Category: Labor

LaborLeave a comment

In Memory of Jane McAlevey

ianjolie

We live in times when the argument for nihilism feels compelling. The World Health Organization estimates that this year about a quarter million people will die worldwide due to the excessive heat brought on by climate change. On our national political stage, front-and-center we have a convicted felon who regularly and openly declares his contempt for democracy leading the polls to become President. Israel continues its genocide against Palestinians — babies are starving to death. At the same time, certain TV political pundits expect us to buy into their absolute certainty that we will overcome and that we will prevail. … Continue reading In Memory of Jane McAlevey

Labor, The LeftLeave a comment

What Has Become of Social Justice

ianjolie

Controversial opinion: I want to hear way less about racial & gender diversity in elected government. Since 2001, the number of POC in Congress has grown every term — except for a brief, minor dip in 2009. Overall, we’ve gone from 63 POC in Congress to 137 POC. Same thing with women in Congress — in that same time frame, we’ve gone from 62 Congresswomen to 128. These statistical trends also hold for LGBT in Congress. And while I’ve been giving national examples, these statistics hold for state and local governments as well in a very general, broad sense. In … Continue reading What Has Become of Social Justice

Labor, PhilosophyLeave a comment

TikTok Dialectics & the Labor Movement

ianjolie

As tensions between the U.S. and China escalate — and as more and more states within the U.S. are putting more and more restrictions on social media companies’ use of, um, us, haha — TikTok has found itself at the epicenter of our meta-cultural discussion. Quite frankly, though, I find most of this discourse to be boring and repetitive. Does the TikTok discourse feel boring and repetitive to you, too? At least a little? Genuine question. To me, it feels like the same conversation, stuck at the most basic of levels, over and over again, to forever, just framed a … Continue reading TikTok Dialectics & the Labor Movement

Current events, LaborLeave a comment

Proposition 22 & Its Discontents

ianjolie

Somehow in the years and years I’ve been writing Facebook rants about, like, my feelings or whatever, I’ve somehow managed to never write a Facebook rant about an actual ballot proposition. But we find ourselves in the most important election of our lifetimes, and time is of the essence… A spectre is haunting the working class — the spectre of Proposition 22. All the powers of the center-Left and Left have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: the Service Employees International Union, the Democratic Socialists of America, and even much of the Democratic Party (including Joe Biden), … Continue reading Proposition 22 & Its Discontents

Labor, PersonalLeave a comment

New Year’s Feelings Waiting for Janus

ianjolie

Last work day of the year. For the first time in my life, I am content. How lucky am I! A year ago, I was coming off having worked 28 days in a row (not a single day off!), doing 16-18 hr days, every single day. I was (for the most part) a one-man organizing team for this small rehab hospital of about 200 workers. I poured my heart, sweat, and soul into that campaign – but way more than that, my committee of worker leaders put everything that they had and then more on the line. I will never … Continue reading New Year’s Feelings Waiting for Janus

Labor, Mindsets, ShortLeave a comment

The Beauty of Union Organizing

ianjolie

For me, one of the best things about union organizing is getting to listen to dozens, hundreds, thousands of people’s life stories. And really, what are we but what we’ve done, what we’ve been through, and our values, our beliefs, and our feelings about all of life’s Stuff. Being a union organizer is getting to be — way more than full time — an explorer of humanity, and your job is to find some way to connect as deeply as possible with as many people as possible. Wow, how beautiful. Continue reading The Beauty of Union Organizing