Virgilio Urbina Lazardi is a doctoral candidate in New York University’s Department of Sociology, where he studies industrial relations, comparative political economy, and development economics. He is a former organizer with GSOC-UAW Local 7902.
The welfare state is essential for keeping the nonworking population out of poverty. But we shouldn’t discount the role of predistributive measures like strong unions and minimum wage laws in reducing inequality.
The 21st-century left has often argued that the solution to rampant inequality is income redistribution. But this may not be a silver bullet. What workers need is power over employers and the market.