Michelle Chen

Contributing Writer

@meeshellchen

Michelle Chen is a contributing writer for The Nation.

Why Immigration Reform Has to Go Hand-in-Hand With Stronger Labor Rights

Why Immigration Reform Has to Go Hand-in-Hand With Stronger Labor Rights Why Immigration Reform Has to Go Hand-in-Hand With Stronger Labor Rights

The workers awaiting immigration reform need the ability to work legally, but they also need to be empowered at work.

Sep 8, 2014 / Michelle Chen

$15 and a Union: Fast-Food Workers Take Their Demands Nationwide

$15 and a Union: Fast-Food Workers Take Their Demands Nationwide $15 and a Union: Fast-Food Workers Take Their Demands Nationwide

Nearly two years since their mobilization began with about 200 workers in New York, fast-food workers are following through on their two key demands: a $15 hourly wage and a union....

Sep 5, 2014 / Michelle Chen

How Did New York Become the Most Unionized State in the Country?

How Did New York Become the Most Unionized State in the Country? How Did New York Become the Most Unionized State in the Country?

Unions are more welcome in New York than most places in the country, but a revival of the labor movement will require new traditions of workplace activism.

Sep 3, 2014 / Michelle Chen

How Humanitarian Aid Weakened Post-Earthquake Haiti

How Humanitarian Aid Weakened Post-Earthquake Haiti How Humanitarian Aid Weakened Post-Earthquake Haiti

The chaotic rebuilding effort has actually widened the country’s social rifts, bringing the first emancipated black Republic under the yoke of a new kind of imperialism.

Sep 2, 2014 / Michelle Chen

Minnesota Home Care Workers Unionize

Minnesota Home Care Workers Unionize Minnesota Home Care Workers Unionize

Home healthcare workers in Minnesota just established a union, opening the door for negotiating higher wages. 

Aug 29, 2014 / Michelle Chen

Pregnant Women Just Earned More Workplace Rights in Illinois

Pregnant Women Just Earned More Workplace Rights in Illinois Pregnant Women Just Earned More Workplace Rights in Illinois

A new law in Illinois is set to modernize the way bosses deal with pregnant employees.

Aug 27, 2014 / Michelle Chen

When Workplace Training Programs Actually Hinder Workers

When Workplace Training Programs Actually Hinder Workers When Workplace Training Programs Actually Hinder Workers

After decades of investment in federal job training initiatives, it’s still difficult to see how much these programs are actually helping workers. 

Aug 25, 2014 / Michelle Chen

620,000 Military Families Rely on Food Pantries to Meet Basic Needs

620,000 Military Families Rely on Food Pantries to Meet Basic Needs 620,000 Military Families Rely on Food Pantries to Meet Basic Needs

The stunning figure represents roughly a quarter of households of military members on active duty, the Reserves or the National Guard.

Aug 22, 2014 / Michelle Chen

What Would Real Economic Justice Look Like in Ferguson?

What Would Real Economic Justice Look Like in Ferguson? What Would Real Economic Justice Look Like in Ferguson?

Labor activists are deepening the conversation about what “justice for Mike Brown” should mean for the impoverished community that now grieves for him.

Aug 20, 2014 / Michelle Chen

How Starbucks’s ‘Flexible’ Scheduling Is Stretching Workers to the Breaking Point

How Starbucks’s ‘Flexible’ Scheduling Is Stretching Workers to the Breaking Point How Starbucks’s ‘Flexible’ Scheduling Is Stretching Workers to the Breaking Point

There is real tension between the company’s soaring profits and the baristas’ daily grind.

Aug 18, 2014 / Michelle Chen

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