Empowering Workers in the Fight Against COVID-19

Date: 

Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Location: 

Register for virtual event

COVID-19 is amplifying a fundamental democratic mismatch: the vulnerable, often low-income and of-color, workers who are among the most affected by this pandemic have little influence over decisions — in companies and governments — about how this pandemic is managed.

Julie Battilana and Isabelle Ferreras led the drafting of an open letter titled “Work: Democratize, Decommodify, Remediate” that recently appeared in some 36 newspapers in 25 countries including the Boston GlobeThe GuardianLe Monde, and Die Zeit. More than 3,000 scholars, including Dani Rodrik, Elizabeth Anderson, and Thomas Piketty, signed it. Ben Sachs and Sharon Block argue that Congress should create joint employer-labor commissions to govern how key sectors such as transportation, grocery, health care, logistics, and transportation re-start and manage infection control in workplaces.

Join us as we discuss these proposals - and more - in order to democratize the workplace and empower workers in the time of COVID-19.

Participants include:

  • Julie Battilana, Harvard Kennedy School
  • Sharon Block, Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School
  • Isabelle Ferreras, Université Catholique de Louvain
  • Benjamin Sachs, Harvard Law School
  • Archon Fung (Moderator), Harvard Kennedy School

Virtual Event Details

This event will be livestreamed on YouTube Live. Register on the Ash Center event page for a reminder fifteen minutes before the event along with a link to the YouTube page where you can participate in the live chat and ask questions during the event.