Writing
Organizers with substantial, direct experience in the field have an entirely different focus than authors who have not been involved in campaigns: we focus on how the work gets done (methods), and how to win.

horses in motion

Labor Needs an Outside Strategy: Only worker power can make good on the promises of the Biden administration.

Despite staggering wealth and income inequality in the United States, President Biden is bargaining against himself on his already way-too-small proposal to tax the rich, and far too many Democrats oppose the measure. While disappointing, that’s to be expected. But what’s now becoming absurd in the race to the death of the working class and our unions is the lack of strikes or any serious effort to build the power required so workers can reverse fifty years of nonstop abuse. Read More

Arizona teachers march in Phoenix

Why Unions Must Recommit to Expanding Their Base: Demobilizing our base is never a good idea, especially when the right wing and the Trump forces continue to mobilize

Unions need to expand their base if Democrats are to stand any real chance in the future; simultaneously, they need to provide deep political education. Joe Biden’s platform for the economy, part of his Build Back Better plan, would substantially advance the quality of life among the multiracial working class—but the prospect of getting any of those proposals through the Senate, no matter the outcome in Georgia’s runoff elections, isn’t realistic. Read More

State of Georgia logo

Help Georgia Senate Fight: A list of groups to support now

Here are some Georgia grassroots groups to send money to for the Senate races, and, what is key, beyond… That is, we need to build lasting base level power in Georgia. New Georgia Project Action Fund (NGPAF) exists to increase the civic participation of underrepresented & underserved communities of color. NGPAF does this by engaging in local and state political campaigns, in support of, or opposition to, ballot measures, referendums, recalls, initiatives and candidacies for local and state offices. Read More

chile general strike

Short of a General Strike, How Can Labor Stop Trump From Stealing the Election?: Lessons from Chile’s uprising—and from the 2000 Florida recount fight.

There has been a lot of social media chatter about a general strike here in the United States if the results are ambiguous and Trump tries to steal the election. It would be amazing if national trade unions here were prepared to take the same actions in November 2020 that Chile’s national unions took in November 2019—but there’s absolutely no indication that people in positions of power in significant sectors of the US economy are ready to act as boldly as Chilean leaders did. Read More

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Getting Out of Tight Corners: Anyone who thinks civil unrest isn’t coming on November 3 isn’t paying attention

Anyone who thinks civil unrest isn’t coming on November 3 isn’t paying attention. The most important lessons from Florida in 2000 and Germany in 2019 have a common thread: ordinary people need to be willing to defy Democratic Party leadership, and even some trade union leadership, to save the country from an even worse misery. Read More