The Conversation - Sizing up the strikes of 2023

Jobs are up, wages less so – and lower purchasing power could still lead the US into a recession

Christopher Decker, University of Nebraska Omaha

The latest labor figures are less encouraging than they might seem.

States are weakening their child labor restrictions nearly 8 decades after the US government took kids out of the workforce

John A. Fliter, Kansas State University; Betsy Wood, Bard College

Some of the biggest changes to child labor laws are in Iowa and Arkansas.

Millions of women are working during menopause, but US law isn’t clear on employees’ rights or employers’ obligations

Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia; Bridget J. Crawford, Pace University ; Emily Gold Waldman, Pace University

Three scholars who are writing a book about menopause and the law suggest ways to protect women experiencing it.

United Auto Workers strike – if it happens – should channel the legacy of Walter Reuther, who led the union at the peak of its power

Marick Masters, Wayne State University

Reuther was both ambitious and pragmatic, scoring many victories for autoworkers.

Americans are taking more control over their work lives – because they have to

Scott Sonenshein, Rice University

‘Career portfolioing’ is a trend where people assemble different sources of income, such as side gigs, to give them a measure of independence from employers who provide little job security.

How do flies find every stinky garbage dumpster? A biologist explains their sensory superpower

Christine Picard, Indiana University

Flies often beat out competitors for food because of their specialized sensing organs called antennae.

What are Hollywood actors and writers afraid of? A cinema scholar explains how AI is upending the movie and TV business

Holly Willis, University of Southern California

What would you do if the industry you work in could clone your skills, style and even the way you look and sound?

How did abuse get baked into the restaurant industry?

Ellen T. Meiser, University of Hawaii at Hilo; Eli R. Wilson, University of New Mexico

Barbara Lynch’s alleged bullying of her employees is only the latest in a string of high-profile chef scandals. Two scholars explore how this behavior became normalized in kitchens across the US.

Should AI be permitted in college classrooms? 4 scholars weigh in

Nicholas Tampio, Fordham University; Asim Ali, Auburn University; Patricia A. Young, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Shital Thekdi, University of Richmond

Scholars differ over whether having students use AI in their assignments will help or hurt their careers after graduation.

Trump’s mug shot is now a means of entertainment and fundraising − but it will go down in history as an important cultural artifact

RICO is often used to target the mob and cartels − but Trump and his associates aren’t the first outside those worlds to face charges

Space junk in Earth orbit and on the Moon will increase with future missions − but nobody’s in charge of cleaning it up

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A special edition to celebrate Labor Day in the United States.