Virginia Rodino and Eric Fretz look at preparations against a Trump “coup,” arguing that mass mobilizations to defend democracy—particularly strike action—would be key.
Category: Labor
City workers demand no layoffs in New York
Brett Wallace reports on a recent labor rally in New York city against Mayor Bill de Blasio’s planned austerity measures and layoffs.
The NBA strike was a testament to the power of strikes
Prithviraj Gandhi looks at the athletes’ strike earlier this month, arguing that this kind of action can win the justice we need.
Lessons of the Polish Solidarity movement
Eric Fretz takes a look back at Solidarność, the anti-Stalinist trade union movement in Poland — arguing that 40 years on, this inspiring yet tragic history is ripe with lessons for socialists today.
July 20 labor actions for Black lives an important step for the movement
Sean Cumming reports on the nationwide labor actions for Black lives on July 20, arguing that they are a crucial first step towards deeper labor solidarity with the anti-racist rebellion. On July 20 thousands of workers across the United States went on strike in what was one of the largest cross sectional, or national strikes,… Continue reading July 20 labor actions for Black lives an important step for the movement
“So Many Questions Still Unanswered”: Why NYC Schools Should Not Reopen in the Fall
New York educator E.H.D. explains what is at stake as the new school year approaches, arguing that there is no safe way to reopen schools during the pandemic—and teachers are ready to fight.
Labor in the Black Lives Matter Movement
Sean Cummings looks at the role of organized labor in the ongoing anti-racist rebellion, arguing that rank and file organizing is the key to deepening labor’s role in the resistance. On Sunday, June 7th, 200 hundred postal workers and supporters, carrying a banner that read ‘Postal Workers Demand Justice for George Floyd,’ marched from the… Continue reading Labor in the Black Lives Matter Movement
COVID Class Struggle: One Month of US Workplace Actions
They say the working class can’t run society. But look at the mess governments around the world have made of the coronavirus pandemic. Even in traditionally unorganized industries like food service and grocery delivery, workers on the ground are using their power to get things done. We saw that early on in the pandemic with… Continue reading COVID Class Struggle: One Month of US Workplace Actions
How we shut down the schools • Interview with NYC teacher
With strikes, sick-outs, sit-downs and other kinds of industrial action sweeping the country, Marx21 sits down with Frankie Lamar to look back at one of the earliest US worker mobilizations to combat COVID-19 — when New York City teachers shut down their schools. With New York lawmakers now fighting over when to reopen schools, lessons from the teachers’ struggle are more important than ever.
“We feel like cannon fodder” • Nurse Elizabeth Lalasz on fighting COVID-19 in a broken healthcare system
Elizabeth Lalasz is a Registered Nurse of 11 years working in Chicago’s largest public safety net hospital. As the busiest hospital in Illinois mainly serving working class people, the uninsured, and communities of color, her hospital is on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Marx21 interviewed Elizabeth about what it’s like handling COVID-19 in our broken medical system, she and her co-workers’ fight for life-saving equipment, and how we can show solidarity with healthcare workers through this pandemic.
