As the Writers’ Strike Enters Its Third Week, the Studios Aren’t Budging
The Writers Guild of America is now in week three of its nationwide strike. Two key sticking points in negotiations: residual payments and the use of artificial intelligence.
19633 Articles by: Enver Motala
Enver Motala is an associate of the Centre for Education Rights and Transformation (CERT) at the University of Johannesburg and of the Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training at the Nelson Mandela University.
The UAW Is Right to Withhold Its Endorsement of Joe Biden
The United Auto Workers is refusing to endorse Joe Biden until he commits to backing an electric vehicle transition that creates good union jobs. The union’s new reform leadership is absolutely right to hold Biden’s feet to the fire.
“Chicago Is Leading the Way in Advancing a Real Political Alternative”
Brandon Johnson was inaugurated as Chicago mayor today. What makes the Chicago working-class movement that elected him so remarkable is its willingness to wage audacious fights over protecting and expanding public goods that seem unwinnable.
In Turkey, the Fight for Democracy Isn’t Over
Turkey’s elections on Sunday brought incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the cusp of another term in office. But he now faces a runoff vote, in which prodemocratic and Kurdish forces can still inflict a historic defeat upon the authoritarian president.
How Chicago’s Working-Class Movement Elected Mayor Brandon Johnson
In a conversation with Jacobin, Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates, city councilor Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, and editor Alex Han discuss how Chicago’s working-class movement elected one of its own as mayor and where that movement goes now.
If Politicians Want to Preach Energy Saving, They Should Stop Taking Private Jets
While millions struggle to pay the bills, the European Council president’s personal budget for 2024 is set to hit a vast €2.6 million. The EU’s outlandish spending on private jets for its leaders makes a mockery of calls for Europeans to save energy.
Sisu Is Splendid Anti-Nazi Mayhem
Do you want to see a bunch of Nazis get the bloody, gory treatment they deserve in the wilds of Northern Finland? Of course you do. Then go see Sisu.
Graduate Workers at the University of Michigan Have Been on Strike for Over a Month
On March 29, graduate student workers at the University of Michigan began a strike over what they describe as the university’s refusal to negotiate in good faith. We spoke to striking workers about the walkout, the longest in their union’s 49-year history.
Brandon Johnson Will Walk a Tightrope on Crime as Chicago Mayor
The most important task for Brandon Johnson, who will be inaugurated as Chicago’s mayor on Monday, will be to pioneer a new, progressive path to address crime in the city while fending off attacks from a hostile media and the Chicago Police Department.
Architects Are Toiling Under Brutal Working Conditions
Far from being a white-collar oasis, architects work under grueling conditions — which is why some are now trying to unionize. We spoke to an architect and union organizer about labor’s new efforts to organize the industry.
Hollywood Screenwriters Have Always Known That Moviemaking Is a Form of Labor
The Hollywood screenwriters’ strike has deep historical roots: stretching back to Hollywood’s Golden Age, writers and many others in the industry have insisted that filmmaking is a form of labor — and fought for their rights as workers.
How the Chicago Boys Broke Chile
Conservatives cast Chile as a success story in which the neoliberal economists known as the “Chicago Boys” reversed reckless socialist experimentation. This whitewashes the horrific crimes of Augusto Pinochet and the precarity his policies normalized.
What Makes a Consumption Tax Regressive?
It’s complicated.
Eric Adams’s Attacks on Homeless People Helped Bring Us to Jordan Neely’s Death
Since the beginning of his administration, Eric Adams has publicly demonized homeless people in New York City while cutting social services and public institutions like schools and libraries. These attacks helped pave the way for the killing of Jordan Neely.
“School Lunch Debt” Is a Phrase That Shouldn’t Exist in a Humane Society
Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar want schools to abolish “school lunch debt” and feed all children at school free of charge. In a decent society, that would be uncontroversial — yet every Republican and many Democrats haven’t signed on.
The Forgotten Case Against Milton Friedman
In 1967, Milton Friedman launched a counterrevolution in economics that overturned the Keynesian theory of inflation. Three years later, economist James Tobin issued a powerful theoretical rebuttal — but in the economics mainstream, it’s been all but forgotten.
A South Korean Labor Leader Has Self-Immolated in Protest of Anti-Union Charges
On May Day, South Korean construction union leader Yang Hoe-dong took his own life by setting himself on fire rather than accept the state’s anti-union charges against him. Yang is a brutal casualty of the South Korean president’s war on labor.
There Can Be No Peace in Sudan Without the Democratic Empowerment of Its People
The US and other Western governments cozied up to the Sudanese coup leaders who have now plunged the country into violent chaos. The only true hope for peace and democracy in Sudan lies with the popular resistance committees that are organizing against war.
Amazon Is Still Running an Injury Mill for Workers
Working at Amazon isn’t just physically taxing, it’s dangerous. Despite years of scrutiny and years of company spin, Amazon still has a serious injury rate more than double the rest of the industry.
JPMorgan Chase Is the Big Winner From First Republic Bank’s Failure
First Republic Bank’s failure resulted in its acquisition by JPMorgan Chase. As more banks continue to fail in the coming years, massive banks like Chase stand well-positioned to swallow them up.