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Workers' Rights

American workers are producing more than ever while their wages have stagnated for decades. Union membership has fallen from over 30% in the 1950s to under 11% today — not because workers don't want unions, but because corporations have spent billions on anti-union campaigns, lobbied for hostile labor laws, and exploited the gig economy to classify workers as independent contractors.

Gen Us covers workers' rights because labor conditions are a direct reflection of the power balance between workers and corporations — a balance that has shifted dramatically toward employers over the past 40 years with minimal media attention.

We trace anti-union spending by major employers, document wage theft (the largest form of theft in America), analyze gig economy classification schemes, and track how labor coverage in mainstream media is shaped by corporate ownership.

The reporting trail

Latest reporting on Workers' Rights

New evidence joins the permanent record here, so each investigation remains connected to the larger system.

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HK$680,000 Alleged Mos Burger Fraud Puts Payroll Controls Under Scrutiny
Mainstream
0% BS
CorporateAug 18

HK$680,000 Alleged Mos Burger Fraud Puts Payroll Controls Under Scrutiny

A South China Morning Post report dated August 19, 2026, says a former Tin Shui Wai branch manager, his wife and six other defendants face charges over alleged false attendance and employment records. The report links the alleged conduct to about HK$680,000 in wages and about HK$740,000 in wages and MPF contributions, but does not establish the precise control failure or broader corporate involvement.

The $10M Takedown That Failed: How El-Sayed Beat Corporate PAC Money
Mainstream
Right38% BS
politicsAug 7

The $10M Takedown That Failed: How El-Sayed Beat Corporate PAC Money

Despite millions in corporate spending intended to bury his populist platform, Abdul El-Sayed won the Michigan primary by focusing on labor demands rather than the identity politics favored by pundits.

Passive Voice, Active Deaths: How the BBC Sanitizes Military Violence
Media Callout
0% BS
WarAug 7

Passive Voice, Active Deaths: How the BBC Sanitizes Military Violence

An internal audit of BBC News headlines reveals a systemic double standard in how the broadcaster attributes military violence to Western allies versus geopolitical adversaries. By utilizing passive voice and doubt-casting language, the BBC effectively sanitizes the impact of regional strikes while maintaining a thin veneer of impartiality.

ABC and NBC Erase US-Brokered Ceasefire From Lebanon Coverage
Media Callout
0% BS
WarAug 6

ABC and NBC Erase US-Brokered Ceasefire From Lebanon Coverage

Major networks are framing strikes as 'spontaneous' while omitting a documented ceasefire, shielding the State Department from failed diplomacy.

UK Media Headlines Omit Perpetrators in Lebanon Military Strikes
Media Callout
0% BS
WarAug 6

UK Media Headlines Omit Perpetrators in Lebanon Military Strikes

Sky News and the BBC have adopted a pattern of passive voice and agent-less reporting regarding the August 2026 military strikes in Lebanon. This linguistic distancing contrasts sharply with the active-voice framing used for similar events in Ukraine, masking the perpetrators of actions that have killed hundreds.

Sky News Uses Passive Voice to Hide IDF Strikes Amid Owner Ties
Media Callout
0% BS
CorporateAug 4

Sky News Uses Passive Voice to Hide IDF Strikes Amid Owner Ties

New data reveals Sky News masks military actions when they involve defense contractors that share the same parent company.

BBC Grammar Exposed: Why Russian Strikes are 'Crimes' but Israeli Strikes are 'Events'
Media Callout
0% BS
WarAug 2

BBC Grammar Exposed: Why Russian Strikes are 'Crimes' but Israeli Strikes are 'Events'

A June 2026 study reveals the BBC's systemic use of agentless grammar to obscure military responsibility in Middle East strikes. While Russian actions in Ukraine are reported with direct attribution, deaths in Lebanon are framed as ownerless events to protect strategic interests.

FCC Chair Threatens ABC Licenses Following Trump’s July 24 Media Attacks
Mainstream
Left58% BS
politicsAug 1

FCC Chair Threatens ABC Licenses Following Trump’s July 24 Media Attacks

At the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on July 24, 2026, President Trump celebrated the firing of CBS employees and took aim at specific journalists. This isn't just typical political theatre. Current FCC actions show a shift toward actual regulatory revenge. FCC Chair Brandon Carr has already hinted he's ready to pull ABC's licenses after the network aired satire that hit too close to home. This report tracks a 58-year escalation of pressure on the press, highlighting the financial tools now being used to silence critics. While previous reports focused only on Trump, the reality is that both parties helped build this blueprint for media control.

BBC’s Double Standard: Delaying Truth on Verified Gaza Strikes
Media Callout
0% BS
WarJul 8

BBC’s Double Standard: Delaying Truth on Verified Gaza Strikes

The BBC continues to apply a double standard in its reporting of civilian casualties, casting doubt on Gaza Health Ministry figures while accepting Ukrainian state data as fact. This selective skepticism was exposed in June 2026 when the broadcaster maintained a 'reported' status on a strike long after military confirmation, misleading the public on the scale of human loss.

Key Questions We're Asking

  • •How much do major employers spend on anti-union consultants and campaigns?
  • •What is the scale of wage theft in the U.S., and how does enforcement compare to other forms of theft?
  • •How do gig economy companies use worker classification to avoid employment obligations?
  • •What is the relationship between declining union membership and widening income inequality?
  • •How does corporate media ownership affect coverage of labor disputes and union organizing?

What Mainstream Media Misses

  • •Wage theft — employers stealing from workers through unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, and tip theft — exceeds all other forms of theft combined but receives a fraction of the coverage.
  • •Anti-union campaigns by Amazon, Starbucks, and other major employers are covered as individual stories, not as a systematic corporate strategy.
  • •The gig economy's labor model — treating employees as independent contractors — is covered as innovation rather than as labor law evasion.
  • •Corporate media outlets owned by companies with their own labor disputes have inherent conflicts in covering workers' rights.

Follow the Money

  • •Major employers spend hundreds of millions annually on anti-union consultants and legal firms.
  • •Wage theft costs American workers an estimated $15-50 billion annually, compared to $14 billion for all property crimes combined.
  • •Gig economy companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash spent over $200 million on California's Proposition 22 to prevent worker reclassification.
  • •The National Restaurant Association and other trade groups lobby heavily against minimum wage increases.

Related Learn Pages

Narrative Framing
How 'job creators' framing centers employers over workers.
Loaded Language
How terms like 'right to work' and 'flexibility' disguise anti-worker policies.
Political Funding Explainer
How corporate PAC money blocks pro-worker legislation.
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