Category Archives: The Working Class and the Economy

The “Other America”: The Poverty and Peril of Domestic Workers

Posted on October 19, 2020 by

America is mired in a crisis of unprecedented scope and depth.  The disruption of the pandemic is draining for all of us, but for many, its consequences are dire. For the millions of people who’ve had little or no work … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, Labor and Community Activism, The Working Class and the Economy, Work | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

What Can Workers Expect from Amy Coney Barrett?

Posted on October 5, 2020 by

Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States poses a difficult question: does her faith commitment as a Roman Catholic preclude an interpretation of the law that is responsive to concerns of the working class? The … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and Religion, Contributors, Issues, Ken Estey, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Law and Order Platform to Unite Working-Class Voters

Posted on September 28, 2020 by

Donald Trump has positioned himself as the “law and order” president, because the term provides a positive framing for the racially-tinged rhetoric he uses to divide members of the white working and middle classes from people of color. The Guardian’s … Continue reading →

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

The Unsettling

Posted on September 21, 2020 by

It’s fire season again.  Two years ago, my parents lost their home in Paradise.  This year, I almost lost mine.  I live in Oregon, where scores of fires were stoked up by unusual Eastern blasts of dry wind over the … Continue reading →

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

Unemployed Workers of the World Unite?!?

Posted on September 7, 2020 by

Karl Marx’s famous phrase spoke of the unemployed as the “industrial reserve army.” His argument was plain. Creating greater unemployment was a key tool in giving employers the upper hand in forcing down wages and disciplining workers. I can still … Continue reading →

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

Working-Class Public Housing in the COVID Spotlight

Posted on August 24, 2020 by

The Covid19 pandemic has highlighted many inequalities experienced by working-class people — insecure work, unsafe work places, access to health care, housing conditions and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people of colour. Mainstream media has also covered many … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Sarah Attfield, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Essential Work: The 2020 WCSA Awards

Posted on July 13, 2020 by

At the center of all the chaos and turmoil of 2020 has been the essential worker on the front lines—from healthcare workers treating those infected with COVID-19 to service workers of all kinds who have kept us fed, supplied, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and Education, Class and the Media, Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Working-Class Culture | Tagged | Leave a comment

Universal Basic Income and Working-Class Futures

Posted on June 22, 2020 by

There have been few good things to come out of COVID-19. We’ve seen a genuine sense of community spirit emerge along with greater respect for blue-collar workers in the front line. In the UK, we’ve seen another less obvious shift: … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Tim Strangleman | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Will Lawyers Stand Up to Defend Working-Class Consumers?

Posted on June 1, 2020 by

Three months into the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40 million Americans have lost their jobs. 4.2 million homeowners have placed their mortgages in forbearance. Hundreds of thousands more are in default and have not yet worked out agreements with lenders … Continue reading →

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

Deindustrialization as a Template for COVID-19

Posted on May 18, 2020 by

As we wrote in Steeltown USA: Work and Memory in Youngstown, Youngstown’s story is America’s story. That’s true now as we try to imagine American life after the pandemic. No doubt, coronavirus is a natural disaster that is more contagious, widespread, … Continue reading →

Posted in Issues, John Russo, The Working Class and the Economy, Youngstown | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment