Power At Work

Wealthy corporations are aggressively engaged in undermining democracy. But the labor movement is fighting back. In a new Power At Work blogcast, The Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by David Sirota of The Lever and Luc Triangle of the International Trade Union Confederation - ITUC to discuss a new report issued by the ITUC entitled “Corporate Underminers of Democracy 2025”, and Sirota's new book titled "MASTER PLAN". Learn about recent developments in the battle to preserve democracy and the role of worker power in winning that battle! Click the link in the comments.

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, the legacy of the storm continues to shape New Orleans’ schools. In "Building Power, Breaking Power: The United Teachers of New Orleans, 1965–2008," author Jesse Chanin shares the story of the United Teachers Of New Orleans (UTNO) and critical lessons about democracy, race, and labor power in education. Get a sneak peak in Chanin's piece for Power At Work by visiting the link in the comments!

Why did the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its largest local affiliate decide to partner with three leading AI companies to train elementary and secondary school teachers to use AI in their work? How might the AFT try to address AI through collective bargaining? And how has the partnership been received by local leaders, union members, and others?   These questions and more are explored in a recent conversation between Seth Harris, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow; Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT; and Roy E. Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta.   Listen to the conversation here: https://lnkd.in/dhnEiZiW

Across the South, dollar store workers are organizing for safer workplaces, fairer pay, and dignity on the job, even without formal union recognition. Jesse Baum reports for Capital & Main on how workers like David Williams in New Orleans are leading campaigns through community groups like Step Up Louisiana, a model of “premajority unionism” that’s taking root in sectors and regions long considered unorganizable. These efforts show that the labor movement isn’t confined to the National Labor Relations Board process. It’s present wherever workers take collective action to make their jobs better. Read Baum's piece, now published on Power At Work, by visiting the link in the comments!

Injecting 30 minutes of power into your week. Join Power At Work LIVE for Episode #12 of The Power Half-Hour at noon ET/11 AM CT/9 AM PT on October 28! The Power Half-Hour is a livestreamed, fast-paced, bi-weekly roundtable with a rotating group of regular guests. Tune in here on Power At Work's LinkedIn page to hear our guests discuss the biggest labor story of the preceding week and the labor story everyone should be talking about over the next two weeks. Joining us for this episode are Claudia Irizarry Aponte of THE CITY, Bill Samuel of NVG, LLC, and Seema Patel from UC Law San Francisco.

Episode #11 of Power At Work's Power Half-Hour has arrived! The Power Half-Hour is a livestreamed, fast-paced, bi-weekly roundtable with a rotating group of regular guests. Our guests discuss the biggest labor story of the preceding week and the labor story everyone should be talking about over the next two weeks. Joining The Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris for this episode are McKenna Schueler, news reporter for Orlando Weekly, Ali Bustamante, Professor of Practice at the University of New Orleans, and Suhauna Hussain, news reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Watch now by visiting the link in the comments!

What did prosperity really mean for workers in the UAW’s so-called “golden age”? In his new book, "Listening to Workers: Oral Histories of Metro Detroit Autoworkers in the 1950s," historian Daniel Clark draws on decades of oral histories, to reveal the complicated reality for rank-and-file autoworkers in the 1950s. Even in an era of strong contracts and rising wages, workers faced instability, layoffs, and insecurity. Read more about the stories of autoworkers built resilience, solidarity, and quiet forms of power that helped shape the middle class in Clark's latest piece for Power At Work. Visit the link in the comments!

Injecting 30 minutes of power into your week. Join Power At Work LIVE for Episode #11 of The Power Half-Hour at noon ET/11 AM CT/9 AM PT on October 14! The Power Half-Hour is a livestreamed, fast-paced, bi-weekly roundtable with a rotating group of regular guests. Tune in here on Power At Work's LinkedIn page to hear our guests discuss the biggest labor story of the preceding week and the labor story everyone should be talking about over the next two weeks. Joining us for this episode are McKenna Schueler of the Orlando Weekly, Ali Bustamante of the Roosevelt Institute, and Suhauna Hussain of the Los Angeles Times

“Dream big dreams. Fight big fights.” Leo Gerard didn’t just lead the labor movement — he forged it. As President of the United Steelworkers (USW), he defended workers, revived American manufacturing, and built unlikely alliances for justice and sustainability. Michael Wessel’s new tribute, “The Steelworker Who Wielded a Sledgehammer for Justice,” captures Gerard's vision and humanity, reminding us what real leadership looks like. Read the full piece on Power At Work by visiting the link in the comments!