Union Democracy Is a Value, Not a Strategy
Democracy is a central value of every trade union worth the name. But we shouldn’t assume that a more democratic union means a more militant union.
20383 Article(s) by: Elizabeth Mahony
How Liberal Anti-Racism Was Used to Privatize Public Schools
In 2013, a movement of working-class New Jerseyans halted Cory Booker’s plans to privatize Newark public schools. A new book shows how a group of neoliberals co-opted this victory, securing consent for school charterization under the banner of anti-racism.
Biden Is Backing Israel’s Genocide — and Risking Reelection
Democratic voters increasingly view what Israel is doing in Gaza as genocide. Don’t be surprised if Joe Biden’s support for it tanks his reelection chances.
Arbitrating Against Corporate Power Just Got More Expensive
In contracts ranging from credit cards to employment terms, arbitration agreements force consumers and workers to pursue corporate accountability via private arbitration rather than the court system. That arbitration process just got way more expensive.
Migrant Caravans Are Challenging an Oppressive Border Regime
Central American migrants taking part in caravans that cross Mexico’s territory are often presented as pawns manipulated by NGOs or smuggling gangs. In fact, they’re making an active choice to challenge a violent border system that extends far beyond US soil.
China Miéville on The Communist Manifesto’s Enduring Power
In an interview, author China Miéville explains why Marx and Engels’s Communist Manifesto is such a remarkable work, defending the book against its detractors and arguing that it remains urgently inspiring and deeply relevant.
In Europe, the Liberal Center Is Going Extinct
Europe’s centrists often claim to defend liberal values against populist threats. Yet ahead of June’s EU elections, liberals have adopted far-right talking points on everything from the climate to migration — and it’s not saving their weak poll numbers.
Defunding UNRWA Is Collective Punishment
Reeling from the ICJ’s genocide ruling, Israel attacked the credibility of UNRWA, the UN agency that provides food and health care to Palestinian refugees. Now Joe Biden and other Western leaders are cutting funding for the vital humanitarian aid agency.
The UAW’s New Push to Organize Nonunion Auto Is Bearing Fruit
The UAW announced yesterday that 10,000 autoworkers have signed union cards since it launched its drive to organize the nonunion auto workforce two months ago. It’s a high-risk campaign — and precisely the type of gambit the working class needs right now.
The US Refuses to Even Apologize for Killing Civilians
The US admits that it continues to kill civilians in drone strikes across Africa and the Middle East. Yet despite US government promises, it routinely refuses to apologize or offer compensation to the families of its victims.
Our New Cities Can Be Born From the Ashes of the Old
Commercial real estate is in crisis throughout North America. This presents an opportunity for the mass conversion of commercial buildings, which could help address the housing crisis and create better cities in the process.
The Righteous Jim Larkin Turns 150
The Irish socialist and labor leader Jim Larkin, born 150 years ago this week, was an evangelist for the workers’ movement who preached a divine mission of discontent — and sought a final reckoning with the capitalist class.
Joe Biden Shouldn’t be Able to Just Unilaterally Bomb Yemen
Joe Biden continues to bomb Yemen without even seeking congressional authorization. His justifications for doing so don’t stand up to scrutiny — and they mask the dangers of this operation becoming another open-ended US war.
How California’s Solar Ironworkers Got Rid of Tiers
Unlike in most of the US, solar plants in California have largely been built by union construction workers. Many of those workers toiled on the underside of a two-tier system — until bottom-up pressure led the Ironworkers to a successful push to abolish tiers.
Why We Need Union Halls in Every Town
Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol’s Rust Belt Union Blues makes a compelling case that left-wing success in the rust belt depends on reviving the presence and stature of unions — and the sense of social connection they offer — in local communities.
The Oscar Nominations Have Kicked Off Another Wave of Outrage
The “Barbie snub” has kicked off an online kerfuffle about the 2024 Academy Award nominations. The decisions of the Academy are generally cynical and silly — but perhaps we should appreciate the fighting spirit awakened annually by the nominations.
Angel Wagenstein Was One of the Great Left-Wing Artists
The Jewish Communist partisan Angel Wagenstein was sentenced to death in 1944 — but he lived until 2023. From his Bulgarian homeland to postwar East Berlin, the filmmaker and novelist devoted his century of life to telling the stories of the persecuted.
How Private Equity Was Born
Private equity, now a major presence in the US economic landscape, has been booming since the 2008 financial crisis. Its roots lie in the rise of the corporation at the turn of the century and the shareholder revolution of the 1980s.
Israel and Russia Have No Place in the 2024 Paris Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has declined to curtail Israel’s involvement in the 2024 games and has placed half-hearted limits on Russia. The IOC claims it opposes the politicization of sport — but the Olympics are a historically political institution.
Despite Worker Militancy, Union Rates Are Still Down
Despite an apparent upsurge in labor militancy, unions made no gains in their share of the workforce last year. Something needs to change — and fast.