Labor Day

Celebrating Labor Day by Ending Slave Labor
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Celebrating Labor Day by Ending Slave Labor

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Slavery’s legacy — from its beginnings to today’s prison-industrial complex — has endured, and an end to slavery requires real reform. Reform has to be brought to our prison system, as many incarcerated individuals do seek out experiences and opportunities to build essential skills needed to find gainful employment after release. But rather than creating…

It’s Nearly Labor Day, and Congress Has a Chance to Abolish Prison Slavery
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It’s Nearly Labor Day, and Congress Has a Chance to Abolish Prison Slavery

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Johnny Perez was arrested and incarcerated two days after his daughter was born, a heart-wrenching fact by itself. Perez wanted to be there for his daughter, but he was stuck at a state prison in Coxsackie, New York. He worked hard to save money, but his prison job sewing bed sheets started at 17 cents…

Forced Prison Labor Was Also on the Ballot
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Forced Prison Labor Was Also on the Ballot

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Terrancé Akins worked the entire seven years that he was incarcerated in the Hardeman Correctional Facility, a private prison contracted to imprison people in Tennessee. “You couldn’t not have a job,” he told The Nation. “We cooked. We cleaned. We washed the clothes. We taught the classes. The whole operation of the facility was dependent…

What is Labor Trafficking? It is always about people – Lewiston Sun Journal
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What is Labor Trafficking? It is always about people – Lewiston Sun Journal

ByEyes on Trafficking News

As I write this week, I realize we’re approaching Labor Day weekend at warp speed. Most of us wonder about the rate at which summer proceeds, and I have yet to hear a believable explanation. Labor Day reminds me of Caesar Chavez’s quote, “It is never about grapes and lettuce. It is always about people”….

Why unions can’t ignore incarcerated workers
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Why unions can’t ignore incarcerated workers

ByEyes on Trafficking News

An estimated two thirds of the more than one million prisoners in the United States today are incarcerated workers. With many prisoners earning less than a dollar an hour, and those who refuse to work often facing vicious retaliation in the form of punitive solitary confinement, labor exploitation is an important part of what makes…