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kp777 · 5 months

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By Brett Wilkins

Common Dreams

Nov. 14, 2023

Amid a nationwide wave of labor organizing and victories, U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chair Bernie Sanders on Tuesday held a hearing on the critical role unions play in raising up working families and fighting corporate greed.

"In America today, we have more income and wealth inequality than at any time since the Gilded Age," Sanders (I-Vt.) noted in his prepared remarks. "Today, three people in our country own more wealth than the bottom half of our society—over 165 million Americans."

"Today, while the very richest people in America become much richer, over 60% of our people are living paycheck-to-paycheck and many work for starvation wages and under terrible working conditions," he continued. "Today, while millions of ordinary people are struggling to pay the rent, pay for daycare, and put food on the table, CEOs are making nearly 350 times as much as their average workers."

"While there is much to be concerned about in today's economy, there is also some very good news and that is what brings us to the topic of today's hearing," Sanders asserted.

He continued:

All over this country, we are seeing workers standing up and fighting back against the unprecedented corporate greed taking place in America in a way that we have not seen in decades. This year alone, over 450,000 workers in America have gone on strike for better wages, benefits, and working conditions—up more than 900% compared to just two years ago. Last year, union membership in America increased by 273,000—to a total of 14.3 million workers. Last year, employees in nearly 2,600 worksites in America filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union—up more than 50% from two years ago.

"In other words, in America today, more workers want to join unions; more workers are joining unions; and more workers are going out on strike to improve their working conditions than we have seen in a very long time—and many of those unions are winning strong contracts for their workers," Sanders said.

"And what we are seeing is that these historic union victories are not only improving the lives of their members, they are beginning to improve the lives of nonunion workers all over the country," he added.

Speaking at the hearing, United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain—who has garnered national attention recently with the "Big Three" strikes—said that "the working class needs this committee, and the entire Congress to step up."

"You all have an essential role to play," he added. "Not only in supporting our fights and other fights like ours. But to finish the job for economic and social justice for the entire working class."

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA president Sara Nelson also spoke at the hearing, as did Teamsters president Sean O'Brien, who was challenged to a fistfight by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) before Sanders stepped in to stop them.

The hearing came amid a string of recent labor victories, as unions representing autoworkers, medical professionals, and writers and actors are among those that have notched big wins. From Starbucks to strip clubs, workers are also forming or joining unions at rates not seen in decades. Meanwhile, public approval of unions is higher than it's been in the last half-century.

However, just 10% of U.S. workers belong to a union—the lowest rate ever recorded—while last year union membership fell for the second straight year. In contrast, nearly a third of the country's workforce was unionized in the 1950s.

In an interview with The Guardian's Michael Sainato published on Tuesday, Sanders stressed that "we have got to expand union organizing in this country if we're going to save the middle class."

"The American people are sick and tired of corporate greed, of record-breaking profits, outrageous compensation packages for CEOs while workers in many cases are earning starvation wages," he continued. "That dynamic has got to change. I think we've seen real, real progress in the last year."

"What we have got to do in Congress is pass legislation like the PRO Act which allows workers to exercise their constitutional right to form a union," added Sanders, who reintroduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act earlier this year.

#bernie sanders #labor unions #unionize #corporate greed #corporate profits

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mistprints · 2 years

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I was watching the news about how LA banned homeless encampments near schools, as well as how Nevada was demolishing tiny homes made for the homeless based on a technicality about square footage allowed..and like. People demonize the homeless and try to make other people see them as immoral and criminal. While the US needs to handle its homeless problem like every other developed nation, with housing and the opportunity to get employed again once back on their feet, demonizing them under the pretense of "think of the poor children" is not going to help anyone. "But why do they deserve to get free help? We are all struggling and it's their own fault they're homeless." So many homeless were veterans and people that had one bad month or one bad disaster that any one of us could have gone through. And to say they aren't deserving of help when we DO have the capacity to do so....well, we are constantly lied to that it would cost too much and that the everyday taxpayer would suffer. It costs us more in taxes when the city builds hostile architecture, and when these people get very sick from being outside and are taken to emergency rooms. We fund and throw money into programs that don't do anything to help people *out* of homelessness, just temporarily slap a bandaid on it. And while that isn't nothing, it is not what the end goal should be. It is a lie that people end up homeless only due to laziness. It's a lie that the majority of homeless people are homeless from laziness. In America, it is so damn expensive to live, that 70% of Americans are one disaster away from living on the streets. Some of these people had to choose between their house and live-saving medical treatment. The way we treat them is disgusting, like untouchables and we pretend they aren't there except when it comes to putting them out of sight. I've known people who were working 9 to 5 jobs while living out of homeless shelters still. The wages weren't enough to get them any sort of rent. The median rent right now is $2,000 here. $15 minimum wage isn't going to cut it. We are being conned and lied to about not getting more pay than that. This is a capitalist hellscape, hostile to working-class (everyone who is not the 1%) human life. It shouldn't and does not have to be like this. Higher taxes for free healthcare would cost less than a monthly premium we would no longer have to pay, but we don't talk about that. We keep getting gaslit by politicians whose motives are not in our best interest. They are bought out [read: bribed] to keep the status quo and make the rich richer while ignoring our crumbling infrastructure, a predatory housing crisis, flagging wages, environmental crisis for the future of humanity, and healthcare. We fail at everything except profits, which get directly funneled to this vague "rich" class and hoarded. And more people will become homeless while the rest have a worse and worse quality of life. This is not sustainable. There are several things that could be done to fix these issues in a decade at most; I could narrow it down to 5 broad ones:

