The format of a My Take is 150 words – no more, no less – to express an opinion on a different topic each week. This week’s topic was invisible work.
Why is it common practice for people to make a snap judgment when a group of marginalized workers decide to speak out against unfair wages, and poor working conditions?
I don’t understand why there is a problem with educators, for example, demanding more respect for the work that they do. Important work that most people aren’t willing to do.
We take them for granted. And it’s not as simple as quitting and finding a higher paying job elsewhere, or simply going back to school.
We don’t know why a person has decided to become an educator, a warehouse worker, a delivery truck driver, or a meat packer. What we do know is that they’re undervalued.
Work shifts that run for 10 hours or more, and wages that can barely support a family. This shouldn’t be normalized. Let’s lift these workers up, not knock them down.