Debt Is Wage Theft, Debt Steals Leisure Time, Debt Can Suppress Strikes: Debt Is a Labor Issue [View all]

A conversation with organizers across industries on how debt shapes the fight for worker power.

Jason Wozniak, Sara Nelson, Brittany Alston, Olivia Schwob, Jackson Potter and Teresa Romero

August 1, 2024



Debt is fundamentally a labor issue.

When labor is weak and unionization low, workers are forced to take on debt to offset costs for necessities like healthcare, housing and food. The more debt we have, the more we are compelled to work under the bosses’ conditions — rather than fighting for our own.

Interest-heavy loans act as a regressive kind of pay cut, reaching deep into workers’ take-home earnings. Just to keep up with debt payments and interest, workers take on more hours and multiple low-paying jobs.

And data shows debt can make workers more unlikely to strike.

FULL story: https://inthesetimes.com/article/debt-unions-wage-theft-strikes-sara-nelson