Work & Wages

Workers, pay, unions, and the rules of working life.

25 articles on this topic

Democrawonk — Editorial cartoon of a coal executive beside a closed Planning doorway while a politician displays a Special Bill drawing of a larger coal-wagon entrance.

The Coal Mine Lost In Court. Luckily, It Knows Someone Who Makes Laws.

PoliticsOctober 19, 2026 at 7:18 AM EDTBy Simon Hill

Protecting miners should not require giving a mining company its own legislative entrance.

Democrawonk — An oil barrel occupies a huge pink chair marked GROWTH beside a tiny stool and hard hat marked NEW JOBS, in an ink editorial cartoon.

Great News For Everyone Who Happens To Be A Barrel Of Oil

PoliticsOctober 18, 2026 at 9:17 PM EDTBy Simon Hill

Canada's pipeline ambitions may increase oil output without reviving the old jobs bonanza. Workers deserve more than a flattering production forecast.

Democrawonk — Editorial cartoon of a Florida lawmaker guarding a shaded water cooler with red tape while an outdoor worker stands in the sun.

Florida Has Identified The Real Heat Hazard: A Mandatory Water Break

PoliticsOctober 18, 2026 at 6:31 PM EDTBy Jimmy (Jim) Ayers

Workers shouldn’t need a recognizable corporate logo to embarrass before they can secure an enforceable paid break.

Democrawonk — Three workers hold blank picket signs in front of a school, hospital and home wrapped in grocery receipts.

Ireland’s Striking Workers Have Bills That Cannot Be Paid In Praise

Workers & CitiesOctober 14, 2026 at 9:15 PM EDTBy Sabrina Bryan

Wednesday's public-service walkout is a reminder that essential work still has to come with a wage people can live on.

Democrawonk — A horse rests beside a carriage while a worker looks toward a bridge and city.

Retiring The Carriages Should Not Retire The Workers

Workers & CitiesOctober 14, 2026 at 5:15 PM EDTBy Jesse Hubbard

New York’s proposed phaseout needs a humane plan for horses and a concrete economic transition for the people who drive them.