Labor Is Demanding an End to Wall Street Stock Buybacks
Stock buybacks are a major way the rich can hoard their wealth instead of investing in workers — which is why a coalition of unions is demanding an end to such buybacks.
20407 Article(s) by: James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth is a writer and journalist from London.
Britain Has Rediscovered the Workplace as a Battleground
Britain is being battered by a severe cost-of-living crisis. But millions of Brits now feel emboldened to challenge a social structure that expects them to live worse lives while working harder and harder for bosses who have never had it better.
Ontario’s Education Workers Are Heading Back to the Picket Line
Less than two weeks ago, Ontario education workers ended a strike and came to the table to negotiate with the province. Now, in a fight not just for wages but for classroom conditions, 50,000 workers are set to strike again on Monday if a new deal is not reached.
Ha-Joon Chang Has Exposed the Fallacies of Neoliberalism
Korean economist Ha-Joon Chang is a brilliant, best-selling critic of neoliberal orthodoxy. But Chang stops far short of taking the necessary next step: questioning the capitalist system itself.
Joe Biden Could End a $50 Billion Tax Loophole for the Rich
A massive tax loophole created by state legislatures currently allows tax breaks to Americans who make over $1 million a year, amounting to an estimated $50 billion by 2025. Joe Biden now has an easy opportunity to close that loophole.
Ben Shapiro Is Talking Nonsense About the Left Undermining Families
Ben Shapiro absurdly says that the Left supports gay marriage to undermine families and turn us into “atomized individuals.” The reality: leftists oppose social atomization, and we want all families to have the economic support they need.
Democrats Should Become the Party of Voting Rights
People voted blue in the midterms because they trust the Democratic Party to preserve democracy. From accessibility for disabled voters to protecting the vote-by-mail process, Democrats should step up and prioritize voting rights wherever they can.
Joe Hill Was Killed for Singing Labor’s Song
One hundred seven years ago today, the labor troubadour Joe Hill was executed by a Utah firing squad for a crime he almost certainly didn’t commit. His real crime: singing and agitating on behalf of the working class.
Neoliberalism Was a Counterrevolution Against Democracy
A group of 20th-century intellectuals saw the democratic nation-state as a threat to private property. Their solution: shifting power to unaccountable international bodies like the WTO, helping pave the way to what we now call “neoliberalism.”
114 Starbucks Stores Saw Workers Go on Strike Yesterday
Starbucks has undertaken an unceasing union-busting campaign since the first cafe unionized a year ago. But if the 114 cafes that saw baristas go on strike yesterday for its annual Red Cup Day are any indication, the company won’t be victorious any time soon.
Taiwan Shouldn’t Be Used as a Geopolitical Pawn
During the Cold War, US officials saw Taiwan as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” and supported Chiang Kai-Shek’s dictatorship. Modern-day Taiwan has developed a democratic culture that shouldn’t be subordinated to confrontation between Washington and Beijing.
Black Women Were at the Heart of the Struggle to Build American Communism
Throughout the early to mid-20th century, black communist women led mass campaigns to build collective power, joining the fight for black liberation with the struggle for economic equality. Their goal: the overthrow of capitalism.
Joe Biden Is Finally Moving Toward Allowing Bankruptcy to Eliminate Student Debt
The Department of Justice has announced it will stop opposing efforts to discharge student debt through bankruptcy — a victory for the advocacy groups who have continuously made this demand on the Biden administration.
A Missile Strike in Poland Shows Why Government Agencies Can’t Be the Sole Arbiters of Truth
After a Ukrainian missile mishap in Poland, misinformation blaming Russia quickly spread. The lie came from precisely the “authoritative sources” now being treated as the arbiters of truth by social media platforms.
No, You Won’t Use Our Campuses for Military Recruitment
Last month saw a wave of protests in UK universities against the presence of arms traders and army recruiters. Cash-strapped educational institutions are becoming ever more dependent on the military for funds — subverting the very purpose of education.
Private Equity Is Playing Games With Workers’ Pensions
Public pensions with investments in private equity face severe losses amid the economic downturn. But with the industry’s shady contracts and anti-transparency laws, fund managers have no obligation to disclose their real performance.
Los Angeles’s Garment District Is Still Home to Severe Exploitation
Over 45,000 workers are concentrated in Los Angeles’ Garment District. Long faced with paltry wages and inhumane working conditions, those workers are now taking significant risks to organize for better pay and workplace protections.
The “Labor Question” Is About Life During and After Capitalism
Throughout American history, no matter the oscillations in politics, the economy, or class struggle, the “labor question” refuses to die.
In Congress, War Hawks Trade War Stocks
Multiple politicians hold significant stocks in the very defense corporations whose federal contracts they vote to increase each year. The solution to this blatant intrusion of defense money into politics is simple: ban all congressional stock trading.
Now Do the Much Better, Real-Life Version of My Policeman
The new movie My Policeman, starring Harry Styles, is inspired by novelist E. M. Forster’s 40-year relationship with policeman Robert Buckingham that began in 1930. The details of that romance are stirring — much more so than what we get in the film.