All 251 articles by Michelle Chen

• 07 Feb 12

• Working

  Children of Immigrants Targeted by Tax Warfare in Congress

  The fundamental injustice of the tax system grows clearer as tax day looms ominously over working people and... MORE »

• 01 Feb 12

• Working

  In Year of Uprisings, Reporters Brave Crackdowns from Wall St. to Tahrir Square

  You wouldn’t think handling a notebook or a camera could be a hazardous line of work.... MORE »

• 30 Jan 12

• Working

  Facing Maternity Care Gaps, Midwives Push for Birthing Justice

  As wondrous a phenomenon as childbirth is, we often view it as a form of medical purgatory--hours of... MORE »

• 25 Jan 12

• Working

  Amid ‘Turnaround Agenda,’ Teachers, Communities Overshadowed by Corporate Reforms

  The conversation about school reform in Washington is replete with big ideas--glossy proposals for “accountability,” putting... MORE »

• 20 Jan 12

• Working

  The Right to Be Healthy: Supreme Court Weighs Sick Leave for State Workers

  One day in August 2007, Daniel Coleman, an administrator in the Maryland court system, decided he should stay home... MORE »

• 18 Jan 12

• Working

  After Tragedy, Apple Tries to Polish Image on Workers’ Rights

  Apple’s trademark is the intuitive elegance of its designs. Yet when it comes corporate and labor... MORE »

• 13 Jan 12

• Working

  Amid Fuel Price Crisis, Nigeria Goes on Strike

  Nigeria is a giant on the African continent, a maturing democracy and a major hub for culture and... MORE »

• 11 Jan 12

• Working

  Struggle for Immigrants’ Rights Highlights Split Within Organized Labor

  ICE officers' union resists reform measures to controversial Secure Communities program, while AFl-CIO wants to end it Trying... MORE »

• 06 Jan 12

• Working

  Despite New Rule on Livestock Antibiotics, Infection Risks Still Plague Workers, Communities

  The Obama administration just made a move toward curbing one of the most toxic aspects of our food... MORE »

• 04 Jan 12

• Working

  Will Peasants and Migrant Workers Forge China’s New Political Vanguard?

  China is no longer a sleeping giant. The past few months have seen riots, strikes, and peasant clashes... MORE »

• 23 Dec 11

• Working

  Nepal’s Migrants Lured By Empty Promises, Trapped by Bosses Abroad

  It's not hard to see why so many Nepalese workers leave their country to try their luck... MORE »

• 21 Dec 11

• Working

  Oil Workers Rise Up in Kazakhstan, Face Brutal Crackdown

  Every protest movement has its slogan: Tax the rich, we are the 99%. The striking oil workers in Kazakhstan,... MORE »

• 16 Dec 11

• Working

  With Anti-Immigrant Law, Alabama is Again Ground Zero for Civil Rights

  It’s not often that human rights and business profits line up on the same side of... MORE »

• 15 Dec 11

• Working

  Burma’s New Labor Law: Built to Fail or Shifting Toward Democracy?

  Burma has long been known as a black hole for human rights. But the new leadership of the... MORE »

• 12 Dec 11

• Working

  Food Industry Brings Bitter Harvest to Child Cocoa Laborers

  The taste of hot cocoa or a chocolate bar is one of the classic pleasures of being a... MORE »

• 09 Dec 11

• Working

  Embarrassment of Riches: Conflict Diamond Regulation Breaks Down

  The holiday season is a time of material pleasures, but it's also a time to take stock... MORE »

• 02 Dec 11

• Working

  Wal-Mart Circles Indian Markets, and Indians Push Back

  The marketplace has always been at the heart of India--exuberant bazaars brimming with local hawkers and traditional wares... MORE »

• 30 Nov 11

• Working

  Is China’s Economic Miracle Hitting the Fan?

  If you believe the hype about living in the “Pacific Century,” then the new millennium is... MORE »

• 23 Nov 11

• Working

  Health Workers Deliver First Aid to Protest Movements

  Warning: Defending your rights may be hazardous to your health. Potential side effects can include rubber bullets, tear... MORE »

• 23 Nov 11

• Working

  Washington’s Debt Panic and the Real Social Debt in America

  In the wake of the Congressional Supercommittee's collapse, we finally have consensus on both sides of the aisle:... MORE »

• 18 Nov 11

• Working

  Trans-Pacific Trade Deal Opens Eastern Front for Neoliberalism

  With the U.S. economy stuck in a constant rut and Europe going into a tailspin, President Obama... MORE »

• 15 Nov 11

• Working

  Measuring Teacher ‘Diversity’ in a Segregated School System

  Kids do most of their growing up in school, but our schools aren’t growing to meet... MORE »

• 11 Nov 11

• Working

  Making Sex Workers Visible in the Village Voice Media Ad Controversy

  In a perfectly “free” labor market, everyone theoretically has the right to exchange work for commensurate... MORE »

• 08 Nov 11

• Working

  Tar Sands Protest Shows Unity, Tension in Green-Labor Alliance

  Thousands gathered near the White House on Sunday to say no to the Keystone oil pipeline. The human... MORE »

• 04 Nov 11

• Working

  Labor Draws New Battle Lines on Iraq and Iran Oil Fields

  The Middle East's two key exports these days seem terribly at odds with each other: oil, the lifeblood... MORE »

• 01 Nov 11

• Working

  From Cairo to New York, Which Side Are Police On?

