ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jess Kutch - Labor entrepreneur
TED Fellow Jess Kutch is the cofounder of Coworker.org, a nonprofit that helps people join together to improve their jobs and workplaces.

Why you should listen

Jess Kutch and her team at Coworker.org are figuring out the technology, organizing models, financing and policies that can help workers improve their companies and industries in today’s economy. At Coworker.org, they believe anyone can be a workplace organizer and that seeking positive change at work is a form of civic and community leadership that requires infrastructure. Since 2013, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and worldwide have used Coworker.org tools and services to win wage increases, scheduling improvements and parental leave benefits; end biased dress codes; fix harassment policies; demand corporate ethics and much more. Coworker.org also helps channel workers' information about the real-time effects of digital economy trends -- like automation, data profiting, surveillance and app-based gig work -- to influence decisions that will shape the future of work and inequality. 

Kutch has 15 years of experience innovating at the intersection of technology and social change. Previously, she led a team at Change.org that inspired hundreds of thousands of people to launch and lead their own efforts on the platform. She also spent five years at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where she pioneered digital strategies for the labor movement. Kutch is a TED Fellow, an Echoing Green Global Fellow, a J.M.K. Innovation Prize winner and an Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellow. She is a frequently requested speaker at business, labor, futurist, democracy and economic conferences around the world. She has been invited to provide expert testimony to the EEOC Task Force on Harassment in the Workplace and the National Labor Relations Board. In 2015, Coworker.org cohosted the first-ever White House Town Hall on Worker Voice.

 

More profile about the speaker
Jess Kutch | Speaker | TED.com
TED2019

Jess Kutch: What productive conflict can offer a workplace

Jess Kutch: 职场的有效矛盾能带来什么?