Raising the minimum wage -honestly one of the most effective ways to give the working class more spending money. Wages have not grown with the rest of the economy in decades. We work harder for less.

Capping Rent universally -can be adjusted for the cost of living in each city, but cannot exceed 30% of the minimum paycheck. ideally for at least 3 years. We also should not allow companies to buy up homes for sale in mass so they can rent them out eternally.

Universal Healthcare -take out the insurance company middle man. it is cheaper for everyone even for those that don't have health insurance (because we pay with higher taxes for high-risk people such as the homeless when they are taken in for dire situations.)

Education Reform -The American school system is deeply flawed. The curriculum has not been updated since the 60s. We fall far behind much of the world. This would include language classes and equitable funding for all departments. Ideally, this would include daycare too.

Environmental Action -Probably the hardest one to tackle and with a time crunch. This goes hand in hand with infrastructure reform; the energy grid wastes a ton of power because of how old and crumbling it is. Water infrastructure is also in danger with the recent droughts part of the country is seeing and the floods in the other. Reducing carbon emissions, using the other better and available energy options...I could make a whole post about this alone because it is what I majored in, but requires a lot more than just switching the lights we use and saving energy. This is bigger than just a consumer-level problem, and the biggest polluters are a handful of companies that ruin the environment, reap the benefits and keep them, then put the environmental costs on all of us. They need to be strictly regulated and required to change wasteful and environmentally harmful practices; and not just with carbon offsets.

our issues are way more complicated and numerous, and I do have more ideas on smaller issues too. But I think handling these would significantly impact the others to raise the quality of life here. We have to divert from the path we are charging down, because not all Americans are the bigoted and ignorant people shown all over the news. A majority of us want the best for each other and to live our lives rather than just survive until we die. Many don't know what to do to begin to change things and can't afford to even leave while a handful of men in powerful offices toy with people's lives all over the world just because they can and have the guns to force the rest of us into thinking we are powerless against them. They keep us divided and uninformed and we often get to choose between a bad and horrible choice for who ends up in charge.

If anyone reads this and wonders what they can do, the biggest impact an individual can do is vote. Vote in people that will make these things happen and who aren't being paid on the side to work for corporate and stock and pharmaceutical and defense industry interests. Vote in your primaries so that when the big decision finally comes, we aren't left with the worst options. Don't let them scare you and don't let them destroy the shreds of democracy we have left.

#homelessness #america #politics #us politics #solarpunk #the machine is dystopian #healthcare is a human right #people before profits #intro to leftism #bernie sanders 2024 #usa #america news #please vote #don't let anyone tell you otherwise #important #government #corporate greed #late stage capitalism

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders sent Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) a letter this week asking the drug company to halt planned U.S. price increases on its COVID-19 vaccine, saying price hikes could make the shot unaffordable for millions of Americans.

Sanders said in his letter that raising prices would be particularly egregious after the U.S. government provided around $1.7 billion to fund development of the vaccine. The letter was addressed to Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel.

"You propose to make the vaccine unaffordable for the residents of this country who made the production of the vaccine possible," wrote Sanders, who is set to become chairman of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions later this month. "That is not acceptable."

Moderna has not settled on a price yet, but Bancel has said that a range of $110 to $130 a dose for the vaccine once the United States moves to a commercial market for the shots is reasonable given the value they create.