  As the Arab Spring enters a tense autumn chill, Tahrir Square remains a fiery political battleground, where struggles... MORE »

• 31 Oct 11

• Features

  No Country for Old People

  America's healthcare crisis hits minority seniors—and things are getting worse. MORE »

• 28 Oct 11

• Working

  Will the Arab Spring Leave Migrants Out in the Cold?

  The uprisings of the "Arab Spring" have been by turns inspiring, frustrating and tragic for activists around the... MORE »

• 25 Oct 11

• Working

  Inside World’s Economic Engine, Young China Redefines Class Consciousness

  In every corner of the world young people are rocking their worlds, defying government crackdowns in Santiago and... MORE »

• 21 Oct 11

• Working

  Greece Strikes, the People Rise, Global Economy Teeters

  Everyone knew it was a losing battle, but everyone showed up anyway. In an uprising virtually unprecedented in... MORE »

• 18 Oct 11

• Working

  Mine Workers Struggle for Safety Underground, Justice in the Streets

  As thousands take to the streets to protest global corporate domination, the power struggles just below the earth's... MORE »

• 15 Oct 11

• Working

  While Washington Dithers, Labor Brings Jobs and Equity Home

  The 2012 campaign trail is already littered with silver bullets and peppy slogans about boosting America out of its... MORE »

• 07 Oct 11

• Working

  Struggling New York School Workers Get Knocked Hard in Budget War

  When kids across New York City shuffle into their classrooms next week, they'll discover that a few members... MORE »

• 07 Oct 11

• Working

  While Wall Street Quakes, Greece’s Fire Still Burns Bright

  While we may be inspired to see a leaderless mass movement finally crystallizing in U.S. cities, the... MORE »

• 30 Sep 11

• Working

  Georgia’s Anti-Immigrant Politics Overshadow Women’s Struggles

  The words "undocumented worker" evoke images we're all familiar with: poor day laborers huddled on a street corner,... MORE »

• 30 Sep 11

• Working

  Labor Movement Rolls Into Wall Street Occupation

  The steel and concrete of Lower Manhattan comes alive every day during rush hour, when gray suits pulse... MORE »

• 23 Sep 11

• Working

  What Do Students Learn When Cities Refuse to Fairly Treat Their Teachers?

  Schools these days can be dangerous places: a volatile mix of fiscal crisis, ideological tension and impressionable young... MORE »

• 16 Sep 11

• Working

  In Anti-Government Politics, “Time-Out” on Regulation versus Shortened Lives

  Seizing upon a reliable “job creation” talking point, conservatives have stoked their war against “big... MORE »

• 09 Sep 11

• Working

  Ten Years On, Sick Ground Zero Workers Still Without Proper Care

  This weekend, the public will mourn a site of loss, recasting the painful memories and haunting fears that... MORE »

• 09 Sep 11

• Working

  Scant Room for Equity in Obama’s Talking Points on Jobs

  President Obama's jobs speech before Congress last night struck an uncomfortable balance between the art of the possible... MORE »

• 02 Sep 11

• Working

  Georgia’s Celebrated No-Cost Labor Scheme: Cheating the Jobless?

  For a typical boss, there's only one thing better than getting away with not paying your workers: getting... MORE »

• 26 Aug 11

• Working

  Migrants in Limbo as Libyan Revolution Reaches Endgame

  As the Libyan uprising reaches its climax, gun battles flare, bodies pile up in hospitals, and the capital... MORE »

• 19 Aug 11

• Working

  Fixing Schools: A Smart Plan for Jobs

  Politicians love to talk about how to “fix” the education system, from imposing standardized tests to... MORE »

• 17 Aug 11

• Working

  Washington’s Anti-Regulatory Crusade, and Why Your Job Hasn’t Killed You Yet

  On the campaign trail, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry is spreading the gospel of Perrynomics—a magical... MORE »

• 12 Aug 11

• Working

  Target Comes Under Fire Around the World

  The retail giant Target is under fire from all sides, for union-busting at home and labor violations overseas.... MORE »

• 10 Aug 11

• Working

  Police and Thieves: Making Sense of the English Riots

  After witnessing several nights of turmoil, the people of the United Kingdom are still trying to comprehend what... MORE »

• 05 Aug 11

• Working

  Coalition of Immokalee Workers Brings Farmworker Movement to the Streets

  The hot summer has brought in a bumper crop of food activism from coast to coast. For the... MORE »

• 03 Aug 11

• Working

  Under New Guidelines, Cheap Birth Control Pays Off for Working Women

  Washington's Old Boys' club still has its knickers in a wad over the deficit "compromise," but women across... MORE »

• 29 Jul 11

• Working

  Home Health Workers Are Sick of Being Shut Out of Labor Law

  As walking canes replace running shoes, and the parents who raised us start needing to be cared for... MORE »

• 27 Jul 11

• Working

  In the Wake of Oslo Attacks, a Path Forward for Labor?

  “For all dead comrades, not a minute's silence, but a life of struggle."     ... MORE »