The Century Foundation (TCF) today announced that veteran journalist Steven Greenhouse, widely recognized as one of the most influential labor reporters in the U.S., has joined the think tank as a Senior Fellow. Over the next year, Greenhouse will research and write on a broad range of labor, business, and economic topics—from the effects of the pandemic and the so-called “Great Resignation,” to historic worker organizing campaigns taking place across the country. 

“Steve is the father of modern labor journalism. There is no reporter who has done more to give voice to the struggles of working families in the last 50 years than he has,” said Mark Zuckerman, President of The Century Foundation. “He has a gift for weaving together compelling personal narratives with key historical, political, and policy context to paint a picture of what’s really going on in America’s workplaces. Steve’s storytelling, wealth of expertise, and extensive relationships are invaluable to understanding the labor movement in 2022, and we’re thrilled to have him on board at TCF.” 

Greenhouse was a reporter for The New York Times for 31 years, spending his last 19 as The Times’ labor and workplace reporter. He is the author of the book, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor, an “engrossing, character-driven, and panoramic” look at organized labor’s decline and the accompanying rise of inequality and wage stagnation, as well as the book, The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker

Since retiring from the Times in 2014, Greenhouse has remained a prolific commentator on labor issues, regularly freelancing for outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the New Yorker, the Guardian, the American Prospect and elsewhere. His recent work includes reporting on the unionization wave hitting newsrooms, the significance of a union victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and a look at how unions tangibly improve the lives of workers

“Workers in many industries across the U.S. are asserting their power, demanding higher pay, better conditions, and a voice in the workplace after two years of a pandemic that exposed deep inequities in our economy,” said Steven Greenhouse. “I’ve admired the work of Century for years, an organization that has worked hard to improve the lives of America’s workers and has a deep understanding of how unions and worker organizing can help build a fairer nation and economy. I’m excited to join Mark and everyone at the Century Foundation at a pivotal moment for the future of the American worker and workplace.” 

The Century Foundation has a long and proud tradition of advocating on behalf of workers and organized labor. Throughout the pandemic, TCF experts led the charge to expand eligibility and increase benefits for unemployed workers, resulting in more than $700 billion in aid delivered to the jobless. In recent years, the organization has championed new and innovative ideas to revitalize the U.S. labor movement, laying out a roadmap to rebuild worker power, arguing that unions need to adopt a digital organizing strategy including an online platform, and making the case for why labor organizing should be a civil right

source: Michael Lionstar 2019