The top end of that range is around eight times the price in the earliest U.S. contracts for the vaccine and nearly five times the roughly $27 a dose the government paid for booster shots last year.

"While we are still in discussions with stakeholders on the price of our COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna is committed to pricing that reflects the value that COVID-19 vaccines bring to patients, healthcare systems, and society," Moderna said in an emailed statement.

The company said that under the Affordable Care Act, its COVID-19 shots will continue to be available at no cost for most Americans.

Sanders is a democratic socialist whose presidential campaigns have pushed the U.S. Democratic Party agenda leftward. The Vermont Senator has railed against high drug prices and backed Medicare-for-all, and his chairmanship of the HELP committee could put drug companies in his crosshairs.

Sanders wrote that Bancel and several of Moderna's founders have become billionaires after the vaccine's launch. He said the higher prices would cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars and make the shots too expensive for uninsured and underinsured Americans.

"Now, in the midst of a continuing public health crisis and a growing federal deficit, is not the time for Moderna to be quadrupling the price of this vaccine. Now is not the time for unacceptable corporate greed," Sanders wrote.

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine sales were around $18.4 billion in 2022. That is expected to fall sharply next year even with the price increases, as demand for the shots has dropped off. The drugmaker said on Monday it expects a minimum of $5 billion in revenue from the shots this year.

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4taxfairness · 1 year

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#bernie sanders #bernie #courage #bravery #greed #progressives #tax the billionaires

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donotdestroy · 1 year

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While the richest 1% have never had it so good, what is the reality for the working class? 60% of our people are living paycheck to paycheck. 57% of our people cannot afford a $1,000 emergency. 41% of our people are rent-burdened. We need an economy that works for all.

Bernie Sanders

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naminethewriter · 2 years

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Between Two Lives Chapter Four: Greed

Masterpost | First | Previous | Next | Ao3

Story Summary: Written for Intrulogical Week 2022 @intrulogicalweek

Logan is stuck in Limbo until the Afterlife Registration Bureau processes his case so he can properly move onto a afterlife, whether that is heaven, hell, reincarnation or something else. While wandering around aimlessly, he’s approached by a demon that introduces himself as Remus and offers him a quicker way to the next life.

Content Warnings: None

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As Remus had previously announced, for the next challenged they once again appeared in the giant plaza. This time however, Logan was calm enough to take a proper look around. One of the buildings looked very similar to the National Gallery in London, with large pillars in front of the entrance and a dome on the roof. In fact, a lot of the buildings had similar pillars and architectural styles that fit into the Ancient Rome and Greek eras. He supposed that shouldn’t be surprising considering that they were in Limbo and those structures may be even older than the Egyptian empire.

“You called this the neutral zone last time if I remember correctly,” Logan said, and Remus nodded. “Why is that?”

“Make a guess. Use that logic you’re so fond of,” Remus challenged with a grin. Logan frowned but didn’t protest. He took another look around, this time noting the people strolling around. A few seemed human, like himself but most had wings, either red and leathery like Remus’ or white and feathery like the typical description of angels. And while he could mainly see them sticking with their own kind, there were some groups with both demons and angels present, appearing harmonious.

During the first challenge, Remus had explained to him that since the amount of dead people have exceeded the capacity of heaven and hell, the two forced had become less hostile than before but they still remained at odds with each other. That being paired with the assumption that this might be the oldest sector of Limbo, Logan reached a conclusion.

“I assume it is no man’s land? A space where both Heaven and Hell can meet without conflict?”

“Ding ding ding! Right on the money!” Remus clapped with another grin. “This place was established eons ago since Hell felt like Heaven had an unfair advantage. And the cause of their complaint was this!” He gestured over to the building that looked like the National Gallery. “The Great Library. Where every book ever made is kept.” Logan’s jaw dropped.

“Every book ever made?” he repeated slowly and quietly.

“Yeah. It was in Heaven at first, but Hell demanded equal access. It took a lot of negotiation but in the end, they agreed to create a Neutral Zone in Limbo. Which is where we are right now!” Logan struggled to keep listening, unable to tear his eyes from the promise of every bit of human knowledge gathered in one place.

“Can we go in? Even if for only one moment, I need to see it at least once.”

“Sure thing, Wristwatch. In fact, today’s challenge leads us there anyway. C’mon!” He grabbed Logan’s hand, pulling him along once again but a lot more gently than he had the previous times. In fact, even as Logan caught up and followed his tempo, Remus didn’t let go. Logan saw no reason to break his grip.

