The ACLU Fired One of Its Workers for Criticizing Management
Yesterday a National Labor Relations Board judge found that the ACLU fired an employee for engaging in the protected activity of criticizing her working conditions.
200 Articles by: Matt Bruenig
Matt Bruenig is the founder of People’s Policy Project.
What Will the Constitutional Challenge to the NLRB Do?
The most likely outcome of the current constitutional challenge to the National Labor Relations Board is not that the Supreme Court will destroy the agency — it’s that the board will be unable to operate in many states while the litigation is proceeding.
SpaceX Wins a First Battle in Its Assault on the NLRB
SpaceX just won a preliminary injunction in a Texas federal district court against the National Labor Relations Board. The decision moves us closer to a potential Supreme Court decision declaring the NLRB unconstitutional — and massively empowering bosses.
Why I Filed an Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against the NBA
NBA bylaws allow the league’s commissioner to punish players for statements “prejudicial or detrimental to the best interests” of the NBA or a team. The rule violates workers’ rights — which is why I’ve filed unfair labor practice charges against the NBA.
There Is No Substitute for the Welfare State
Welfare programs can’t be replaced by policies that redistribute income from some businesses to others, or from capital to labor — the primary function of the welfare state is to provide for children, disabled people, and others outside the labor force.
Why Is the ACLU Undermining Labor Rights?
The progressive ACLU is trying to establish a precedent that would strike a huge blow against workers’ rights across the country and make union organizing much more difficult. Let’s hope the organization comes to its senses soon.
Real Wages Have Declined Under Joe Biden’s Presidency
Though inflation-adjusted wage growth resumed earlier this year, real wages are still down overall since Joe Biden took office. It’s not crazy to suppose that this could be affecting people’s attitudes toward the economy.
People Aren’t Crazy for Thinking the Biden Economy Is Bad
There are many good reasons to be unhappy with the economy today: by conventional social democratic metrics like union density, welfare generosity, and public ownership levels, the economy is not in good shape, and recent trends have been mixed at best.
These Remote Islands’ Tax System Shows Why Universal Benefits Are Better Than Means-Testing
The US could learn from the Faroe Islands, a Danish territory where the state automatically removes taxes owed and adds welfare payments to workers’ paychecks. It’s way easier for workers and shows why universal benefits are better than means-testing.
Wealth Increases Under Joe Biden Haven’t Meant Much for Most People
Some have defended Joe Biden’s economic record by noting that median household wealth has increased on his watch. But that uptick is mostly due to home and car value inflation — meaning it’s of limited use to regular people who need their home and cars to live.
In the US, the Left Wing Is Expected to Unconditionally Back the Center Left
In many multiparty democracies, left-wing factions often agree to support center-left governments in exchange for a policy or cabinet position. But in the US, the Left is typically expected to support the center left without getting any concessions in return.
The Biden Economy Hasn’t Been Good for Everyone
Pundits are still scratching their heads about why voters don’t love the state of the US economy. But many workers are in worse straits than they were a few years ago, particularly because Democrats let the COVID welfare provisions expire.
Chicago Is Considering Opening a Municipal Grocery Store
Led by labor-backed mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago could become the first big city in the US to open a publicly owned grocery store.
Wealth Inequality Permeates US Society, No Matter How You Slice It
New data on wealth distribution in the US confirms what we already knew: within all major demographic groups, whether by age, race, or education, wealth is concentrated at the top. The US is a deeply unequal society.
Rich People Marry Rich People, and That’s How They Stay Rich
A new book makes the supposedly brave claim that two-parent families are good, and that unmarried poor people are miring themselves in poverty. But what upper-class people practice is not just “marriage” — it’s “marriage to upper-class people.”
“Social Security Insolvency” Is Code for Cutting Our Benefits
Fully funding Social Security isn’t hard. We should do it.
It’s Easy to Dramatically Cut Poverty. US Policymakers Just Don’t Want To.
Children, the elderly, disabled people, and students continue to make up the vast majority of the US poor. We could easily slash poverty by increasing the generosity and reach of benefit programs for the nonworking population — but lawmakers refuse to do so.
Ivy League Admissions Favor the Rich by Design
Egalitarian reformers have argued that elite college admissions should focus less on test scores and more on personal statements, extracurriculars, and recommendation letters. New research suggests that this approach only further favors the wealthy.
The Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling Is Not the End of Race-Conscious Admissions
Rather than ending affirmative action, as many headlines have stated, yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling has created new rules about how race can be considered in university admissions — and they might be more in line with left-wing rationales for affirmative action.
The Supreme Court Doesn’t Have the Final Say on Student Debt
If the Supreme Court rules against Joe Biden on student debt, it will be a major blow. But there is a more straightforward path for Biden to unilaterally forgive a lot of student debt.