Obama's State of the Union Speech Critical, Unlikely to be Realized Without...
Obama's State of the Union Speech Critical, Unlikely to be Realized Without Strong Progressive Movement With Labor at the Core After more than two decades of rough-and-tumble politics in the labor...
View ArticleLet's Have a Real Conversation About Jobs
By Amy B. Dean, Author of "A New New Deal: How Regional Activism Will Reshape the American Labor Movement" Amid a continuing crisis of double-digit unemployment in our country, Congress is finally...
View ArticleWhy Taking on Blanche Lincoln Was the Right Call + Building a Real...
Challenges within the primaries allow us to define what it means to be a real Democrat—to insist that the party truly puts the interests of working people first. That’s what makes elections like...
View ArticleA Public Response to Public Sector Woes
In a time of tight budgets at the state level, government should be accountable to community needs and stop subsidizing the private sector. The recent Time magazine cover story Inside the Dire...
View ArticleFrom Civil War to Labor Vision
The announcement of a settlement between two rivaling unions should be an occasion for us to refocus on what the labor movement is really about. By Amy B. Dean
View ArticleLabor Day’s Legacy: A More Inclusive America
At some point in their lives, almost all parents think about making a will to ensure that their assets are passed on to the next generation. But material gains, of course, are the least of what we give...
View ArticleReviving Workers’ Rights in a New Economy
This Labor Day, we must consider how a new generation of unions can become relevant in a transformed economy.
View ArticleLabor and the Democrats: Accountability for Next Election Cycle Must Start Now
For those who question whether the labor movement is still relevant in the United States, the last two months before an election should clear up any doubts. This is the time period in which Democratic...
View ArticleMoves Against Off-Shoring Should Be More Than a Political Afterthought
Yesterday, Democrats failed working people and demonstrated once more how wide the gulf has become between political rhetoric and tangible legislative results. I’m talking about the failure of the...
View ArticleThe Roots of the Enthusiasm Gap Go Back to 1992
With the midterm elections only a few weeks away, pundits are buzzing with talk of a so called "enthusiasm gap"; one which has been characterized as a rift between revved-up conservatives and...
View ArticleWinning the Next Election Starts Now
For me, there are two key lessons in moving beyond this year’s disastrous midterms. The first is that progressives need to build permanent grassroots infrastructure, so that they begin treating...
View ArticleFighting Back With a Progressive Agenda
It appears that Republicans have once again outmaneuvered Democrats on the tax issue this week. A sad continuation of events we are likely to see more of as Republicans prepare to enter the next...
View ArticleTax Cuts Create Jobs? Prove It.
Almost every piece of legislation passed in Washington these days is pushed forward in the name of creating jobs. Our elected officials are right to be concerned with the issue; Americans want...
View ArticleThe Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of 2010
There's no sugarcoating it: 2010 was a rough year for progressives. Looking back, there were plenty of bad and some downright ugly moments for us, culminating in the Republican victories in the...
View ArticleIn Aftermath of Shootings, A Timely Call to Service
Twenty-five years ago, Congress established a federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a national day of service. His message of tolerance and working to make our...
View ArticleMr. President: The Fight for the Middle Class Isn’t in Washington
Tuesday night the nation will focus its attention on the president’s State of the Union address, looking for solutions to the economic crisis in this country and in their own lives. We can hope to hear...
View ArticleWhat We Want to Hear Next: The Fight for a Fairer Economy
While I admired so much of what I heard from the President last night; after the applause dies away, we have to face the next difficult stage of this national conversation. It’s the kind of...
View ArticleWisconsin Shows Need to Move Beyond Scapegoats
The actions of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and other elected leaders who are following his lead speak to a striking failure of leadership: We live in an economy that has undergone massive...
View ArticleNot a Union Member?: Why Should You Care About Wisconsin (or Ohio, or Michigan)
After two weeks of protests in Wisconsin, we are now watching demonstrations spread across the country. Over the weekend, the on-line advocacy group MoveOn.org helped to mobilize tens of thousands of...
View ArticleThank You Governor Walker?
With 20 years in the labor movement under my belt, I looked at the actions taken last night by Wisconsin's Republican legislature and Governor Scott Walker and had an unusual response. It wasn't...
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