We are thrilled to announce that Job Quality Fellow Saket Soni has been awarded the McNulty Foundation’s 2024 John P. McNulty Prize! Created in 2008, the McNulty Prize celebrates breakthrough leaders for their moral courage, bold vision, and deep, lasting impact, and we cannot think of a leader who better exemplifies these qualities than Saket.
As a labor organizer, Saket has been a lifelong advocate for worker’s rights at the grassroots and national level, founding Resilience Force in 2017 to support the thousands of mostly immigrant workers who travel to rebuild in the wake of natural disasters. Through training and advocacy, Resilience Force is helping to create good jobs — including fair pay, good benefits, and safe working conditions — while preparing local communities for the worsening effects of climate change. And as a McNulty Prize winner, Saket will receive $150,000 to expand this critical work.
In 2022, we had the privilege of inducting Saket into our Job Quality Fellowship and have benefited tremendously from the insights and expertise he has brought to this role. We encourage you to check out this profile and book talk for a glimpse of our experience with Saket.
To hear from Saket directly — as well as this year’s other winners, Gloria Walton, Nedgine Paul Deroly, and Jean-Claude Brizard
— tune in to the Resnick Aspen Action Forum on July 23 at 8 p.m Eastern (6 p.m. Mountain time).
Blog Post: Strengthening the Hidden Resilience Workforce
As the effects of climate change intensify, the sight of hurricanes, floods, and fires will become increasingly common. But we rarely see or hear about the workers who help to rebuild after a natural disaster. Few workers will be more essential as the climate crisis deepens, yet many lack safe working conditions, decent pay, or sufficient benefits. Resilience Force stands at the intersection of these issues — climate change and job quality — and this blog post offers an introduction to the work that Saket’s organization is doing to support this vital workforce.
Video: “The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America”
The US is often described as a nation of immigrants, and immigrant workers have played a critical role in building the country and our economy. But many have not had their hard work rewarded, and some have even been subjected to exploitation and abuse. What do the experiences of immigrant workers tell us about the story of opportunity in America? In his new book, “The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America,” Saket tells a gripping tale of love, dreams, betrayal, greed, courage, redemption, and hope – and learning to see across society’s divides to find our common humanity. We spoke with Saket on his recent book tour and got a firsthand take on this incredible story.
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The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. Follow us on social media and join our mailing list to stay up-to-date on publications, blog posts, events, and other announcements.
