Politicized Labor: Effects of Political Polarization on Service Sector Workers

• In Event: 30406 - Politicizing the Workplace - The Intersections of Politics and Labor Relations

Abstract

Saying “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays,” the decisions to mask or not to mask during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, allowing the homeless to stay in stores or calling the police or simply displaying the Pride flag during Pride month have all become points of contention in retail and service sector jobs. A significant portion of the political polarization in the United States have taken place at coffee chains, fast food stores and retail establishments. These political divisions and polarization have made the already precarious lives of retail and service sector workers more challenging and unsafe. In an era where the quotidian has become political, workers are on the front lines of the political conflict. This has led to a new kind of labor from retail and service sector worker: politicized labor, where the workers are asked to navigate these political divisions. This study focuses on the effects of political polarization on the lived experience of retail and service sector workers.
This two-year, mixed-methods project focuses on the emergence of stores and other establishments as the physical arena in which deep political divisions are performed. What are the effects of our political divide on our retail and service sector workers? Do politically divided areas have more incidents attacking and threatening workers? Do the political divisions in any geographic area result in higher levels of incidents? To answer these questions, this study is based on in-depth, qualitative interviews with 40 service and retail workers on their experiences. In addition, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, I show the effects of political divisions in an area on the level of reported violence on workers.
By understanding these new divisions and expectations, we can better make sense of the rapid increase in resignation rates and map out the divergent experiences of workers in the United States based on the political divisions in an area.

Author

• Yasemin Besen-Cassino, Montclair State University