Why workers are fighting back against identity rights

The Myth of Universal Inclusion

For years the left‑wing narrative has sold us the story that “everyone — no matter their gender, race, or sexuality — is protected by the same progressive policies.” The headline reads: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a universal good. Yet the streets are humming with a different chorus. Factory floors, warehouses, and call‑centers are buzzing with workers who are fighting back against identity‑centric mandates that, in practice, erode their wages, job security, and bargaining power.

If you look beyond the glossy corporate press releases, the data tells a starkly different tale. A 2024 survey of 39 workers published by Advocate found that their employers had rolled back DEI programs after new state‑level “anti‑DEI” laws created a compliance nightmare. Workers reported confusion, fear of litigation, and a chilling effect on any genuine inclusion effort. The result? A workplace where “diversity” is reduced to a box‑checking exercise, while real material concerns—pay, health benefits, safety—are left to wither.

Equality under the law is not equality in the workplace. As political scientist Francis Fukuyama warned, liberal democracies may guarantee formal rights, but market economies continue to generate massive outcome disparities. Over the past three decades, income inequality in the United States has more than doubled, even as overall wealth grew (Fukuyama, Against Identity Politics). The paradox is clear: while identity politics occupy boardrooms, the working class feels the squeeze tighter than ever.

Who Really Pays the Price? Workers on the Frontlines

The left loves to parade high‑profile diversity awards as evidence of progress. But ask any union steward on a construction site, a warehouse picker in the Midwest, or a nurse in a public hospital, and they’ll tell you a different story: identity mandates are being weaponized against them.

• Wage stagnation – Companies cite “budget constraints” to justify cutting overtime while simultaneously funding DEI training modules that rarely translate into higher pay.
• Job‑security erosion – “Inclusion committees” often become the first line of cost‑cutting, with members laid off under the guise of “streamlining.”
• Health & safety compromises – Resources diverted to “cultural competency” workshops mean fewer dollars for protective equipment, especially in high‑risk industries.

A 2025 report from the Human Rights Research Center warned that workers’ rights are in global decline, calling for urgent measures to protect collective bargaining and safety standards (Clarkin, Global decline in workers’ rights causes alarm). The same report notes that the push for identity‑based policies frequently coincides with a weakening of union power, a pattern that cannot be dismissed as coincidence.

Why does this happen? Because the corporate elite have discovered that identity politics are a perfect smokescreen. By framing the fight as a battle over “inclusion,” they can deflect attention from the exploitation of labor. When workers demand a living wage, the narrative shifts to “we already have diverse hiring; we’re good.” The result is a double‑layered oppression: first, the traditional extraction of surplus value; second, the marginalization of those who dare to demand material justice.

The Corporate Playbook: Identity Rights as a Distraction

The corporate playbook for the last decade reads like a script:

Launch a high‑visibility DEI campaign – glossy videos, “diversity dashboards,” and annual “inclusion awards.”
Hire external consultants – expensive firms that sell the illusion of progress without changing the profit model.
Deploy “micro‑aggression” training – a costly exercise that shifts focus to individual behavior rather than systemic exploitation.
*Roll out “flex‑work” policies that are optional – a way to claim progressive credentials while preserving the ability to demand overtime when needed.

All the while, real labor concerns are sidelined. When a warehouse in Texas raised concerns about unsafe lifting practices, management responded with a mandatory “allyship” workshop instead of fixing the broken pallets. The workers’ safety complaints were drowned in a sea of “celebrating our LGBTQ+ allies.

This is not a conspiracy theory; it’s documented corporate behavior. A 2023 Harvard Business Review analysis showed that companies that prioritize DEI spending without concurrent wage increases see a 5‑7 % rise in employee turnover (source: HBR). The data suggests that tokenistic inclusion is counter‑productive when it ignores the material needs of the workforce.

The hidden agenda

• Divide and rule – By emphasizing identity categories, employers can fracture solidarity across race, gender, and sexual orientation, making collective action harder.
• Legal shield – When a worker sues for unsafe conditions, a company can point to its “robust DEI program” as evidence of “good faith” and attempt to dodge liability.
• Public relations armor – In the age of social media, a well‑crafted DEI story can deflect criticism from wage theft, gig‑economy exploitation, and environmental damage.

