Tens of millions of people in the US are either out of a job right now or still working without meaningful protections, benefits, or wage increases. And if something goes wrong, workers mostly have to figure it out on their own.
In part 1, we look at why the conventions of modern-day media have made it so hard for journalists to tell this story. Then we unpack how obscure laws have been used by managers and executives to weaken employee benefits like health insurance and retirement.
“How We Got Here” is a special five-part series made by Sam Harnett, Alan Montecillo, and Chris Hoff. These five episodes are airing on The Bay from July 6-10. You can hear the rest of the series by following the links below. Illustrations by graphic facilitator, Giselle Chow.
Part 1: The ‘Great Risk Shift’ From Companies to Workers
Part 2: The Attack on Worker Power
Part 3: The Road to Shareholder Capitalism
Part 4: Disempowerment and Debt