商业周刊:工会组织力量虚弱, 雇员自发组织罢工(1)

Traditional unions may be stymied,but workers and activists¹ are finding new ways to organize By Janet Paskin

传统工会组织的力量也许受到阻碍，但雇员和积极分子们正在寻求新途径组织罢工 珍妮特·帕斯金报道

According to the official records, U.S. workers went on strike seven times during 2017.

据美国官方记录，2017年全国发生七次雇员罢工事件。

That's a particular nadir² in the long decline of organized labor³:

劳工组织效力衰退进入低谷期：

the second-fewest work stoppages recorded by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics since the agency started keeping track in the 1940s.

自美国劳工统计局20世纪40年代有记载以来，这一年的罢工次数位列倒数第二。

There was little reason to believe 2018 would be different, especially with the U.S. Supreme⁴ Court, in two decisions,

2018年情况好转的可能性依然渺茫，特别是美国最高法院通过的两项决策，

making it harder for public employees unions to fund themselves and restricting workers' rights to bring class actions.

使得政府雇员工会更难为本组织提供资金，同时决策还限制政府雇员提起集体诉讼的权利。

The power of employers appeared to be almost limitless. The unions were, if not busted⁵, then certainly on the verge⁶.

雇主的权力则似乎无限扩延，政府雇员工会面临解散的危机。

Aggrieved⁷ workers, however, took matters into their own hands, using social media and other tech tools to enhance their campaigns.

然而，愤愤不平的员工们利用社交媒体和其他技术手段提升罢工势头，掌控了事态进展。

From industry walkouts to wildcat teachers' strikes, they made very public demands of their employers.

从行业联合罢工到教师们自发组织的罢工活动，他们公开对雇主提出各种要求。

The official number of major work stoppages recorded by the BLS in 2018 nearly tripled, to 20.

2018年，美国劳工统计局记载的官方罢工数量几乎增长两倍，达到20次。

Off the picket⁸ line, workers also won a wide range of concessions⁹.

雇员们也赢得来自雇主方面的各种让步。

Facing employee pressure, Google and McKinsey & Co. dropped contracts for government work employees found objectionable;

面对员工施加的压力，谷歌和麦肯锡公司均认为政府雇员劳动合同存在争议，故而放弃签约；

thousands of dismissed Toys "R" Us workers got a severance¹⁰ fund; and Starbucks Corp. expanded parental¹¹ and sick leave policies.

玩具反斗城公司数千名被解雇的员工获得了遣散费；星巴克公司则延长了员工的产病假政策。

In many cases, workers and their advocates bypassed their employers entirely¹².

在很多情况下，工人和他们的拥护者会完全地忽视他们的雇主。

Under continued pressure, the American Hotel & Lodging¹³ Association reversed its opposition¹⁴ to panic buttons

在持续的压力下，美国酒店住宿协会改变了其反对使用紧急按钮的立场，

to protect housekeepers¹⁵ from sexual harassment¹⁶ by guests.

以保护管家免受客人的性骚扰。

Model Alliance, an advocacy group for models, persuaded the organizers of New York Fashion Week to provide private changing areas.

模特权益倡导组织模特联盟（Model Alliance）劝说纽约时装周的组织者为模特提供私人更衣室。

"Workers aren't waiting for the traditional forms of organizing, as provided under labor law," says Tom Kochan,

汤姆·科尚是麻省理工斯隆管理学院工作与就业研究所的联席所长，

co-director of the MIT Sloan Institute for Work and Employment Research.

他表示：“工人们想要的不是劳动法规定的传统组织形式。”

"They're looking for new options, whether that's Google employees on a one-day walkout or workers filing online petitions with their management

“无论是谷歌的员工罢工一天，还是员工在网上向管理层提交从日程安排到福利的各种请愿书，

about everything from scheduling to fringe benefits.”

他们都在寻找新的选择。”

Kochan has been studying what academics call "worker voice"—how much influence employees feel they have over their working conditions—since the 1970s.

自上世纪70年代以来，科尚一直在研究学者们所说的“工人的声音”——员工们觉得他们对自己的工作环境有多大的影响力。

At the beginning of his career, about one-quarter of workers were represented by a union and another third,

在他职业生涯初期的时候，根据一项全国就业质量调查，大约有四分之一的工人都由工会代表，

according to a national Quality of Employment Survey, said the'd join one if they had an opportunity.

另外四分之三的工人们则表示，如果有机会他们就会加入工会。

The next time the question was fielded, in the mid-'90s, workers'interest in joining a union had barely budged¹⁷.

90年代中期，当这个问题再次被提出时，工人们加入工会的兴趣几乎没有变化。

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 nadir   

n.最低点，无底

参考例句：

• This failure was the nadir of her career.这次失败是她事业上的低谷。
• The demand for this product will reach its nadir within two years.对此产品的需求在两年内将达到最低点。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

6 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

7 aggrieved   

adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He felt aggrieved at not being chosen for the team. 他因没被选到队里感到愤愤不平。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is the aggrieved person whose fiance&1& did not show up for their wedding. 她很委屈，她的未婚夫未出现在他们的婚礼上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

9 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

10 severance   

n.离职金；切断

参考例句：

• Those laid off received their regular checks,plus vacation and severance pay.那些被裁的人都收到他们应得的薪金，再加上假期和解职的酬金。Kirchofer was terminated,effective immediately--without severance or warning.科奇弗被解雇了，立刻生效--而且没有辞退费或者警告。

11 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

13 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

15 housekeepers   

n.（女）管家( housekeeper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Can you send up one of your housekeepers to make bed? 请你派个女服务员来整理床铺好吗？ 来自互联网
• They work as gas station attendants, firemen, housekeepers,and security personnel. 本句翻译：机器人也能够作为煤气站的服务员，救火队员等保安作用。 来自互联网

16 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

17 budged   

v.（使）稍微移动( budge的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步

参考例句：

• Old Bosc had never budged an inch--he was totally indifferent. 老包斯克一直连动也没有动，他全然无所谓。 来自辞典例句
• Nobody budged you an inch. 别人一丁点儿都算计不了你。 来自辞典例句