In South Dakota, a Young Labor Leader Wants to Rebuild a Culture of Solidarity
Kooper Caraway, the 29-year-old new president of South Dakota’s AFL-CIO, grew up in a working-class family and cut his teeth fighting ICE as a high schooler. Now his vision for labor includes union-run housing and childcare: “It’s all about building a working-class culture of solidarity.”
New president of South Dakota’s ALF-CIO Kooper Caraway. (Photo by Adira Botella)
On September 1, Kooper Caraway was sworn in as president of the South Dakota State Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. At twenty-nine years old, he’s the youngest state labor federation president in the country.
“Growing up native in a working-class household, I know what it feels like to work your ass off and still struggle to survive,” Caraway said in a campaign video directed by Means TV last year. “It’s time for a labor movement with a bold vision of the future that fights for all working-class people.”
Jacobin’s Meagan Day spoke to Caraway about what that bold vision should look like, including the establishment of union housing and childcare predicated on the values of democracy and solidarity. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
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