Filmed:
1,286,027 views

知道如何将你的职场打造得更好吗?劳工组织者和TED研究员 Jess Kutch 能告诉你如何付诸于行动。在这场简短的演讲中,她解释了“有效矛盾”——当人们组织起来,去挑战并且改善他们的工作环境——是如何能够同时让员工和雇主们受益的。
- Labor entrepreneur
TED Fellow Jess Kutch is the cofounder of Coworker.org, a nonprofit that helps people join together to improve their jobs and workplaces. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I am a labor劳动 organizer组织者,
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我是一名劳工组织者,
00:15
and in 2013, I cofounded共同创立
an organization组织 called coworker同事.org组织
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在 2013 年,我与人联合建立了
一个名为 coworker.org 的组织。
00:19
that uses使用 technology技术
to help people join加入 with coworkers合作伙伴
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这个组织旨在使用科技
来帮助人们与同事一起
00:24
and organize组织 for improvements改进
in the workplace职场.
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组织改善职场环境。
00:27
Now, there are two kinds
of reactions反应 to what I do.
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对于我的工作,
人们一般有两种反应,
00:31
Actually其实, no, there are three.
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实际上应该是三种。
00:33
The first is complete完成 confusion混乱
about what organizing组织 is.
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第一种是搞不清“组织”
这个定义是什么意思。
00:37
When my doctor医生 asked
what I do and I told him,
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当我的医生问起我的职业,
我告诉了他,
00:39
he thought I meant意味着 organizing组织,
like, Marie玛丽 Kondo-style孔多风格.
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他以为我说的组织是
那种类似藤麻理惠的收纳整理风格。
00:43
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
00:44
He was like, "Oh, that's so great,
I could use some of that around here.
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他说:“哦,那真是太棒了,
可以在这里派上用场,
00:48
I would love to clean清洁 up
our patient患者 files."
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我很乐意整理病人的档案。”
00:50
And I had to explain说明 to him that no, no,
it's not that kind of organizing组织,
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之后我不得不向他解释,
“不不,不是那样的组织,
00:54
it's more like if you showed显示 up
to work tomorrow明天
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更像是如果你明天来上班,
00:57
and all the nurses护士 in the office办公室
had gotten得到 together一起
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办公室里的所有护士都团结了起来,
要求全面加薪。”
01:00
to ask for an across-the-board全面的板 raise提高.
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01:01
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
01:03
"Oh," he replied回答, and he got really quiet安静.
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“哦,” 他回复道,
之后就陷入了沉默。
01:06
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
01:07
Yeah, and that's
the second第二 kind of reaction反应:
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没错,这差不多就是第二种反应:
01:10
the uncomfortable不舒服 kind.
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不舒服的那种。
01:12
People usually平时 withdraw收回
from the conversation会话
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人们时常抽离对话,
01:14
and find someone有人 else其他 to talk to.
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找另外一个人去交谈。
01:17
Finally最后, there's the third第三 reaction反应,
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最后,是第三种反应,
01:19
the excited兴奋 one,
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兴奋的反应,
01:20
the, "Oh my God, yes! We need this!"
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那种“天呐,太好了!
我们正需要它!”
01:23
And someone有人 always proceeds收益
to tell me a story故事.
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之后经常就会有人接着给我讲故事。
01:26
It's always a story故事 about a job工作
or a coworker同事 or a friend朋友
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一般都是关于一份工作、
一个同事,或一个朋友
01:30
who's谁是 enduring持久 something awful可怕 at work.
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在工作中正在忍受不快的故事。
01:33
What I've noticed注意到 is that there is never
a neutral中性 response响应 to what I do.
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我已经发现对于我的工作,
没有人能够有中立的反应。
01:37
You're either repelled击退 by it,
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你要么被它击退,
01:39
or you're struck来袭 with
a lightning闪电 bolt螺栓 of excitement激动.
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要么被兴奋的闪电击中。
01:43
So why does my work stir搅拌 up
such这样 strong强大 reactions反应?
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那么为什么我的工作
能激起如此强烈的反应?
01:47
My hunch直觉 is that it's about conflict冲突.
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我的直觉是因为这关乎于矛盾。
01:50
If you have power功率 in your workplace职场,
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如果你在职场上坐拥权力,
01:52
maybe as a CEOCEO
or a senior前辈 leader领导 of some kind,
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可能是CEO或是某种高级领导,
01:56
you're going to feel uncomfortable不舒服
with that power功率 being存在 challenged挑战.
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那么当你的权力受到挑战时,
你就会感到不适。
02:00
But if you lack缺乏 power功率, or you know someone有人
who lacks缺乏 it and needs需求 it,
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但如果你或者其他人
缺乏而且需要权力,
02:04
you might威力 grab me by the shoulders肩膀
and shake me, you're so pumped.
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你可能会抓着我的肩膀,激动万分。
02:08
But really, we can all benefit效益
from understanding理解
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事实上,理解矛盾
在职场中能带来什么,
我们所有人都能从中受益。
02:12
what conflict冲突 can offer提供 in our workplaces工作场所.
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02:15
The power功率 imbalance失调
in our workplace职场 is real真实,
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职场中权力分配的不均是真实的,
02:17
and it's constantly经常 changing改变.
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而且一直在变。
02:19
Power功率 moves移动 between之间 us,
depending根据 on our roles角色 and status状态.
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权力在我们之间涌动,
取决于我们的角色和地位。
02:24
Now, sometimes有时 this can feel
like office办公室 politics政治, right?
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有时这感觉像是办公室政治,对吧?
02:27
Which哪一个 is never fun开玩笑.
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办公室政治从来都不有趣。
02:29
But when we contest比赛
for power功率 thoughtfully沉思地
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但是面对权力,当我们深思熟虑,
02:32
and together一起 with our coworkers合作伙伴,
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并且与同事们并肩,
02:34
it can be incredibly令人难以置信 productive生产的.
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就可以让事情变得极其有成效。
02:36
And it's that kind of productive生产的 conflict冲突
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这就是今天我想要和大家谈论的
02:38
that I want to talk
to you all about today今天,
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那种有效矛盾,
那种可以使我们部分人
听着不舒服的矛盾。
02:40
the kind that can make
some of us uncomfortable不舒服.
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02:43
Business商业 leaders领导者 should embrace拥抱
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当员工们与政策和决策
02:44
when their workers工人 conflict冲突
with policies政策 and decisions决定,
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发生矛盾冲突时,
商业领袖们应该去接受它,
02:47
both for what it teaches us
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不仅为了它教给我们的东西,
02:50
and for what it says about
our commitment承诺 to each other.
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也是为了表达出我们对彼此的承诺。
02:53
So what do I mean by
"productive生产的 conflict冲突"?
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那么我说的“有效矛盾”是什么意思?
02:56
Well, let me tell you a story故事.
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先让我给各位讲个故事。
02:58
In 2016, a store商店 employee雇员
for an outdoor户外 retailer零售商 --
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在 2016 年,
一家户外零售商的店内员工——
03:02
I'll call her "Alex亚历克斯" --
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我叫她 “Alex” ——
03:04
Alex亚历克斯 approached接近 her boss老板
and asked for a raise提高.