They had to pass through a foyer before entering the library proper and Remus flashed a card to an angel that looked like security who let them pass with a nod. Logan could only guess that it was some kind of membership. He didn’t waste anymore thought on it though as they entered the biggest room he had ever seen.

The ceiling was high, at least eight stories, the glass dome he’d seen outside letting in plenty of light. He couldn’t see the any of the other walls though, left and right were large bookcases filled to the brim and in front of them were rows and rows of desks, many of them occupied by demons and angels alike. Logan couldn’t get enough of the sight and was itching to go and take a look at the nearest shelves. But before he could even move an inch, Remus tucked at his hand.

“So, the challenge for today has to do with restraint,” he explained in a hushed tone – Logan was a little surprised he heeded to the quietness of libraries. “You can borrow any book you want under my name but I’m limiting you to five books in total.”

“Only five?” Logan gaped. So much knowledge at his fingertips and he could only choose five books? That was unfair and entirely impossible. Remus held up a finger.

“You didn’t let me finish. The limit is five books unless you negotiate for more. Give me a good bargain and I may raise the total. But there is a max of twenty books they’re letting me borrow at a time, so that’s the hard limit. But I’d be impressed if you can come up with fifteen ways to pay.” He grinned, shimming his shoulders before raising their entwined hands. He motions to Logan’s watch on his wrist. “You got until the hand is here.“ He motions to the second next mark. “Until then you can walk around the library freely. There are catalogues around if you have a specific title or genre in mind. After that time, you need to have your selection of books and if they exceed the limit, start negotiating with me. But first we’ll find a meeting place.”

The walk around for a bit until the find a rather empty corner with some cozy seats where Remus settled down and send Logan on his way. He could use a little nap while the nerd was on his mission.

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In the end, Logan returned with fourteen books. Most of them academic papers but a few fiction pieces as well. His choice had been more limited than he thought since most ancient text hadn’t been translated – why would they, really? Just because Remus was talking English with him didn’t mean that demon and angels couldn’t speak any language they wanted. Still, he wasn’t sure what he had to offer Remus to get the extra nine books he wanted.

Remus grinned at him as he placed the books on the table in the corner they had chosen for themselves.

“Oh, that is definitely more than five, doc! Getting greedy, aren’t we?”

“There are a few I’m willing to leave behind if I have to, but I will not give them up easily.”

“That’s the spirit!” Remus cackled, not as quiet as he had been when they entered the library since they were quite far from others but still more subdued than usual. “Let’s see that are, two, six, eight, uhhh, fourteen books! Nine you will have to negotiate for. Hit me, prof, what’s your first offer?”

“Very well,” Logan said, taking a seat across from Remus so that the pile of books was on the table between them. “First, I’m offering you a personal lesson on astronomy. You can ask me anything you want about the cosmos, and I will answer to the best of my abilities.”

Remus hummed in consideration. “Okay, I can get behind that. How long are we talking?”

“Two earth hours. If you’d like more, I want another book.”

“Fair. But I couldn’t pay attention any longer than that anyway, so we’ll stick with one extra book for now.”

“Good. My second offer is the same as the first but for marine biology which I minored in and has been a fascination of mine for most of my life.”

“I’m indeed curious about your oceans. They’re very vast, right?”

“Yes. And largely unexplored. We have discovered quite a few fascinating creatures in the depths.”

“Acceptable. That’s two books down, seven to go.” Which was a problem. Logan didn’t have much else to offer besides his knowledge. He had no worldly possessions since he quite literally was not in the world anymore. He could offer his time, but there were still four challenges to go that Remus was free to choose and depending on what afterlife Logan went with if he passed, they might not be able to meet again.

“How about I make an offer, since you seem to be struggling for ideas there,” Remus spoke up, pulling Logan out of his thoughts.

“I have no reason to refuse, please go ahead.”

“Let’s see…” Remus hummed though he had an expression on his face that told Logan he already knew what he wanted. “I will give you one book for every minute you make out with me.” He had a wide grin on his face. Logan stared at him in disbelief.

“Pardon?”

“If you’re willing to kiss me for one minute, I will give you one book. So, seven minutes for the rest of them. Isn’t that a game you play on earth? Seven minutes in Heaven or something? And you get locked in a room for that time?” Logan ignored his questions, still too shocked by the strange offer.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah, so?”

“I understand that you’re a demon, but I am not willing to participate in you cheating on your partner.”

