In part 2, political scientist Dr. Saeed Rahnema discusses his experience in the workers’ council movement leading up to and during the Iranian Revolution of 1979-1980 and addresses the Islamic Republic’s opposition to unions. He also contends that modern-day working classes in the West are ideologically and culturally segmented and that the left has failed to mobilize at numerous historical junctures.
The workers’ council movement took shape in several forms across Europe, Russia, Tito’s Yugoslavia, Algeria, and Iran. Political scientist Dr. Saeed Rahnema discusses the failure of workers’ councils in these different historical contexts and traces out the tensions between workers’ control and workers’ participation under capitalism. Is real workers’ control feasible under capitalism, and do struggles for increased workers’ participation and higher wages necessarily lead to workers’ control?
Adolph Reed argues that the left should vote for Biden in the coming presidential elections, even though Corporate Democrats defend the underlying system, Trump and the forces that back him represent a more overt form of fascistization.
Renowned social theorist, systems thinker, and organizer, Marjorie Kelly, gives an early look at her new book: Wealth Supremacy. Speaking with Colin Bruce Anthes, she details the entrenched ways our current system is built around myths that make giving more wealth to the already wealthy seem necessary— even when we try to use our institutions for the common good. Kelly contrasts this with an outnumbered but successful democratic economy with many forms of democratized ownership and participation: public utilities, employee-owned companies, community land trusts, cooperatives, and more. We can create an economy that works for everyone, she argues, but only if we systematically discredit the moral status of wealth supremacy and turn towards a democratic economy paradigm.
Frank Hammer, former President of United Auto Workers (UAW) local 909 in Detroit and retired GM worker, explains how “legacy” workers are standing up for new hires. This is critical to building working-class solidarity. He also reflects on the history of autoworker strikes in the U.S. and in Mexico, reminding us of the deadly incident at the Ford Cuautitlán plant, in which thugs dressed in Ford uniforms shot dead one of the workers and injured ten others.
Linda Campbell, Director of the Detroit People’s Platform, has worked as a community organizer in Detroit for decades. She speaks about local initiatives which advocate for investment in affordable housing and oppose the public financing of big real estate projects which have historically contributed to community land dispossession. She also applauds the Michigan Democrats’ recent repeal of right-to-work legislation and calls upon the political leadership to fight for higher wages, particularly for non-union workers not covered by prevailing wage protections.
Brilliant activist and union organizer Jane McAlevey died on July 7, 2024. To celebrate her work and life, we republish our series of interviews with Jane. One of the world’s leading “organizers’ organizer” Jane McAlevey, has trained thousands of activists in building more militant unions and winning electoral organizing; she sees the fight for effective unions as critical to winning transformative climate policy. Jane tells her story to Paul Jay on Reality Asserts Itself.
“West Virginia Can’t Wait” is a movement to win a government where the people who work the hardest and bear the most are also the ones who write the laws. Katey Lauer joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
One of the world’s leading “organizers’ organizer” Jane McAlevey has trained thousands of activists in building more militant unions and winning electoral organizing; she sees the fight for effective unions as critical to winning transformative climate policy. Jane tells her story to Paul Jay on Reality Asserts Itself.
Central banks are raising interest rates to create more desperation amongst workers and weaken their bargaining power. Bob Pollin joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
There are times when it’s necessary to weaken the malignant tumour in order to continue fighting the underlying cancer. Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
A strike can force recognition of a union; a supermajority strike is powerful when bargaining; a strike with mass support can be a political weapon to change society. Jane McAlevey on the final segment of this episode of Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay.
“We do workers and contracts. We don’t do faith and religion. We cannot afford to leave one ounce of power on the table.” Jane McAlevey joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
“We’re not going to win anything in the broader society if we don’t start with the foundation of strong worksite unions and organizing workers who may not agree with us. Under a capitalist system, the single most powerful thing workers can do is walk off the job and stop production.” Jane McAlevey joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
Advocacy and mobilizing are directed at people who support your cause. Organizing is a strategic plan to win over workers who don’t agree. Jane McAlevey joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news
Paul Jay on ‘theatre of the absurd democracy’, and organizing for a vibrant peoples’ movement as the focus for theAnalysis.news in the coming year.
The interview was originally published on January 29, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself: Mr. Jim, General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa, explains why his union withdrew its support for the governing African National Congress.
This interview was originally released on January 30, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself: Workers must build a united front to implement the Freedom Charter, which includes participating in electoral politics; the workers’ movement can’t just be about marching, says Mr. Jim, General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (NUMSA).
This interview was originally released on April 10, 2014. Mr. Lander tells Paul Jay that in ’98 when he saw the whole of the establishment getting together to defeat Chavez, he voted for him even though he had a lot of reasons not to like him.
This interview was originally published on January 28, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Jim tells host Paul Jay about his youth and radicalization in the fight against apartheid. Mr. Jim is now the leader of the largest union in South Africa with 340,000 members, which has recently broken with the ANC and is calling for a return to the principles of the Freedom Charter.
This interview was originally published on October 11, 2013. In the final segment of this Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Frank Hammer says all workers should face up to the dangers of climate change and insist that we move toward a green economy.
This interview was originally published on October 8, 2013. In this episode of Reality Asserts Itself, Frank Hammer discusses the pressures on Detroit auto workers’ wages that came from the American and global south.
This interview was originally published on October 7, 2013. In this episode, Frank Hammer tells Paul Jay about being inspired by the national liberation movements and the struggle against concessions as a response to the outsourcing of jobs.
This interview was originally published on October 7, 2013. On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, retired UAW Local President Frank Hammer tells the story of his radicalization in the movement against the Vietnam War and turning his back on a professional career to take up working class activism.