Dignity of Work Institute

Launched by @SherrodBrown and dedicated to the people who make this country work. Creating an economy where all work is valued.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

All work has dignity. Americans are working harder than ever, with less to show for it. 

@SherrodBrown is launching the Dignity of Work Institute to create an economy where work is valued, workers benefit from the wealth they create, and everyone can afford a decent living.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

"If you want a living wage, get a better job."

But someone still has to do the jobs we all depend on every day.

What does it say about our economy when full-time work isn't enough to make ends meet?

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

Turns out "stocks are up" and "good economy" are not the same thing.

While the stock market hovers near record highs, 2 in 3 Americans say they're cutting back on spending.

For workers, the question is whether their paycheck can keep up with the cost of everyday life.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

When we talk about work and whether it’s paying off, no one understands the details better than the Americans actually doing the job.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

How much do McDonald's workers make?

The answer is more complicated than a single hourly wage.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

As this worker explains, what often matters just as much as your pay rate is how many hours you actually get. Schedules can change week to week, making it difficult to predict what you'll bring home at the end of the month.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

And when we say dignity, we mean…

having a paycheck that actually matches the work you put in.

being able to pay your bills without working yourself into exhaustion.

feeling respected at work.

knowing your job lets you build a life, not just barely scrape by.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

We were told that if you worked hard, got the degree, and kept pushing, things would eventually pay off. Instead, many people are dealing with debt, burnout, unstable work, and wages that still don’t feel like enough.

Does this feel familiar?

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

As companies slow hiring and reshape workplaces around AI, more workers are left feeling like the rules have changed. GDP growth alone doesn’t guarantee that work is paying off.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

The economy is growing; the official unemployment rate is low, so why does finding a job still feel impossible for so many workers?

The supposedly “strong economy” isn’t translating into more opportunity, stability, or better pay.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

Workers are sending hundreds of applications and hearing nothing back. Entry-level jobs now require years of experience. More people are underemployed, taking jobs below their qualifications just to get by.

[More Perfect Union @MorePerfectUS]

Workers are now taking home the smallest percent of America's economic output since records began in 1947.

At the same time corporate profits are now at the highest point since 1950.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

As one union leader put it, workers should not have to choose between “paying for healthcare and paying for groceries.”

That’s dignity at work.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

This is what collective action can achieve.

After more than two years of negotiations, 40,000 UC workers reached a tentative deal that includes raises, healthcare cost protections, expanded leave, and more workplace stability.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

Behind your favorite shows, movies, and commercials are crews of workers making every shot come together. Creative industries run because of the people doing this work every day, yet
when they do their jobs well, this work becomes invisible once the final product hits the screen.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

Workers are stuck in jobs that don’t pay enough, feeling like more effort isn’t leading anywhere better, and asking: Why isn’t work paying off?

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

This article calls it “the exhaustion tax.” Working people don’t need a made-up term to tell them what they already know: they’re working too hard for too little pay, and that doesn’t leave them with time or energy left to run the gauntlet of looking for a new, better-paying job.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

When getting a new job is one of the main ways workers can increase pay, improve benefits, or find better working conditions, a slower job market leaves more people stuck where they are.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

ISU dining hall workers organized and demanded better pay that reflects the value of the work they do – and by standing together, they won, and are getting the raise they’ve earned.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

For 24 years, Monica has helped keep the campus running — first as a custodian, and now as a dining hall cashier. She knows the students, cheers them on before tests, remembers what meals make them excited, and helps make campus feel like a community.

[Dignity of Work Institute @DOWInstitute]

But workers like Monica were not getting paid what they earned. That’s why stories about fair pay and dignity on the job matter.