Remus waved him off. “It has nothing to do with me being a demon. Jan and I are poly and have an open relationship. I can kiss and sleep around with whoever I please, if it involves feelings, then I need to talk to him first. But a bit of kissing ain’t a big deal. Hell, he’s slept with my brother! And his boyfriends. Me too, actually. Not my brother, just his boyfriends. But that’s beside the point.”

Logan was at a loss for words.

“Stop gaping like a fish, Wristwatch. I might change my mind.”

“No!” Logan quickly said, not wanting to waste the opportunity. “I was just surprised, I never met an actual polyamorous couple, but I knew of the concept, of course.” Remus snorted at the word ‘concept’ but didn’t say anything more. “I must say, it feels a bit… cheap.”

“Didn’t want to put you under too much pressure, doc, but you can kiss me for longer if you like.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Logan said dryly. “Very well, I accept your offer. Seven minutes for seven books.”

“Great,” Remus agreed with a devilish grin. “Then come over here.”

“Wha- Here?” Logan asked with a blush. Remus giggled.

“Yeah, here. Nobody’s going to come here and even if they do, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of kissing.” Logan remained in his seat, torn. “I can cast a small illusion that would hide what we’re doing if that makes you feel any better.”

“It would, actually,” Logan admitted quietly and walked over to Remus. The demon grinned and grabbed his hand, gently pulling him into his lap, causing Logan’s blush to become an even deeper red. He waved his hand to cast the spell before pulling Logan closer.

“Then let’s not waste any more time, shall we?”

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For once, Janus came home later than Remus. He could hear the sappy music his boyfriend had put on while he took off his shoes. Remus must be in a very good mood. Janus found his boyfriend in the living room, lying on the couch, eyes closed and gently swaying with the music.

“What made you so happy?” he asked, pressing a kiss to Remus’ forehead. His green eyes flew open, and he grinned.

“Janny! You’re back!”

“Yes, Muse. I’m home. Now tell me the good news.”

“I kissed the professor! It was awesome.”

Janus raised his eyebrows. “Oh? How did that happen?”

Remus explained the days events to him, occasionally breaking off to giggle. “In the end we kissed for at least fifteen minutes, I’m not even sure he registered that,” he said gleefully.

Janus hummed, taking a seat on the couch. Remus lifted his legs to give him room.

“I’m happy for you, darling, I am, but it seems to me like this isn’t just about relieving boredom anymore. If you do actually care for him, you need to tell him the truth about the challenges.” Remus avoided his eyes, pouting.

“I know. I’m planning on it.”

“Good. Thank you, Muse. I wish you good luck.”

“Thanks, Janny.”

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sloth-hallo-hier-bin-ich · 6 months

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youtube

Expose the hypocrisy of the right And equally important, to look into the real issues of the working class Adress the power of the billionaire class, about oligarchy and about greed. The fossil industry who has destroyed the planet and has lied about the climate crisis about sixty years.

The truth has a lot to do with the power of big money interest.

#corporate greed #far right #bernie sanders #Youtube

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almondemotion · 1 year

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Diseases of despair – an Easter ramble.

Chag Sameach, Ramadan Mubarak, Happy Easter. Let's not despair.

Obesity is easy. You are sad, empty, and you eat. (Remember Atwood’s Edible Woman?) You consume to fill the void. You eat more than you should. I remember as a little boy walking in town, commenting to my mum; She’s so fat I said, Or words to that effect I think she might have been begging. How can she be fat when she has no money? I asked. You can be fat eating jam sandwiches, mum…

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#Americans #Bernie Sanders #Chad Gadya #despair #Disease #Easter #Greed #Iceland #Insulin #It&039;s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism #Passover #poverty #Wealth

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filosofablogger · 1 year

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What Do Democrats Have To Offer?

As most of you know, I have high regard for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. As an Independent and a democratic-socialist, he stands about as much chance of ever rising to the presidency as I do, but he’s a good man who is far more concerned with the people of the world than he is with corporate wealth. He recently published an OpEd in The Hill that I think is well worth reading as election…

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#Bernie Sanders #child poverty #corporate greed #Prescription drug costs #social security

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nobrashfestivity · 6 months

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I'm not delving into politics but after a weird morning reading people's political reactions I want to briefly explain something a lot of people on tumblr don't understand. It's just a personal note I will likely delete.

The tropes politicians and comedians like to use of "There's money for war but no money for your college loans" is concise and useful because it points out a broadly philosophical thing about our society and what we spend money on, but it is not actually descriptive regarding the mechanics of the government.

