How Business Weakened COVID Workplace Protections
The Biden administration intended to release far-reaching safety rules designed to protect workers from COVID — until big business came calling and demanded the rules be drastically scaled back.
19274 Articles by: Frances Abele
Frances Abele CM is Distinguished Research Professor and Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy Emerita at Carleton University. She is a research fellow at the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation and the Broadbent Institute. Much of her work focuses on indigenous-Canada relations.
Abolish Landlords
A century ago, socialists demanded that housing serve public need rather than private profit. That aspiration is still relevant today, but it can only be realized under one condition: abolishing landlords.
Work and Death in Sri Lanka’s Garment Industry
Sri Lanka is home to some of the biggest garment manufacturers in the world, and while clothing exports have risen, so have COVID-19 infections among workers. We talk to people who face the daily choice of disease or impoverishment.
Maida Springer Insisted Unions Were Essential for Improving Black People’s Lives
Maida Springer isn’t a household name even among trade unionists and labor historians. But she was a lifelong union member and organizer who was committed to using unions to improve black people’s lives in the United States and Africa.
Climate Change Disaster Isn’t a Future Threat — It’s Already Here
From the historic heat wave tearing through the Pacific Northwest to temperatures “too hot for humanity” in Pakistan, the consequences of climate change are no longer a far-off threat — they’re here right now.
Why Sectoral Bargaining Matters for the Labor Movement
Sectoral bargaining allows unions in countries around the world to improve the lives of enormous numbers of workers, including many who aren’t union members themselves. The sectoral model could be a huge boon to labor power in the United States.
Six Takeaways From India Walton’s Historic Victory in Buffalo
Here is a data-driven look at how democratic socialist India Walton won Buffalo’s mayoral primary, and what her coalition really looks like.
2,500 County Workers in and Around Chicago Are Currently on Strike
Cook County workers never stopped working during the pandemic. At the bargaining table, they say that Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle refuses to recognize their sacrifices — which is why 2,500 county workers are currently in their second week of a strike. We spoke to one of the strikers.
Americans Are More Open to Socialism Than Ever
Socialism is now a real part of the political landscape — while “capitalism” has never been more unpopular.
The Horror of Canada’s Residential Schools Was Hiding in Plain Sight
The horrifying details about thousands of dead Indigenous children should not come as a shock to Canadians. It’s no good just hand-wringing in response. Solidarity and action is what’s needed.
The Theory and Practice of Marxism in Japan
From the ’60s New Left to the persistence of a mass-membership Communist Party today, Marxism has had a huge impact on Japanese politics and culture. Japanese Marxism is a highly creative tradition that deserves to be better known and understood outside Japan.
The Supreme Court Just Dealt a Blow to Farmworkers — And All Other Workers, Too
Agricultural bosses won a Supreme Court case barring California unions from talking to farmworkers on the job site. It’s a major setback not just for farmworkers but all other workers, too.
In the Heights Is the Most Boring Movie of the Year
The controversy over casting in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights obscures just how dull the film really is.
Keir Starmer Is Dragging Down the Labour Party
Labour held on in Batley and Spen in spite of Keir Starmer’s unpopular leadership, not because of it. An effective local campaign kept him as far away as possible. In thrall to focus groups and media groupthink, Starmer is still guiding Labour onto the rocks.
Donald Rumsfeld Was a Monster Only Washington Could Create
In a decades-long political career, Donald Rumsfeld was known for two things: covering his own ass and having few real political principles. Relentless warmongering powered his rise to the top in Washington — and led him to help orchestrate one of the worst disasters in the history of US foreign policy.
Debunking the Economist’s Myths of Free-Market Liberalism
The Economist’s liberalism is often framed as the politics of human rights and individual freedom, but its origins lie just as much in a fear of the masses and democracy.
Trader Joe’s Is Once Again Accused of Violating Workers’ Rights
When workers at Trader Joe’s flagship location collectively organized to challenge their pandemic-era treatment by the company, management responded by interrogating them. We spoke to a worker who filed a complaint with the NLRB over the crackdown.
India Walton Is a Sign of What the Socialist Movement Could Become
India Walton’s victory in Buffalo is an enormous advance. With a clear political strategy, the socialist movement could become less dominated by professionals and more driven by the working-class base it requires.
The Batley and Spen By-Election Showed Britain’s Political Class Holds Muslims In Contempt
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party narrowly avoided a second successive by-election defeat to the Tories yesterday. But the most important story of the campaign was the alienation of British Muslims from a political mainstream that openly despises them.
Give Bus Passengers Free Hotel Stays for Long-Distance Trips
Long-distance bus travel is far less carbon-intensive than plane travel, not to mention an incredible way to see the country. But the trips often aren’t pleasant. One easy way to change that: publicly subsidize overnight lodging for bus travelers.