Jonathan Sas has worked in senior policy and political roles in government, think tanks, and the labor movement. He is an honorary witness to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. His writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, National Post, the Tyee, and Maisonneuve.
Two Trader Joe’s stores have now unionized, raising the question of whether the chain could be the next Starbucks. But the company may at least be following in Starbucks’s footsteps in one way — by engaging in illegal union busting.
Mikhail Gorbachev’s ascent stirred enthusiasm among Italy’s Communists, who had long dreamed of reform in Moscow. The Soviet leader was inspired by the Italians’ more democratic, pluralistic approach to Communism. His failure would doom Eurocommunism, as well.
Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, who died last week, was a tragic figure. He tried to build a humane socialism on the rotten foundations of authoritarianism. Today, without the albatross of Stalinism, we can fight for an entirely different kind of socialism.
When you think of poorly paid workers, minor league baseball players probably aren’t the first group that comes to mind. But minor leaguers suffer paltry compensation — and a drive to unionize them is now officially underway.
This Labor Day, the overall situation for US labor remains bleak. Yet the Starbucks union campaign has spread across hundreds of stores, offering a model for other unions. In tough times, Starbucks workers are giving hope to the labor movement.
On Labor Day, there’s perhaps no one better to read than Eugene V. Debs. Here’s his 1903 Labor Day message, never before republished, in which he declares, “The struggle in which we are now engaged will end only when every day is Labor Day.”
Leftist activist Anjali Appadurai has thrown her hat into British Columbia’s NDP leadership race. If she wins, she will become the new premier. But win or lose, her presence in the race is shaking things up.
Today Chile votes on a new constitution. Chileans have a chance to replace Pinochet’s document with one that guarantees social, economic, and environmental rights, and to bury the legacy of neoliberalism once and for all.
In 1905, revolt across the Russian Empire threatened to topple the tsar — but also prompted a formidable reactionary backlash. For Rosa Luxemburg, it showed the need for working-class leadership in the fight to democratize society.
The mass media, both inside Russia and beyond its borders, hasn’t much noticed — but young Russian leftists have been at the forefront of opposing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Workers have been striking throughout the summer to demand an end to Britain’s cost-of-living crisis that doesn’t come at their expense. Expect more such strikes in the very near future.
For decades, Canada has been a consistent bulwark against the success of popular forces in Haiti. As Haiti’s capital is engulfed in protests and violence, Canadian calls for international intervention to “help” sound ominous, not reassuring.
US life expectancy has declined for the second year in a row — a historic drop that hasn’t been seen for a century. We can thank our country’s threadbare welfare state and antidemocratic political institutions.
In a new survey, the overwhelming majority of railroad workers say they reject a proposed settlement that fails to improve their draconian working conditions. They could strike as soon as September 16.
The Nazi legal theorist Carl Schmitt opposed liberalism in favor of an authoritarian politics based on singling out the enemies of the state. His ideas are incompatible with democracy, equality, and socialism.
Monsoon rains and melting glaciers have driven tens of millions of Pakistanis from their homes. The disaster shows that the poor Global South populations who do least to cause climate change are the people who pay most for its consequences.
Joe Biden’s speech about democracy on Thursday — in which he argued that Trumpism simultaneously has taken over the GOP and is rejected by a majority of Republicans — was emblematic of the confused and incoherent nature of today’s Democratic messaging.
A jobs and skills summit brought together union, business, and government leaders to address stagnant wages in Australia this week. While some seemingly progressive proposals got much attention, the outcome is set to further undermine pay and conditions.
Pakistan is facing a twin crisis: climate-change-fueled floods that have displaced tens of millions and a crushing debt burden imposed by Western financial institutions. Pakistan’s debt should be canceled immediately.
Days after President Joe Biden announced student debt cancellation, his administration is continuing to deny bankruptcy protections to the most beleaguered debtors.