Your student loan or food money is not going somewhere else. The problem is greed and living in an oligarchy. If Santa clause gave the government 300 billion dollars tomorrow they would not pay for your school loans or gender reassignment surgery or give more money to the poor or create affordable housing.

The point is that conservatives, of any party, believe their profits are more important than you having an easy way to live. They do not want you to have these things, they don't think your needs are important, they would rather pocket the money but perhaps more importantly, the minority rule we are experiencing can only win elected office on ideological fear. They do not want the disadvantaged empowered. They are selling the idea of denying anything to women, minorities or the poor based on the a success they have had disenfranchising those people that older white people fear will come to power. They cravenly play on a deep fear Americans have that someone will have something they don't. That they will get an unfair advantage somehow if they are helped in any way, even though these same people have been given countless advantages in life.

The reason I feel basic understanding of the government is important is because even well intentioned people here I agree with lack this understanding. A lot of tumblr 2020 was lacking any nuance about how politics works. "So and so introduces a bill to end homelessness" is typical and great idea but largely performative as Bernie Sanders or anyone in government has a pretty good idea what has a chance of being funded or made law. The razor thin Senate majority means there's not a "liberal senate" and American liberals are really pretty conservative by most standards. It's the same misconception with things like "Trump sues the Biden administration" . People file lawsuits everyday, they are largely meaningless but it looks good on paper.

Everything in this country could improved a LOT if everyone voting age just voted. You could have shelter for the homeless and money for college and better benefits for the mentally ill and cheaper housing but the idea that the government has decided to pay for war and not pay for something good is inaccurate. There would never pay for something good if they had all the money in the world.

It's not the money, it's their values.

#personal

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mostlysignssomeportents · 7 months

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Biden should support the UAW

On September 22, I'm (virtually) presenting at the DIG Festival in Modena, Italy. That night, I'll be in person at LA's Book Soup for the launch of Justin C Key's "The World Wasn’t Ready for You." On September 27, I'll be at Chevalier's Books in Los Angeles with Brian Merchant for a joint launch for my new book The Internet Con and his new book, Blood in the Machine.

The UAW are on strike against the Big Three automakers. Biden should be roaring his full-throated support for the strike. Doing so would be both just and shrewd. But instead, the White House is waffling…and if recent history is any indication, they might actually come out against the strike.

The Biden administration is a mix of appointees from the party's left Sanders/Warren wing, and the corporatist, "Third Way" wing associated with Clinton and Obama, which has been ascendant since the Reagan years. The neoliberal wing presided over NAFTA, the foreclosure crisis, charter schools and the bailout for the bankers – but not the people. They voted for the war in Iraq, supported NSA mass-surveillance, failed to use their majorities to codify abortion rights, and waved through mega-merger after mega-merger.

By contrast, the left wing of the party has consistently fought monopoly, war, spying, privatized education and elite impunity – but forever in the shadow of the triangulation wing, who hate the left far more than they hate Republicans. But with the Sanders campaign, the party's left became a force that the party could no longer ignore.

That led to the Biden administration's chimeric approach to key personnel. On the one hand, you have key positions being filled by ghouls who cheered on mass foreclosures under Obama:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/06/personnel-are-policy/#janice-eberly

And on the other, you have shrewd tacticians who are revolutionizing labor law enforcement in America, delivering real, material benefits for American workers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/06/goons-ginks-and-company-finks/#if-blood-be-the-price-of-your-cursed-wealth

Progressives in the Biden administration have often delivered the goods, but they're all-too-often hamstrung by the corporate cheerleaders the party's right wing secured – think of Lina Khan losing her bid to block the Microsoft/Activision merger thanks to a Biden-appointed, big-money-loving judge:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/14/making-good-trouble/#the-peoples-champion

These self-immolating own-goals are especially visible when it comes to strikes. The Biden admin intervened to clobber railway workers, who were fighting some of the country's cruelest, most reckless monopolists, whose greed threatens the nation:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/11/dinah-wont-you-blow/#ecp

The White House didn't have the power to block the Teamsters threat of an historic strike against UPS, but it publicly sided with UPS bosses, fretting about "the economy" while the workers were trying to win a living wage and air conditioning for the roasting ovens they spend all day in.

Now, with the UAW on strike against the monopolistic auto-makers – who received repeated billions in public funds, gave their top execs massive raises, shipped jobs offshore, and used public money to lobby against transit and decarbonization – Biden is sitting on the sidelines, failing to champion the workers' cause.

