Michelle Chen

Contributing Writer

@meeshellchen

Michelle Chen is a contributing writer for The Nation.

$2.13 an Hour? Why the Tipped Minimum Wage Has to Go

$2.13 an Hour? Why the Tipped Minimum Wage Has to Go $2.13 an Hour? Why the Tipped Minimum Wage Has to Go

The “tip credit” or “subminimum wage” system basically leaves it up to the consumer to provide the bulk of workers’ earnings. So the custome...

Mar 31, 2014 / Michelle Chen

This Is How You Make Garment Factories Safer

This Is How You Make Garment Factories Safer This Is How You Make Garment Factories Safer

Can the Bangladesh Accord provide a template for globalized corporate accountability?

Mar 28, 2014 / Michelle Chen

Just Hours

Just Hours Just Hours

What happens when a computer sets your schedule?

Mar 27, 2014 / Michelle Chen

Can Western Corporations Be Held Accountable for Deaths in Factories Halfway Around the World?

Can Western Corporations Be Held Accountable for Deaths in Factories Halfway Around the World? Can Western Corporations Be Held Accountable for Deaths in Factories Halfway Around the World?

Protecting workers from injury is one thing; empowering them to resist oppression is quite another.

Mar 26, 2014 / Michelle Chen

When the Government Outsources to Private Companies, Inequality Gets Worse

When the Government Outsources to Private Companies, Inequality Gets Worse When the Government Outsources to Private Companies, Inequality Gets Worse

A new study exposes the hidden consequences of government contracting for workers and communities

Mar 24, 2014 / Michelle Chen

Europe Goes Soft on Conflict Minerals, Making Human Rights Optional

Europe Goes Soft on Conflict Minerals, Making Human Rights Optional Europe Goes Soft on Conflict Minerals, Making Human Rights Optional

The European Union’s new plan for restricting conflict materials in global trade starts with good intentions, but basically ends there.

Mar 21, 2014 / Michelle Chen

The Tyranny of the On-Call Schedule: Hourly Injustice in Retail Labor

The Tyranny of the On-Call Schedule: Hourly Injustice in Retail Labor The Tyranny of the On-Call Schedule: Hourly Injustice in Retail Labor

On-call work schedules force part-time laborers to work erratic shifts for little pay, raising the question, “Is it even worth it?”

Mar 19, 2014 / Michelle Chen

The Problem With Anti-Trafficking Dragnets

The Problem With Anti-Trafficking Dragnets The Problem With Anti-Trafficking Dragnets

A campaign to criminalize sex workers has put the City of Phoenix under the scrutiny of UN human rights authorities.

Mar 17, 2014 / Michelle Chen

Haiti’s Women Need More Than a Trickle of Aid Money

Haiti’s Women Need More Than a Trickle of Aid Money Haiti’s Women Need More Than a Trickle of Aid Money

Preventing further sexual and economic violence will require a more equitable distribution of resources within the country and the hemisphere.

Jan 9, 2014 / Michelle Chen

Two Years After Haiti’s Earthquake, Women Are Still Shattered by Sexual Exploitation Two Years After Haiti’s Earthquake, Women Are Still Shattered by Sexual Exploitation

A crisis of gender-based violence is festering--and foreign aid efforts are still failing to protect women from harm.

Feb 6, 2012 / Michelle Chen

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