Unions Need to Spend Big to Seize the Day
Even as union density has declined, unions have spent little on organizing while amassing vast war chests. But the UAW and Workers United are showing that spending big on strikes and organizing pays off.
19112 Articles by: Julia Goodman
Social Housing Can Work
Confronted with a deepening housing affordability crisis across the country, some US legislators are turning to the successful social housing programs of countries like Austria and Singapore. We spoke to two of them, from Hawaii and California.
Steve Albini Engineered the Indie Rock Revolution
Indie rock legend Steve Albini, who died on Tuesday, knew his industry as a musician, critic, and recording engineer. His rebellion against corporate labels was rooted in a deeply held philosophy: that every musician is a worker.
Rigoberta Menchú Paved the Way for an Opening in Guatemala
Guatemalan indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchú helped set the tone and forge the climate that convicted the rabidly anti-communist general Efraín Rios Montt and condemned many others guilty of genocide during the country’s brutal civil war.
Labor Can Scale Up Its Recent Wins
Can the new models of union organizing coming out of recent high-profile campaigns like Starbucks be a potential way to capture the current upsurge of support for and interest in unions? Labor scholar Eric Blanc thinks they can.
The Rise and Fall of Labour’s Radical Generation
A new book shows how a tight-knit group of left-wing Labour politicians emerged from the politics of the 1970s, eventually taking control of the party under Jeremy Corbyn. If they could topple Blairism, then today’s Labour left can take on Starmerism.
Failure to Safeguard Free Speech Is Always a Problem
Recent crackdowns on free assembly are a reminder that the state will always finish first in deplatforming contests. Parts of Canada’s Online Harms Bill may be a massive overreach that chills speech at the worst time possible.
Mainstream Media Is Spreading Lies About Palestine Protests
Rather than acting as a check on the powerful, media outlets like CNN and MSNBC are allowing police to give their interpretation of student Palestine protests with few challenges, even in cases where police are blatantly lying or distorting the truth.
Catalonia’s Election Isn’t Just About the National Divide
Seven years since the failed bid for Catalan independence, the national question still haunts Spanish politics. But Sunday’s snap elections in Catalonia are also about its economic model — and its increasing dependence on a low-wage tourist sector.
The US Created the Border Crisis
Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here, Jonathan Blitzer’s book on the brutal history of US border policy, vividly describes the suffering that the US immigration system inflicts on individuals — and the reactionary politics that undergird it.
Steve Albini Believed in a Democratic Music Industry
The musician and audio engineer Steve Albini, who died this week, defended art from the music industry’s greed. Working with famous bands and indie acts alike, he fought for every artist’s right to realize their unique sound and earn a decent living.
Indian Women Have Gone Backward Under Narendra Modi’s Rule
On taking power, Narendra Modi’s government claimed that it would address a wave of sexual violence and raise the status of Indian women. But things have got worse for women under Modi’s rule, with a culture of misogyny that flows downward from the top.
Today, We Remember Striking Workers in Occupied Europe
On this day in 1941, workers in Belgium launched one of the first strikes in Nazi-ruled Europe. Tens of thousands of strikers risked dire repression to stand up against poverty wages — and showed the working class’s determination to resist occupation.
Mongolia’s Neoliberal Turn Has Been an Ecological Disaster
Mongolia is experiencing a disastrous winter with alarming consequences for its agricultural output. Reports have highlighted the negative impact of climate change, but the country’s neoliberal transformation since the 1990s is the biggest factor.
How Irish Students Won a Victory for Palestine
Students at Ireland’s Trinity College organized a solidarity encampment this week and successfully negotiated an agreement with the university to divest from Israeli companies. Trinity academic David Landy tells us how it happened.
How Paul Robeson Became a Socialist
Paul Robeson’s encounters with the international labor movement inspired his socialism and anti-imperialism.
From the Docks to the Killing Floors
Episode 6 of Organize the Unorganized takes a deep dive into several CIO union powerhouses, including the United Electrical Workers, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and others in textile and meatpacking industries.
At San Francisco State, a Democratic Movement for Palestine
At San Francisco State University, students built a democratic pro-Palestine protest movement — convincing the university president to engage in open bargaining and to work on a proposal for divestment with the protesters.
When the Longshoremen Said “Enough”
Ninety years ago today, longshoremen led a militant wave of strikes that encompassed every West Coast port. In cities like Seattle, the 1934 strike became more than a labor action — it became a mass movement.
The Airline Industry Is Set to Lose Its Refund Racket
Airlines have made considerable money holding on to consumer refunds for canceled or delayed flights. New language including a refund guarantee in a must-pass Federal Aviation Administration funding bill could change that.