Writing in his newsletter, labor reporter Hamilton Nolan makes the case that the White House should – must! – stand behind the autoworkers:

https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/whose-fault-is-it?

Nolan points out that workers who strike without the support of the government have historically lost their battles. When workers win labor fights, it's typically by first winning political ones, dragging the government to the table to back them. Biden's failure to support workers isn't "neutral" – it's siding with the bosses.

Today, union support is at historic highs not seen in generations. The hot labor summer wasn't a moment, it was a turning point. Backing labor isn't just the moral thing to do, it's also the right political move:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/14/prop-22-never-again/#norms-code-laws-markets

Biden is already partway there. He rejected the Clinton/Obama position that workers would have to vote for Democrats because "we are your only choice." Maybe he did that out of personal conviction, but it's also no longer politically possible for Democrats to turn out worker votes while screwing over workers.

The faux-populism of the Republicans' Trump wing has killed that strategy. As Naomi Klein writes in her new book Doppelganger, Steve Bannon's tactical genius is to zero in on the areas where Democrats have failed key blocks and offer faux-populist promises to deliver for those voters:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/05/not-that-naomi/#if-the-naomi-be-klein-youre-doing-just-fine

When Democrats fail to bat for workers, they don't just lose worker votes – they send voters to the Republicans. As Nolan writes, "working people know that the class war is real. They are living it. Make the Democratic Party the party that is theirs! Stop equivocating! Draw a line in the sand and stand on the right side of it and make that your message!"

The GOP and Democrats are "sorting themselves around the issue of inequality, because inequality is the issue that defines our time, and that fuels all the other issues that people perceive as a decline in the quality of their own lives." If the Democrats have a future, they need to be on the right side of that issue.

Biden should have allowed a railroad strike. He should have cheered the Teamsters. He should be on the side of the autoworkers. These aren't "isolated squabbles," they're "critical battles in the larger class war." Every union victory transfers funds from the ruling class to the working class, and erodes the power of the wealthy to corrupt our politics.

When Democrats have held legislative majorities, they've refused to use them to strengthen labor law to address inequality and the corruption it engenders. Striking workers are achieving the gains that Democrats couldn't or wouldn't take for themselves. As Nolan writes:

Democratic politicians should be sending the unions thank you notes when they undertake these hard strikes, because the unions are doing the work that the Democrats have failed to accomplish with legislation for the past half fucking century. Say thank you! Say you support the workers! They are striking because the one party that was responsible for ensuring that the rich didn’t take all the money away from the middle class has thoroughly and completely failed to do so.

Republican's can't win elections by fighting on the class war. Democrats should acknowledge that this is the defining issue of our day and lean into it.

Whose fault is a strike at the railroads, or at UPS, or in Hollywood, or at the auto companies? It is the fault of the greedy fuckers who took all the workers’ money for years and years. It is the fault of the executives and investors and corporate boards that treated the people who do the work like shit. When the workers, at great personal risk, strike to take back a measure of what is theirs, they are the right side. There is no winning the class war without accepting this premise.

Autoworkers' strikes have been rare for a half-century, but in their heyday, they Got Shit Done. Writing in The American Prospect, Harold Meyerson tells the tale of the 1945/46 GM strike:

https://prospect.org/labor/2023-09-18-uaw-strikes-built-american-middle-class/

In that strike, the UAW made history: they didn't just demand higher wages for workers, but they also demanded that GM finance these wages with lower profits, not higher prices. This demand was so popular that Harry Truman – hardly a socialist! – stepped in and demanded that GM turn over its books so he could determine whether they could afford to pay a living wage without hiking prices.

Truman released the figures proving that higher wages didn't have to come with higher prices. GM caved. Workers got their raise. Truman touched the "third rail of American capitalism" – co-determination, the idea that workers should have a say in how their employers ran their businesses.

Co-determination is common in other countries – notably Germany – but American capitalists are violently allergic to the idea. The GM strike of 45/6 didn't lead to co-determination, but it did effectively create the American middle-class. The UAW's contract included cost-of-living allowances, wage hikes that tracked gains in national productivity, health care and a defined-benefits pension.

These provisions were quickly replicated in contracts with other automakers, and then across the entire manufacturing sector. Non-union employers were pressured to match them in order to attract talent. The UAW strike of 45/6 set in motion the entire period of postwar prosperity.

