In 2023, groups found solidarity on the climate, but work lies ahead.
Labor
New Mexico’s displaced coal miners have gotten the shaft on severance pay
The state’s just transition plans promised by the Energy Transition Act haven’t panned out for many workers.
A new film asks: how do you make art in a city you can’t afford?
‘Fantasy A Gets a Mattress’ is a dark, surreal, fun adventure that deals with themes of eviction, homelessness and disability.
Western states saw increasing poverty and lower incomes in 2022
From Alaska to Wyoming, cash assistance can pull families out of income hardships.
Los peligros del pastoreo
Trabajadores con visas H-2A sufren en su mayoría precariedad laboral mientras sostienen a la industria ovina del Oeste de EE.UU.
The dark side of America’s sheep industry
Sheepherders face wage theft, isolation, hunger and alleged abuse.
Farmworkers fight for higher pay, better hours and fair treatment
Labor advocates rallied in Seattle to demand a union contract from Windmill farms amid allegations of poor treatment and retaliation.
Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke
Some labor advocates say they don’t go far enough.
Scene from a Mojave oasis
Our reporter’s notebook from a stretch of road in the Nevada desert.
After a controversial merger, Nevada Gold Mines union is back
In 2019, management abruptly stopped recognizing a union. This week, the company and the union negotiated a new contract.
The 90-foot sentinel of Butte, Montana
What does a statue dedicated to mothers reveal about women’s rights?
A California fire department forges a new generation of conservation practitioners
In wealthy, segregated Marin County, a pioneering recruitment program breaks down barriers to the firefighting profession
Feds claim Defenders of Wildlife unlawfully fired union-organizing staffer
The environmental nonprofit’s work environment is under scrutiny after multiple unfair labor submissions.
When a full-time job isn’t enough
Workers in Phoenix experience higher rates of inflation than the rest of the country. Healthcare workers, in particular, are experiencing the pinch.
The West’s hottest county is also its most Latino
Some places in Imperial County, California, experienced 117 days above 100 degrees this year.
EXCLUSIVE: Investigation confirms Nevada Gold Mines violated safety rules, contributing to miner’s death
State investigators reveal that the company did not follow basic safety protocols.
Why the country’s largest shellfish farm is struggling to hire and retain workers
And how it’s dealing with climate change and housing costs to make back-breaking work a little easier.
What’s lost when a family-owned diner closes for good?
A Southern Utah establishment joins the staggering number of mom-and-pop restaurants shuttering across America.
Photos: The pride and pain of the UFW march
California farmworkers and their advocates walked 335 miles to the state’s capitol in support of voting protections.
Disasters are changing the role of educators
Meet the assistant superintendent leading a rural district through wildfire and COVID-19.