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Can We Give a Good Job to Everyone Who Wants One?

Isn’t it time we took back our economy for working people?

The Nation

November 27, 2018

Can we give a good job to everyone who wants one? Right now, millions of Americans who want to work can’t find a job. And millions more are stuck in part-time jobs with low pay and no benefits.

It gets worse: Having a large pool of people looking for full-time work puts all the power in the hands of the bosses. With a line of people out the door, bosses know they can replace you, making it hard for workers to come together in unions.

No wonder a quarter of workers don’t even get paid holidays or vacation time.

But now, we have a plan: A federal jobs guarantee would create a job for any American willing to work. We could hire people to rebuild our crumbling bridges, install solar panels and expand broadband access, and take care of our growing elderly population.

These jobs would pay a living wage with benefits, putting pressure on all corporate CEOs to do the same. We could pay for it right now by taxing carbon emissions, or cutting taxpayer subsidies to corporations.

Isn’t it time we took back our economy for working people?

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The NationTwitterFounded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life, from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism.


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