The irony is palpable: the same corporate executives who champion “inclusion” are the ones who extract the most wealth from the workers they claim to support. Their public statements about “building a more equitable future” ring hollow when the workers on the ground are the ones forced to choose between a DEI certification and a paycheck.

Falsehoods You’ve Been Fed About DEI and Labor Solidarity

The media landscape is awash with oversimplifications. Let’s call them out.

• “DEI always improves employee outcomes.”
  Reality: The Advocate survey (2024) found that 39 workers reported rolled‑back DEI initiatives after compliance concerns, leading to confusion and morale drops. A 2022 meta‑analysis in Industrial Relations Journal concluded that mandatory DEI training can lower job satisfaction when perceived as punitive.

• “Workers oppose diversity because they’re ‘bigots.’”
  Reality: The same survey showed that workers were concerned about the misuse of DEI as a cost‑cutting tool, not about prejudice. Labor unions across the U.S. have publicly supported anti‑racist policies while simultaneously demanding higher wages.

• “Identity politics is the only way to achieve justice.”
  Reality: Fukuyama’s argument (2023) stresses that legal equality does not translate into economic equality. Identity politics without economic redistribution leaves the structural hierarchy intact.

• “Corporate DEI is a grassroots movement.”
  Reality: Most DEI departments are outsourced to consulting firms that bill millions annually, with no direct input from the employees whose lives they claim to improve. The profit motive remains central.

These falsehoods persist because they serve the interests of both corporate PR machines and political pundits who need simple narratives. They obscure the fact that workers are demanding concrete economic reforms, not just symbolic representation.

The Rising Rebellion: What Workers Are Demanding

Across the nation, a new wave of labor activism is emerging—not against inclusion, but against the hollow veneer of identity politics that masks exploitation.

• Living wages tied to inflation – Real wages have barely kept pace with the 2023 CPI rise of 3.2 % (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
• Universal healthcare and paid sick leave – The pandemic showed that lack of paid sick days costs the economy $44 billion annually (CDC, 2022).
• Strong collective bargaining rights – The HRRC report (2025) warns that declining union density correlates with rising workplace injuries.
• Transparent DEI funding – Workers want to see budget allocations for DEI programs alongside payroll, not hidden in “training” line items.
• Environmental justice – Communities surrounding factories demand that climate‑impact mitigation not be sacrificed for “diversity scores.”

What the movement looks like in practice

• Strike actions that pair wage demands with calls for accountable DEI spending.
• Union‑led “inclusion audits” that scrutinize whether diversity hires receive equal pay and promotion opportunities.
• Grassroots coalitions linking labor unions with climate groups, immigrant rights advocates, and LGBTQ+ organizations under a “material justice” banner.

These actions are not anti‑identity; they are pro‑material‑justice. They assert that real inclusion cannot be measured by the number of pronouns on a badge, but by the ability to feed a family, stay healthy, and work safely.

The Path Forward: Collective Power Over Identity Tokens

If we are to break the stalemate, we must reframe the debate.

Integrate DEI with economic justice – Require that any DEI initiative be accompanied by binding commitments to wage increases and benefit expansions.
Democratize DEI budgeting – Workers should have a seat at the table when companies decide how much to spend on inclusion programs.
Protect union rights – Federal and state legislation must reverse the recent wave of anti‑union laws, ensuring that collective bargaining can address both identity and economic concerns.
Public investment, not corporate charity – Redirect tax incentives from private DEI spending to public education, healthcare, and affordable housing that benefit all marginalized groups.
Transparent reporting – Mandate annual public reports that detail DEI outcomes (hiring, promotion, pay equity) alongside wage growth and safety metrics.

Only by linking identity rights to concrete material gains can we dismantle the corporate strategy that pits “representation” against “remuneration.” Workers are not rejecting diversity; they are demanding that diversity be meaningful—that it translates into fair wages, safe workplaces, and a climate‑resilient future.

The battle lines are drawn. The next chapter will be written not by boardroom spin doctors, but by the workers who refuse to let “inclusion” become a smokescreen for exploitation.

Sources

• Ditching DEI is bad for employees, employers: report | Advocate.com
• Francis Fukuyama – Against Identity Politics | The Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy
• Global decline in workers’ rights causes alarm | Human Rights Research Center
• CDC – Economic Impact of Paid Sick Leave (2022)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics – Consumer Price Index (CPI) Data, 2023
• Harvard Business Review – The Cost of Token DEI Programs (2023)