Sara Nelson: “Solidarity Is a Force Stronger Than Gravity”
This month, Association of Flight Attendants union president Sara Nelson addressed over 1,000 delegates at the Democratic Socialists of America convention. Here's what she had to say about the labor movement's power to defeat bigotry, the proud legacy of democratic socialists, and why solidarity is the "greatest force for good in human history."
Sara Nelson speaking at the 2019 American Federation of Government Employees Legislative & Grassroots Mobilization Conference on February 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. AFGE / Flickr
Good afternoon, Democratic Socialists of America!
Since we are here in Atlanta it seems fitting to begin with some labor history that perfectly illustrates worker power.
In 1881, less than twenty years after the Civil War, so-called washer-women in Atlanta organized a strike for higher pay. Most would have said what they were attempting to do was impossible. There were no labor laws to protect them, there was no single employer with whom they could negotiate, and their low-skilled work could easily be taken over by others.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.