create more productive businesses that also provide good jobs and careers and by doing so build a more inclusive economy and broadly shared prosperity. This will require workers to acquire new sources of bargaining power and for business, labor, government, and educators to work together to meet the challenges and opportunities facing the next generation workforce. The book reviews what worked well for average workers, families, and the economy during the era of the post-World War II Social Contract, why that contract broke down, and how, working together, we can build a new social contract suitable to today's economy and workforce. The ideas presented here come from direct engagement with next generation workers who participated in a MIT online course devoted to the future of work and from the author's 40 years of research and active involvement with business, government, and labor leaders over how to foster innovations in workplace practices and policies."

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