As Meyerson points out, today's press coverage of the UAW strike of 2023 is full of hand-wringing about what a work-stoppage will do to the economy. This is short-sighted indeed: when the UAW prevails against the automakers, they will rescue both the economy and the Democratic party from the neo-feudal Gilded Age the country's ultrawealthy are creating around us:

https://doctorow.medium.com/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom-bfad6f3b35a9?sk=207d6afdb89b0351b92233cc3318ab94

There's a name for a political strategy that seeks to win votes by making voters' lives better – it's called "deliverism." It's the one thing the Trump Republican's won't and can't do – they can talk about bringing back jobs or making life better for American workers, but all they can deliver is cruelty to disfavored minorities and tax-breaks for the ultra-rich:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/10/thanks-obama/#triangulation

Deliverism is how the Democrats can win the commanding majorities to deliver the major transformations America and the world need to address the climate emergency and dismantle our new oligarchy. Letting the party's right wing dominate turns the Democrats into caffeine-free Republicans.

When the Dems allowed the Child Tax Credit to lapse – because Joe Manchin insisted that poor people would spend the money on drugs – they killed a program that had done more to lift Americans out of poverty than anything else. Today, American poverty is skyrocketing:

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/4206837-poverty-made-an-alarming-jump-congress-could-have-stopped-it/

Four million children have fallen back into poverty since the Dems allowed the Child Tax Credit to lapse. The rate of child poverty in America has doubled over the past year.

The triangulators on the party's right insist that they are the adults in the room, realists who don't let sentiment interfere with good politics. They're lying. You don't get working parents to vote Democrat by letting their children starve.

America's workers can defeat its oligarchs. They did it before. Biden says he's a union man. It's time for him to prove it. He should be on TV every night, pounding a podium and demanding that the Big Three give in to their workers. If he doesn't, he's handing the country to Trump.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/18/co-determination/#now-make-me-do-it

#pluralistic #uaw #bidenomics #strikes #united autoworkers #labor #unions #union strong #evs #now make me do it #deliverism #democrats #hamilton nolan

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 11 months

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On Wednesday, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) reintroduced a proposal to make higher education free at public schools for most Americans — and pay for it by taxing Wall Street.

The College for All Act of 2023 would massively change the higher education landscape in the U.S., taking a step toward Sanders’s long-standing goal of making public college free for all. It would make community college and public vocational schools tuition-free for all students, while making any public college and university free for students from single-parent households making less than $125,000 or couples making less than $250,000 — or, the vast majority of families in the U.S.

The bill would increase federal funding to make tuition free for most students at universities that serve non-white groups, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It would also double the maximum award to Pell Grant recipients at public or nonprofit private colleges from $7,395 to $14,790.

If passed, the lawmakers say their bill would be the biggest expansion of access to higher education since 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Higher Education Act, a bill that would massively increase access to college in the ensuing decades. The proposal would not only increase college access, but also help to tackle the student debt crisis.

“Today, this country tells young people to get the best education they can, and then saddles them for decades with crushing student loan debt. To my mind, that does not make any sense whatsoever,” Sanders said. “In the 21st century, a free public education system that goes from kindergarten through high school is no longer good enough. The time is long overdue to make public colleges and universities tuition-free and debt-free for working families.”

Debt activists expressed support for the bill. “This is the only real solution to the student debt crisis: eliminate tuition and debt by fully funding public colleges and universities,” the Debt Collective wrote on Wednesday. “It’s time for your member of Congress to put up or shut up. Solve the root cause and eliminate tuition and debt.”

These initiatives would be paid for by several new taxes on Wall Street, found in a separate bill reintroduced by Sanders and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California) on Wednesday. The Tax on Wall Street Speculation would enact a 0.5% tax on stock trades, a 0.1% tax on bonds and a 0.005% tax on trades on derivatives and other types of assets.

The tax would primarily affect the most frequent, and often the wealthiest, traders and would be less than a typical fee for pension management for working class investors, the lawmakers say. It would raise up to $220 billion in the first year of enactment, and over $2.4 trillion over a decade. The proposal has the support of dozens of progressive organizations as well as a large swath of economists.

“Let us never forget: Back in 2008, middle class taxpayers bailed out Wall Street speculators whose greed, recklessness and illegal behavior caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, homes, life savings, and ability to send their kids to college,” said Sanders. “Now that giant financial institutions are back to making record-breaking profits while millions of Americans struggle to pay rent and feed their families, it is Wall Street’s turn to rebuild the middle class by paying a modest financial transactions tax.”

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