We are changing the conversation around our democracy and economy by telling influential new stories about our country and its people. Get our latest media updates here.
Shareholder activists on Monday called for the board of McDonald’s to cut the wage of chief executive Donald Thomson, citing poor performance and the massive gap between his wages and the average fast-food worker. The fast-food giant holds its annual meeting on 22 May and will be targeted by protesters calling for a higher wages for workers as well as shareholders disappointed with the company’s financial performance and Thomson’s remuneration. Change to Win (CtW) Investment Group is organising a vote against Thomson, who took over as CEO in 2012.
Michael Lind has one of the bigger brains around, and you can always count on him to advance provocative and sweeping arguments. He doesn't disappoint with his new piece in The Breakthrough Journal, "The Coming Realignment." It's one of those big think articles where the thesis seems entirely obvious after you've heard it.
Thomas Piketty’s wildly popular new book, “Capital in the 21st Century,” has been subject to more thinkpieces than the final episode of “Breaking Bad.” Progressives are celebrating the book — a
If you hang around the inequality debate long enough, wading through the many smart proposals to reduce the income gap, it all starts to seem kind of doable. We could make a real dent in inequality through a bunch of steps ranging from raising the minimum wage to more heavily taxing capitals gains to whacking tax subsidies to affluent Americans to making it easier to form unions to downsizing Wall Street's role in the economy to reducing the role of money in politics and so on.
During an appearance on the resurrected Arsenio Hall Show last month, Kid Cudi responded in typical fashion to one of those frequently regurgitated questions about saving the “perilous state of hip-hop:”
I think the braggadocio, money, cash, hoes thing needs to be deaded.
On a crisp and sunny morning on the day after Thanksgiving, a group of protesters gathered in front of a large Walmart in Michigan’s Sterling Heights, calling for wage increases and better working conditions for the superstore's employees. Mary Johnson, a retiree and member of international activist group the Raging Grannies, stood next to Dan Lombardo, a plumber wearing old-fashioned overalls, who was carrying a sign stating “Walmart equals poverty.” Mothering Justice founder Danielle Atkinson, in a vibrant purple coat, turned up with her entire family.
A grand canyon of inequality exists between fast food CEOs and the workers who make their corporate and personal fortunes. In the past decade, fast-food CEOs’ wages have increased more than 400 percent, while workers wages increased 0.3 percent, according to a new report by Demos.