Morning Brew - ⚡ #Striketober

The American workforce has experienced a major shake-up by way of a string of strikes that has occurred throughout the month of October. According to the Cornell ILR Labor Action Tracker, which closely tracks labor movements across the country, this month’s strike grand total is 45—enough to earn the phenomenon the nickname “Striketober.” Participants have included employees from Kellogg, John Deere, and even Netflix. While strikers have cited a number of reasons for their actions, a common refrain is emerging. According to the Guardian, many workers are now thinking, “After what we’ve been through, don’t we deserve better pay and conditions?”

Given the strain that the pandemic has placed on working conditions across industries, it’s not surprising that employees are opting to strike. Add labor shortages and the “Great Resignation” into the mix, and you have workers who are feeling more empowered than ever to fight for better treatment from their employers.

The upheaval has been a long time coming. Robert Bruno, a labor relations professor at the University of Illinois, told the Guardian: “You can definitely see that American capitalism has reigned supreme over workers and, as a result, the incentive for companies is to continue to do what’s been working for them. It’s likely that an arrogance sets in where companies think that’s going to last forever, and maybe they don’t read the times properly.”

Although strikes seem to be on the rise, the tactic is not a foolproof road to change. Some movements do bring attention to concerns like worker mistreatment, but many end with employers doubling down on unfair practices or putting anti-union and no striking policies in place.

Some labor experts believe better pay and job quality improvements will stick around as union creation continues and membership climbs. Others believe the movement won’t last too long—especially without legislative support from the government. Whatever the case, it’s clear that employee-led strikes won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Pick up a new hobby (or language) from this list of affordable classes and products.

• Channel your inner Michelangelo and create handmade plant pots, sculptures, or vases using the Sculpd Kit.
• Have dreams of writing the next great American novel? Check out Coursera’s (sometimes free) library of editing, novel writing, and creative writing courses.
• Take your language skills to the next level with classes from Italki. Classes are low-priced and offered in more than 150 languages.
• My best-kept secret is the Brooklyn Brainery, which offers affordable online- and in-person classes for anyone with interests ranging from food photography to Australian politics.
• Learn your way around the kitchen with free cooking classes from Kitchn. Topics covered include knife skills, food safety, recipe reading, and no-bake desserts.

Read: Solange’s latest project is an online community library filled with rare, author-inscribed, and out-of-print literary works by Black and Brown writers that can be borrowed by US readers for up to 45 days. Although most of the books are currently checked out, we’re using the collection as inspiration for our fall/winter reading lists.

Listen: When creating Succession’s iconic theme song, composer Nicholas Britell used musical storytelling to perfectly accompany the show’s many twists and turns.

Watch: While all episodes of Hot Ones are entertaining, watching Megan Thee Stallion talk about anime, Cardi B, and her new Popeyes Hottie Sauce (which is a must-try) while eating wings is my definition of a good time.

Let's make a deal: Carbs on World Pasta Day don't count, right? Right.

• Take your love of pasta to the next level with a buttery cacio e pepe biscuit that’s best served beside the beloved dish.
• Customize the spice level and creaminess of this one-pot cajun chicken pasta.
• Instead of making that tired eggplant parm, use the veggie in a new way with rigatoni noodles, burrata, and a light spray of zesty balsamic vinegar.
• Your pasta sauce is the foundation for your meal. Yo Mama's is preservative-free and contains fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, and basil.
• Bring northern Italy home with a refreshing drink recipe that uses a simple 3-2-1 ingredient ratio.