The Wisconsin Idea

Labor

Black Mold, Bed Bugs and Anti-Union Tactics: Why New York Starbucks Workers Are Out On Strike

Starbucks workers at a roastery in New York are on the picket line alleging unsafe working conditions and a refusal by management to bargain in good faith.

Saurav Sarkar

Labor

‘Work-Life Balance Is at the Center of This Dispute’: Alabama Westrock Paper Mill Workers Fight On

Workers at Westrock’s Mahrt Mall paper mill in Cottonton, Alabama, have been locked out since the beginning of October due to an ongoing contract fight.

Jacob Morrison

Viewpoint

Mike Davis’s Socialism Was Rooted in a Love of Humanity

The Marxist writer and activist Mike Davis (1946-2022) showed us all how to live and fight as an “old-school socialist.”

Micah Uetricht

LaborViewpoint

Robert Reich: Why Aren’t Democrats Talking About the Real Cause of Inflation?

Casting corporate profiteering as a key driver of inflation would be a political winner for Democrats—and it has the virtue of being true.

Robert Reich

Labor

Why Starbucks Cares So Much About a Little Pin

A barista in Buffalo says he was fired for wearing a suicide awareness pin. Now, workers in at least seven other states are wearing it in solidarity.

Jeff Schuhrke

Rural America

After Platinum Health Took Control of Noble Sites, All Hospital Workers Were Fired

A private-equity startup acquired two rural Missouri hospitals during the pandemic. In March, it suspended all hospital services.

Sarah Jane Tribble

Viewpoint

How Progressives Can Counter ‘Tough-on Crime’ Messaging

Crime plays on primal emotions. We need deep engagement to transform people's thinking.

Robert Kraig

LaborFeature

Amy’s Kitchen Workers Protested Their Working Conditions. Then They All Lost Their Jobs.

“They treat you like you’re nothing. Like cockroaches.”

Emily Janakiram

Labor

Sysco Strikers Reach a Deal

The three-week, multi-state strikes caused supply chain interruptions but drew widespread community support.

Eloise Goldsmith and Rohan Montgomery