The Top Labor Battles in West Virginia History
West Virginia has been the site of mass labor militancy many times before. Here are some of the highlights.
19639 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
It Never Went Away
In Italy, where fascism was born, far-right violence is a growing feature of political life once again.
Italy Is the Future
Today’s Italian election has much to tell us about Europe’s future.
Fighting Hopelessness
Italy’s left is struggling to present an alternative in an election where abstention is expected to hit record levels.
The State of the Strike
An update from West Virginia, where it’s virtually certain the strike will continue on Monday.
When the Rank and File Leads
It’s unclear how the standoff between West Virginia workers and the state senate will end, but if nothing else, this week’s decision to keep striking is a reminder that the rank and file can lead.
Another Balkans Is Possible
While nationalists agitate over the Macedonia naming dispute, the Macedonian left is seeking alliances with progressive forces in the region.
The “Macedonia” Question
The naming dispute between Macedonia and Greece sounds trivial to outside observers, but it’s fueling right-wing nationalism in both countries.
West Virginia’s Militant Minority
Without the bold initiative of a core of deeply rooted, radical teachers, there would be no strike in West Virginia right now.
Social Democracy’s Last Dance
Whether in or outside a grand coalition, Germany’s Social Democratic Party lacks the political imagination and organization to revive itself.
“It Was About the Insurance Fix”
West Virginia teachers are engaged in an inspiring illegal strike. They’re also showing why we desperately need Medicare for All.
Do-It-Yourself Class Struggle
One lesson from the West Virginia teachers’ strike is clear: nobody is coming to save us. We’ll have to do it ourselves.
The Experiment
Italy’s Five Star Movement offers a hollow promise of democracy.
The Lessons Students Learn
If we want a more democratic society, we need more democratic schools.
The Strike Is On
“We’re not going back to work until there’s solid proof that our demands are going to be met,” a teacher unionist on strike in West Virginia tells Jacobin.
It Started in Wisconsin
The rise and fall of Wisconsin’s remarkable 2011 uprising holds lessons for a post-Janus world.
None Dare Call Them Scandals
Obama had a “scandal-free” presidency, liberals say. It’s true — but only because in Washington, scandalous behavior is par for the course.
Italy’s Past Glories
As Italy’s election approaches this weekend, the decline of its communist tradition still haunts the country’s left.
Time After Capitalism
A hundred years ago, the United States adopted daylight savings time in order to extract more profit from labor. How would we organize time differently if we were free from the demands of capitalism?
When Workers Fight Back
Workers resist exploitation, even in the worst circumstances. Historian Annelise Orleck spoke with 140 of them, from garment workers in Cambodia to Walmart workers in the US.