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Alex 走到她老板跟前要求涨薪,
03:07
Now, she was told her pay工资
was fairly相当 standard标准 for her position位置
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但是老板告诉她,
她的工资完全符合她的职位标准,
03:10
and that her boss老板 didn't even have
the authority权威 to give such这样 a raise提高.
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而且她老板本人
甚至没有给员工涨薪权限。
03:14
And that was supposed应该 to be
the end结束 of the conversation会话.
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事情到这里本来就应该结束了。
03:18
Unhappy不快乐 with that answer回答,
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Alex 对于老板的回答很不满意,
03:19
Alex亚历克斯 went home, and she decided决定
to create创建 a campaign运动 on coworker同事.org组织,
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回到家,她决定在 coworker.org 上
03:23
asking the corporate企业 office办公室
to give raises加薪 to store商店 employees雇员.
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发起一场运动,
要求公司给店内员工涨薪。
03:27
Within days, employees雇员
from around the country国家
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没几天,全国各地的员工
03:30
began开始 joining加盟 Alex'sAlex的 effort功夫
and sharing分享 their own拥有 stories故事
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开始加入 Alex 的运动
并分享他们自己
03:33
about what they were earning盈利 --
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目前收入的故事——
03:34
11, 12 dollars美元 an hour小时 --
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11 或 12 美金时薪——
03:36
and how that wage工资
was impacting影响 their lives生活.
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以及那个工资水平
是如何影响他们生活的。
03:38
Some even shared共享
that they had quit放弃 recently最近
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有些人甚至说他们最近辞职了,
03:41
to work for competitors竞争对手 who paid支付 more.
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去薪水更高的竞争公司工作。
03:44
But here's这里的 the thing: they also shared共享
that they didn't want to quit放弃,
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但问题是:他们也分享说
他们不想要离开,
03:47
they liked喜欢 their job工作, they believed相信
in the company's公司 mission任务,
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他们喜欢自己的工作,
他们相信公司的使命,
03:50
but for them, the pay工资 issue问题
was a growing生长 problem问题 in their work lives生活.
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但对于他们来说,薪水一直是
一个日渐增长的问题。
03:55
Well, after weeks of this groundswell风潮
of employee雇员 activism行动,
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在员工运动情绪高涨的几周后,
04:00
the company公司 decided决定 to raise提高 wages工资
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公司决定在国内各个城市
04:02
by five to 15 percent百分
in cities城市 across横过 the country国家.
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加薪 5% - 15%。
04:05
And that's what I mean
by productive生产的 conflict冲突:
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这就是我说的有效矛盾:
04:08
pushing推动 up against反对 the things
that aren't working加工 for us
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在没有其它解决途径的前提下,
04:10
when there exists存在 no other path路径 forward前锋.
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向上反抗那些对我们不利的事。
04:13
The other thing I learned学到了
in doing this work
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在这个工作中,我学会的另外一件事
04:16
is that people engage从事
in productive生产的 conflict冲突
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就是当人们在意
他们的工作和同事时,
04:18
when they care关心 about their jobs工作
and their coworkers合作伙伴.
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他们就会参与有效矛盾。
04:21
Now, that surprised诧异 me at first.
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这事一开始让我非常惊讶。
04:24
I expected预期 the worst最差 jobs工作,
the worst最差 workplaces工作场所,
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我期待最差劲的工作
和最垃圾的工作场所
04:26
to have the most
employee雇员 activism行动 on our site现场,
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在我们网站上有最多的员工运动,
04:29
but the opposite对面 is often经常 true真正.
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但实际情况恰恰相反。
04:32
When we come together一起,
we can accomplish完成 great things.
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当我们凝聚在一起,
我们可以成就大事。
04:37
At one company公司,
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有一个公司,
04:39
there are more than 50 campaigns活动
by employees雇员 there
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有超过 50 个的员工运动,
04:42
on issues问题 ranging不等 from dress连衣裙 code changes变化
to legitimate合法 safety安全 concerns关注.
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从着装要求的改变
到合法合理的安全顾虑。
04:47
And get this:
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最终结果:
04:48
that same相同 company公司 has
the lowest最低 voluntary自主性 turnover周转 rate
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相较该行业其它主要连锁公司,
04:53
of any major重大的 chain in its sector扇形.
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这家公司的自愿离职率最低。
04:55
And it also has one of the higher更高
productivity生产率 rates利率 as well.
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这家公司也同样有着较高的生产率。
05:01
Business商业 leaders领导者:
you shouldn't不能 fear恐惧 conflict冲突,
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商业领袖们:
你们不应该惧怕矛盾,
05:03
and you shouldn't不能 try to tamp down on it
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你们也不应该
在矛盾即将于职场发生时
05:05
the minute分钟 it bubbles泡泡 up
in your workforce劳动力.
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就打压它。
05:08
While it can introduce介绍 uncertainties不确定性
that can be difficult to manage管理,
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尽管接受矛盾可能意味着
引入难以管理的不确定因素,
05:13
those uncertainties不确定性 are trying
to tell you something
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但那些不确定因素
正在尝试告诉你一些
需要你关注的根本问题。
05:16
about an underlying底层 problem问题
that needs需求 your attention注意.
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05:20
And I think this is
especially特别 important重要 right now,
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我认为这非常重要,尤其是现在。
05:23
you know, as technology技术
transforms变换 nearly几乎 everyone's大家的 job工作
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随着技术对近乎每个人工作的转变,
05:28
and as the structures结构
that contain包含 our work
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以及囊括我们工作的结构
05:31
are changing改变 at a pace步伐 not seen看到
since以来 the Industrial产业 Revolution革命.
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正在以从工业革命以来
前所未有的速度改变,
05:35
We all need to be shaping成型
and participating参与 in the future未来 of work.
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我们所有人都需要塑造自己
并参与到未来工作。
05:40
We all need to be challenging具有挑战性的
and changing改变 the parts部分 of our work lives生活
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我们都需要挑战和改变
我们工作生活中
破碎不堪的部分。
05:44
that are broken破碎.
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05:47
So I hope希望 the next下一个 time
a coworker同事 invites邀请 you
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因此我希望,
如果下一次你的一个同事
05:50
maybe to join加入 a sign-on登录
letter to your boss老板,
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邀请你参与签署一封
给老板的联名信,
05:53
or a group of employees雇员 asks for a meeting会议
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或是一群员工要求开会
05:56
to discuss讨论 their concerns关注
about the new health健康 care关心 plan计划,
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讨论他们对新医疗计划的顾虑,
06:00
I hope希望 you'll你会 consider考虑 it an opportunity机会
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我希望,你能把它当作一个机会,
06:03
to build建立 a better workplace职场,
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一个营造更好职场环境的机会,
06:05
a stronger business商业
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一个打造更强企业的机会,
06:07
and an economy经济 that works作品 for all of us.
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和一个适合所有人的经济环境。
06:10
Thank you.
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谢谢。
06:11
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Jiasi Hao
Reviewed by Ying Meng

