In Washington, United Steelworkers talk messaging and lobbying: This week, more than 600 union members from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital to press officials for common goals

• October 31, 2019
• Posted in In These Times, Organizing, Unions

The Pittsburgh-based United Steelworkers union is training its members as part of its “Rapid Response” program. The program serves as the engine to keep its roughly 850,000 members — who are increasingly diverse and spread across a wide variety of industries — unified in what can be a polarized political climate. Read More

Can unions save democracy?: Pre-publication review of "A Collective Bargain"

• October 31, 2019
• Posted in A Collective Bargain, Book Reviews, Labor Movement, Organizing

“American democracy is endangered by inequalities of wealth and political power, and only the labor movement can save it. This is the bold, central message of Jane McAlevey’s forthcoming book, A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy (Ecco/HarperCollins).” Read More

Amazon Is on the Attack Against Kshama Sawant: Seattle socialist city councilmember Kshama Sawant has pushed a $15 minimum wage, landmark renters’ rights legislation, free public transit, and more

• October 30, 2019
• Posted in Elections, Labor Movement

The biggest prize by far for Amazon is twice-elected socialist city councilmember, Kshama Sawant, a rank-and-file union member who through movement building in the last six years has pushed a reluctant City Council to adopt a $15 minimum wage — the first major US city to do so — enact landmark renters’ rights legislation, and take up issues like free public transit, indigenous rights, and anti-gentrification measures. Read More

Chicago Teachers Are Carrying the Torch of Decades of Militant Worker Struggles: By building community support and staging disruption, the teachers can expand the boundaries of what’s politically possible and force the city to bend to its social justice demands

• October 29, 2019
• Posted in Labor Movement, Organizing, Strikes, Unions

“I solemnly swear that I will never stop fighting for my students.” This hand-made picket sign, one of hundreds at an October 25 Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEIU 73 rally, sums up what makes the teachers’ strike so important. Read More

It’s Time to Retire the Term “Middle Class”: Citations Needed Podcast

• October 23, 2019
• Posted in Interviews, Labor Movement, Organizing

The excellent podcast, Citations Needed, hosted Jane for part of their new show on the word “middleclass.” They had an excellent discussion about how the word obscures people’s understanding of class in America and is also used as a wedge issue to divide and conquer workers by skill when employers set out to break unions. Read More