Category Archives: The Working Class and the Economy

Biden’s Labor Initiatives and Organizers’ Challenges

Is Joe Biden, as he claims, the best friend workers have had in the White House either ever or since Franklin Delano Roosevelt?  We could debate that all day, but the President and his administration at least deserve an “A” … Continue reading

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

Time Is Not On Our Side

Time is suddenly news.  How little we have, how much we want, and what we do with it for work or whatever.  Is this good news for workers?  Maybe for some, but probably just the same ol’, same ol’ for … Continue reading

Posted in Contributors, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Wade Rathke, Work | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Class Ceilings

Most of us have stopped believing in the myth of the meritocracy. The myth promises that the ablest or most intelligent or hardest working get ahead of the rest.  Most everyone realizes this is not true, yet we continue to … Continue reading

Posted in Allison L. Hurst, Class and Education, Contributors, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Understanding Class | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Governor DeWine: It’s Never Too Late to Do the Right Thing for Ohio’s Workers

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, the time is always right to do the right thing. In a case where formerly unemployed Ohioans are seeking the reinstatement of pandemic benefits, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has the opportunity to prove he … Continue reading

Posted in Contributors, Issues, Marc Dann, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Upward Mobility: Improving Conditions, Not Just Opportunities

I’m old enough now to have grandnieces and nephews, and almost all of them have lower living standards and worse working conditions than their parents.  And their parents had it worse than their grandparents.  The one exception is Carrie, who … Continue reading

Posted in Contributors, Issues, Jack Metzgar, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Fair Time Legislation Is Achievable, Not Just for Rail Workers But for Everyone

Even as President Biden signed legislation imposing a contract without paid sick leave on 115,000 rail workers, he made it clear that the fight for paid leave — not just for rail workers but for everyone — wasn’t over. As … Continue reading

Posted in Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, Labor and Community Activism, The Working Class and the Economy, Work | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Which Side Are You On? Four Facts and Two Promising Prescriptions for Dampening Inflation

As mine owners and their goons terrorized striking miners and their families during the Harlan County Coal wars in 1931, Florence Reece penned the iconic labor song, “Which Side Are You On.” It pleads for unity and collective resistance. As … Continue reading

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

Deadbeat Creditors and Other Tales of Moral Hazard

Some twenty years ago, three years out of law school, my partner and I attended a friend’s wedding in New Jersey.  Both of us had racked up a lot of debt and were struggling to find permanent jobs in NYC.  … Continue reading

Posted in Allison L. Hurst, Class and Education, Contributors, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Essential Workers Take Action

During the pandemic, the working class that had been invisible to many suddenly became “essential.” In some cities, people came on their balconies in their homes to applaud these workers whose jobs in food service, to health care, transportation, and … Continue reading

Posted in Contributors, Issues, Labor and Community Activism, The Working Class and the Economy, Wade Rathke, Work | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hope and Concern: The WCSA’s 2022 Award Winners

Great plagues subvert our expectations about how things work, opening up new opportunities and widespread mobilization for social change. According to one massive study of historical epidemics, “civil unrest” often follows – as we are seeing now. Whatever direction the … Continue reading

Posted in Allison L. Hurst, Class and Education, Class and Health, Class and the Media, Class at the Intersections, Contributors, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Understanding Class, Working-Class Culture | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment