Despite being among the country's lowest paid workers, employees in the food system have remained largely invisible to the average consumer. But now, food system workers are garnering the support of consumers through campaigns for good jobs, wages, and food. This chapter highlights three organizing campaigns that are emblematic of this struggle: 1) the Brandworkers campaign at Amy’s Bread, an artisanal bakery in New York City; 2) the Teamsters campaign at Taylor Farms in Tracy, California, the largest salad processor in the U.S.; and 3) the OUR Walmart campaign at Walmart stores around the country. These cases illustrate how consumers can actively support workers who are organizing against everyday exploitation and oppression.

The rise of the service economy, low‐wage jobs, and precarious employment practices are often noted as the core drivers of contemporary inequality. This article argues that the new economy should be understood alongside a policy regime that provides tremendous leeway for employers to routinely flout labor regulations, and some of the fissuring of the labor market is due to the ability of employers to engage in illegal activity. This article describes four policy areas to explore how employer violations impact the economics of employment: (1) union violations and the National Labor Relations Act; (2) wage theft and the Fair Labor Standards Act; (3) the categorization of temporary workers and independent contractors; (4) and workplace safety violations under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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