Labor has gone on the offensive late in 2012. In the past two months Wal-Mart workers, warehouse workers, and now fast-food workers have gone on unprecedented strikes. It's great to see Latinos at the forefront of this struggle. There's a lot to gain! 

via Think Progress

(filckr: Geoff LMV)

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The United States doesn’t have a stellar record on paid employee leave. Indeed, it is one of the few developed countries that has no paid maternity leave requirement. But a new study by the Center for American Progress finds that Latino employees in particular are the least likely to have paid leave or workplace flexibility of any sort.

Latinos tend to be in lower-wage jobs where fewer benefits are offered, thanks in part to institutionalized racism and in part to the economics of new immigrant labor. Because of the low quality of jobs for many Latinos, fewer than 40 percent report having flexible hours — the ability to shift work schedules based on outside obligations. Only 38.4 percent of Latinos have any paid sick leave, and just about a quarter of Latino employees (25.1 percent) have paid parental leave, lower than any other racial group:

Paid leave is proven to benefit both employees and employers. A lack of paid leave leads to the spread of disease, limits the people who can apply for the job, and increases the number of on-the-job injuries.