The Teachers’ Strike Wave Returns Home to Chicago
Chicago’s 2012 walkout inspired a national educators’ upsurge across the country. This week, the movement is set to strike again where it all began.
88 Articles by: Eric Blanc
Eric Blanc is an assistant professor of labor studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of Red State Revolt: The Teachers’ Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics and Revolutionary Social Democracy: Working-Class Politics Across the Russian Empire (1882-1917).
Bernie’s Path to Victory
Don’t worry about the naysaying pundits and polls. Bernie Sanders’s road to victory is through mobilizing the kind of voters who don’t usually vote. Whether or not he can pull it off is up to us.
Elizabeth Warren’s Public Education Problem
When it comes to K-12 public education, Elizabeth Warren’s progressive credentials are weak. Educators and students deserve better.
We Need to Reconnect Socialists to the US Labor Movement
Socialists have historically played a key role in the US labor movement as part of a broader current of militant rank-and-file workers. The recent teachers’ strike wave shows that to rebuild unions, we have to build that militant current.
The Left Needs a Statewide Strategy
To win, fighting back on a citywide and national level isn’t enough. We need a strategy to build working-class power on a statewide level.
Which Way to Socialism?
Is there a democratic road to socialism? And if so, what does it mean for socialists today?
“You Don’t Get This Perfect Storm of Class Struggle Very Often”
The teachers strike wave is the most important development in working-class politics in years. Combined with the rise of socialism, chances for a major transformation leftward in American politics are better than ever.
Wayfair’s Walkout Against Concentration Camps
Hundreds of Wayfair workers in Boston walked out on Wednesday to protest their company’s complicity in Trump’s migrant detention camps on the border. We spoke with walkout leader Maddie Howard about the workers’ decision to take action on the job against the camps.
Strikes Still Get the Goods
There are four important things to know about strikes in the public sector: strikes must be central to public-sector union strategy, workers need to be willing to strike even if it means breaking labor law, building community support is crucial, and strikes can defeat the Right’s privatization offensive.
In West Virginia’s Education Wars, “We Can’t Play Nice”
Yet again in West Virginia, Republicans are seeking to privatize schools and stop teachers strikes. A West Virginia teacher explains how educators are yet again mobilizing to stop it — and why “there’s nothing to compromise on.”
Why Kautsky Was Right (and Why You Should Care)
Karl Kautsky’s vision for winning democratic socialism is more radical, and more relevant, than most leftists care to admit.
When Socialists Won Women’s Suffrage
Contrary to the myth that socialists have always ignored gender oppression, women’s suffrage was first won by socialist feminists — and working-class revolt.
From Meyer London to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Before there was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, there was New York’s Socialist congressman Meyer London. His experience in Washington is full of lessons for us today.
Why Oakland’s Striking Teachers Won
Though educators did not achieve all their demands, Oakland’s teachers strike transformed the city, won important gains, and empowered educators to take on the billionaire education privatizers.
Oakland Teachers Are Striking Against Billionaire Privatizers
Oakland teachers are on strike today to defeat plans by the superrich to take over and dismantle their public schools.
West Virginia’s Political Strike Wins Big
Within hours of going on strike, West Virginia educators defeated a dangerous education privatization bill. They’ve again reminded us of a simple truth: strikes work.
West Virginia Teachers Strike Again
One year after their historic victory, West Virginia educators will be going on strike again tomorrow — this time to stop a pro-privatization, anti-union bill.
Denver Teachers Win Steps Forward
Striking Denver teachers reached a tentative contract agreement this morning. Though they did not achieve all of their demands, Denver’s educators have wrested important gains from school privatizers — and shown once again the power of teachers withholding their labor.
Denver Teachers Strike Back
A public education strike wave continues to sweep the country. Today, it’s the turn of Denver teachers to fight back against the privatizers.
Cory Booker Hates Public Schools
There are many good reasons to oppose Cory Booker’s bid for the presidency. One of the main ones is his long-standing drive to destroy public education.