In the late nineteenth century, many workers labored 7 days a week, sometimes up to a grueling 100 hours in poor conditions.Workers in the mining, printing, and railroad industries eventually won 8-hour workdays.Then came Frances Perkins, and with her, the 40-hour work week.

Unions have come to the video game industry. They started small at just one indie developer about a year ago, then those efforts started to spread. Workers at some of the biggest names in the business have started organizing — at Activision Blizzard and recently at ZeniMax, a company owned by Microsoft. This sudden upswell is shaking up an industry that has long been known for grueling hours, low pay and a workforce that is not especially diverse. So how did the union movement go from 0 to 60, and where is it headed from here? Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Nicole Carpenter, a senior reporter for Polygon, a gaming and entertainment news site. She recently wrote an explainer about unions in the industry. She said a turning point came in 2021 when California sued Activision for an alleged pattern of sexual harassment and discrimination, which set off a chain of investigations and lawsuits that brought the problems of the industry into the public eye.

Rather than using Internet fame to make a quick buck, the iconic feline has emerged as an outspoken ally of the labor movement.

This week we're looking at how a tragic fire played a role in the creation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and how it affects independent contractors now.

When chicken catcher Jimmy Nicks’ job was subcontracted, he started doing the same job for a new boss — only without the pay, protections and benefits he’d come to rely on.

Amid the pandemic, farmworkers are demanding a seat at the table.