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19551 Articles by: Yi San
Yi San is a freelance writer based in New York.
Workers and Debtors of the World, Unite!
Under finance capitalism, we can exert power by collectively leveraging not just our labor but also our debts. This May Day, let’s think about worker organizing and debtor organizing as part of the same struggle.
Workers Can Win at Starbucks and Amazon and Beyond
The historic union victories at Amazon and Starbucks have shattered any illusions that corporate giants are invincible to labor organizing. Let’s make Amazon and Starbucks the start of a massive wave of unionization.
Socialists Are Trying to Revive the American Labor Movement
The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, a partnership between socialists and the United Electrical Workers union, is trying to be at the heart of a new mass labor resurgence. Their success could help millions of workers.
The Life of Socialist George Woodbey Must Not Be Lost to History
This May Day, we’re celebrating the life of George Woodbey, a former slave who became a leading socialist. Though he’s often forgotten today, Woodbey’s life speaks to the crucial connection between labor struggles and fights against racial oppression.
Eugene Debs’s May Day Address to Black Workers
In 1923, Eugene V. Debs wrote a powerful May Day address for the black socialist magazine the Messenger that called for “the emancipation of all races from the oppressive and degrading yoke of wage slavery.” We republish it here in full, for the first time since it appeared 100 years ago.
On International Workers’ Day, We’re Still Fighting for the Eight-Hour Day
In 1886, workers came together on the original May Day to demand an eight-hour day. Today, from Starbucks stores to Amazon warehouses, that struggle continues.
The Collapse of Our Natural World Won’t Be Like a Hollywood Disaster Movie
The climate and biodiversity crises unleashed by capitalist development are already happening. Predicting a sudden apocalypse may draw attention to impending climate catastrophe, but it ultimately diverts us from the work needed to preserve a livable planet.
Democrats Are Lining Restaurant Owners’ Pockets — and Abandoning Restaurant Workers
A $42 billion bailout for the restaurant industry is advancing in Congress. It contains zero substantive relief measures for restaurant workers.
Elon Musk Might Make It Worse, but Twitter Was Already Bad
Many fear that Twitter under Elon Musk will fall to bigots and harassers. Maybe. But instead of arguing over who should be kicked off Twitter, we should ask what it’s designed to do to those who stay on it.
No, Burning Qurans in the Street Isn’t “Part of Our Democracy”
In Sweden, far-right militants burned Qurans in the street, sparking days of rioting. Mainstream politicians’ focus on denouncing the counterprotesters showed how far the country has to go in admitting the reality of Islamophobia.
Who Is Keir Starmer?
A combination of conservatism and careerism has characterized Keir Starmer’s approach to politics. In the context of his ideological trajectory, his most recent round of purges of the Left comes as no surprise.
What Is Class-Struggle Unionism?
We really, really need unions. But not all unionism is created equal. We need unions that are willing to fight the bosses rather than cozy up to them. We need class-struggle unionism.
Why Prison Journalism Matters
Prison journalism provides a window into the concealed world of mass incarceration, gives a voice to the incarcerated, and sheds light on the politics of the carceral state. Free and uncensored prison journalism is essential to criminal justice reform.
In Ontario, Quality National Childcare Just Suffered a Major Setback
Ontario recently signed on to Justin Trudeau’s national childcare program. However, the foot-dragging and chicanery of the province’s premier, Doug Ford, has led to a second-rate deal. Kids and childcare workers deserve better.
The Strike Is Workers’ Sharpest Tool. A Resurgent Labor Movement Must Be Willing to Use It.
We have a rare opportunity to rebuild a fighting labor movement in the United States. To take advantage of it, workers must be armed with battle-tested strategies and tactics — and that means being willing to go on strike.
Starbucks Workers Are Demanding Management Stop Acting Like Petty Dictators
The massive Starbucks unionization drive is about striking a blow against the authoritarian power of management.
Don’t Believe a Corporation That Promises to Do Better
Corporate responsibility pledges are an increasingly common response to public scrutiny. But trusting private companies to keep their promises hasn’t worked in the past, and it won’t work in the future.
Kenyon College Student Workers Are Striking to Demand Union Recognition
On April 11, Kenyon College student workers began an indefinite strike to win union recognition. Jacobin spoke to four student organizers about what their fight means for the growth of undergraduate student worker unions across the country.
The GOP’s New War on Divestment
Republican lawmakers are quietly building a nationwide effort to pass anti-divestment bills that would punish financial institutions that consider the climate crisis in their business deals — all while oil and gas companies flood their campaign coffers.