labor
Behind the defeat in the Walker recall election

Behind the defeat in the Walker recall election

The recall election in Wisconsin was won by organized Big Money. Lots will be said by many pundits about various aspects of the election, but the most important issue is how Big Money or the 1 percent were able to shape the electoral environment. Looking at that...

A general strike can lead to victory in Wisconsin

The writer is a union organizer. Workers across most of Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America have experience in using general strikes in order to press for political demands. For example, in 1995, French workers forced the government to retreat at least temporarily...

Socialism an integral part of U.S. labor history

As the U.S. mid-term elections approach, right-wing Tea Party demagogues have stepped up their attacks on the Obama administration for being “socialist.” Their rhetoric builds on the decades of cold war anti-communist propaganda by capitalist politicians and the...

The challenges and rewards of union organizing

C. Gonçalves is a member of the Boston branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and shop steward and negotiating committee member of his union. He presented the following talk as part of the panel "Building a new workers movement" at the PSL National...

Why do socialists look to the working class?

This article is adapted from a talk given at the April 1 Socialism Conference hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation in Washington, D.C. Many of you may have noticed how many times “workers” have been mentioned in this conference. We use phrases like...

Mother Jones: Union organizer, revolutionary agitator

Mother Jones: Union organizer, revolutionary agitator

"The workers asked only for bread and a shortening of the long hours of toil. The agitators gave them visions. The police gave them clubs." —Mother Jones West Virginia district attorney Reese Blizzard dubbed Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, "the most dangerous woman in...

Three strikes that changed the balance for labor

Few progressive people today who are interested in social change look to the leadership of the AFL-CIO for direction. Declining membership and subservience to the political program of the Democratic Party have left the labor federation crippled as it tries to survive...

Labor needs a class struggle strategy to advance

A guiding principle for progressives in the working class movement has been, “If you’re not in a union, fight to get one; if you’re in a union, fight to make it fight.” Those who take up the challenge of “fighting to make the unions fight” are faced sooner or later...