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jess Kutch - Labor entrepreneur
TED Fellow Jess Kutch is the cofounder of Coworker.org, a nonprofit that helps people join together to improve their jobs and workplaces.

Why you should listen

Jess Kutch and her team at Coworker.org are figuring out the technology, organizing models, financing and policies that can help workers improve their companies and industries in today’s economy. At Coworker.org, they believe anyone can be a workplace organizer and that seeking positive change at work is a form of civic and community leadership that requires infrastructure. Since 2013, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and worldwide have used Coworker.org tools and services to win wage increases, scheduling improvements and parental leave benefits; end biased dress codes; fix harassment policies; demand corporate ethics and much more. Coworker.org also helps channel workers' information about the real-time effects of digital economy trends -- like automation, data profiting, surveillance and app-based gig work -- to influence decisions that will shape the future of work and inequality. 

Kutch has 15 years of experience innovating at the intersection of technology and social change. Previously, she led a team at Change.org that inspired hundreds of thousands of people to launch and lead their own efforts on the platform. She also spent five years at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where she pioneered digital strategies for the labor movement. Kutch is a TED Fellow, an Echoing Green Global Fellow, a J.M.K. Innovation Prize winner and an Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellow. She is a frequently requested speaker at business, labor, futurist, democracy and economic conferences around the world. She has been invited to provide expert testimony to the EEOC Task Force on Harassment in the Workplace and the National Labor Relations Board. In 2015, Coworker.org cohosted the first-ever White House Town Hall on Worker Voice.

 

More profile about the speaker
Jess Kutch | Speaker | TED.com