Author Archives: steeltownusa

Blaming Workers Again

Posted on January 7, 2019

Working-class people often get blamed for their troubles. They should have planned better, been less demanding, or just been smarter. Those are just some of the judgments that surfaced again in the weeks after General Motors’ announcement late in November … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, John Russo, Labor and Community Activism, Sherry Linkon, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Is the Fever Breaking? Ground Zero Youngstown

Posted on October 1, 2018

Two years ago, I described the Youngstown area as “crossover ground zero” for Donald Trump and the politics of resentment in working-class and rust belt communities. In local rallies during the 2016 campaign and since he took office, Trump has … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, John Russo, Working-Class Politics, Youngstown | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Have Ohio Democrats Learned Anything About the Working Class?

Posted on March 5, 2018

In presidential elections, Ohio has long been a swing state. Its voters supported Obama in 2008 and 2012, then swung right in 2016 to support Donald Trump. On the state level, however, Republicans have dominated for the past two decades. … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, John Russo, Working-Class Politics | Tagged , , | 46 Comments

Universal Basic Income: A “Social Vaccine” for Technological Displacement?

Posted on April 17, 2017

John Kenneth Galbraith once said that the beginnings of wisdom were to never trust an economist. Those of us that spent most of our adult lives in deindustrialized communities understood his point. As the mills and factories closed in working-class … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, John Russo, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Is the Worst Yet to Come for Unions?

Posted on February 6, 2017

With the decline of good paying jobs in the private sector, public employment has been particularly important for working-class people. These state and local workers also provide important public services ranging from street cleaning, to home health to emergency services. … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, John Russo, Labor and Community Activism, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Everyday Encounters:  Antagonism in the Sharing Economy

Posted on December 12, 2016

Much has been written about the growth of the sharing economy where information technology, such as mobile apps and automated software facilitate interactions between businesses, individual workers, and customers. Proponents argue that the system provides greater access to goods and … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, John Russo, The Working Class and the Economy, Work | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Poverty and Precarious Work

Posted on September 4, 2016

Given that many working people are also poor, Labor Day is good time to talk about poverty in the United States. But in this election year, with so much with emphasis on jobs, we should look especially at the relationship … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, John Russo, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments