Income and Wages – Page 30

Pa.’s Amazon workers have almost twice as many serious injuries as other warehouse workers here

July 10, 2021

Amazon’s local warehouse workers suffer serious injuries more often than employees at other warehouses, fueling criticism from labor groups as the retail giant rapidly expands across the Philadelphia region.

With the pandemic pushing consumers to shop online, Amazon has snatched up facilities and posted thousands of job openings locally, by far the most of any employer. But injury records suggest the jobs can be more dangerous than comparable warehouses. Critics contend the company pressures employees to work at a fast pace without enough breaks. | From The Inquirer (Read more.)

Philly Man Creates Phynally, a Job Search Tool for Marijuana Users

July 10, 2021

The Philadelphia-based company accepts job postings only from employers that don’t require job candidates to undergo drug testing for marijuana. The site went into beta mode in the spring and started accepting paid postings — there aren’t many yet — in June. | From Philadelphia Magazine (Read more.)

N.J. proposes a first-in-the-nation anti-hunger advocate along with other legislation to help the food-insecure

July 9, 2021

New Jersey could become the first state in the country to appoint an official anti-hunger advocate if a bill that was approved by the Legislature on Thursday is signed by Gov. Phil Murphy. | From The Inquirer (Read more.)

`Your body starts to break down’: Understaffed Philly sanitation crews struggle as garbage delays worsen

July 8, 2021

The amount of trash Philadelphia sanitation workers are charged with picking up on a daily basis surged during the pandemic, but even as COVID-19 has abated, delayed waste collections, recycling snafus, and other problems remained chronic across the city. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

New Philly funds will invest over $350 million to make social change

July 7, 2021

In the months since George Floyd’s murder, American businesses have fallen over themselves to declare that Black lives matter. Now, at least 10 new venture funds offering over $350 million in socially-good investment are actually doing something to make a fairer Philly. | From: The Citizen (Read more.)

SEPTA to hold career fair targeting women for skilled trades jobs

July 7, 2021

SEPTA plans to host a virtual career fair for women this weekend. The Women Building SEPTA Virtual Trades and Technical Career Fair is geared toward women who are currently working in skilled trades, but welcomes those interested in starting their careers at the authority. | From: WHYY (Read more.)

PHL airport workers in line for pay boost for health benefits

July 7, 2021

It’s the latest in a decadelong push by unions, and later backed by city officials, to lift compensation for laborers at the travel hub. The lowest-paid workers were already set to get to a $15-an-hour wage by July 2022 because of earlier legislation, but the health care subsidy is new.

“This legislation is about economic justice, but also, as we all have seen during the pandemic, the health disparities that exist,” said City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, who is the lead sponsor and whose district includes the airport. | From WHYY (Read more.)

Philly state rep calls on Biden to get broadband to all Americans

June 28, 2021

For the past 15 months of the pandemic, broadband has become a lifeline for Pennsylvania’s disadvantaged and disenfranchised—low-income families, communities of color, and people with disabilities. Now that the Biden administration is proposing long-overdue investments in physical and human infrastructure, we need to make sure that the $100 billion earmarked for broadband is spent where it’s needed most. | From: The Citizen (Read more.)

Poverty and trauma affect kids physically, too, including when molars emerge, Penn study shows

June 28, 2021

Poverty and trauma take more than mental tolls on children. Childhood adversity affects kids’ physical development too, and new research suggests it leaves its mark in an unexpected place: teeth. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Wharton class helps the formerly incarcerated launch their own businesses

June 26, 2021

A financial advisor-turned-social work professor has launched a Penn course that teams up students with formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs to help them launch their businesses—and stay out of prison. | From The Citizen (Read more.)