Lauren Gamble, member of the Independent Socialist Group, reflects on winning a first contract at Coffee by Design (CBD), a small coffee chain in Portland, ME. She served on the bargaining committee for Union by Design, which now represents CBD baristas and retail staff. Union by Design is affiliated to the Laborers’ International Union ofContinue reading “Union Baristas Win First Contract at Coffee by Design”
Category Archives: Issues & Struggles
Meet A Socialist: Harper
Northeastern University encampment where I and other protestors were arrested. by Harper GlottmannMiami, FL Growing up in Miami, it was hard to ignore the wealth inequality all around me. Downtown, homeless people’s encampments stretch down several streets just a couple blocks away from luxury high rises. Most of my life I did not think criticallyContinue reading “Meet A Socialist: Harper”
Pride as Protest
by Ronan Foley & Milena GermonBoston, MA / Portland, ME Pride began as a protest with the Stonewall Riots in June 1969 in New York City. The Stonewall Riots were far from the first moment of resistance from the LGBTQ+ community against police and state violence—even just a few years before in 1966, the Compton’sContinue reading “Pride as Protest”
Support A Strong Contract for the Boston Teachers Union!
The Independent Socialist Group (ISG) supports the 10,000+ members of the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) in their fight for a contract to improve staffing and pay. The union wants a $4/hr increase for paraprofessionals, who make under $30,000/year yet are required to live in Boston, where median rent is almost $4,000/month. Inflation has gone upContinue reading “Support A Strong Contract for the Boston Teachers Union!”
No Summer Breaks for the Palestine Solidarity Movement
by Ben Desjarlais & Jacob BielskiSpringfield, MA Organize Protests to Pick Up Where the Campus Encampments Left Off! On April 17, hundreds of Columbia University students started a Gaza solidarity encampment after efforts to force divestment were answered by a crackdown on pro-Palestinian activity across the campus. University president Minouche Shafik called in New YorkContinue reading “No Summer Breaks for the Palestine Solidarity Movement “
Why Labor Unions and the Working Class Need a Workers’ Party
by Peggy WangMassachusetts Teachers Association/Association of Professional Administrators (personal capacity)Boston, MA Workers have been making headlines by unionizing, striking, and making militant demands. But winning first contract agreements is taking longer, corporations like Amazon refuse to negotiate at all, and only one in ten US workers are in unions. Corporations use their vast amounts ofContinue reading “Why Labor Unions and the Working Class Need a Workers’ Party”
Why We Need Public Ownership of the Railroads
Originally published April 2023. Updated April 2024. by Nicholas Wurst & Claire BaylerSMART-TD Local 1473 (personal capacity) & Railroad Workers United (personal capacities)Worcester, MA Check out publicrailnow.org and railroadworkersunited.org/support-public-ownership for more info. In October of 2022, amid the highly contentious battle over the Class 1 freight railroad workers’ contract, Railroad Workers United (RWU) adopted aContinue reading “Why We Need Public Ownership of the Railroads”
May Day 2024: The Labor Movement Needs Socialism
This article was originally published in Issue 17 (April-May) of Socialism Today. Pick up a copy today! International Workers Day is a socialist holiday started by US unions during the struggle for the eight-hour workday in the late 1800s. It was adopted by the socialist Second International in 1904 as a day to “demonstrate energetically…forContinue reading “May Day 2024: The Labor Movement Needs Socialism”
Freighter Collision Collapses Francis Scott Key Bridge, Fight for Workers Safety and Job Security
By Jacob Bielski & Claire Bayler (former Baltimore dockhand)Springfield & Worcester, MA On Tuesday, March 26th, the Dali, a 985-foot-long cargo ship, collided with and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which spans the outer Baltimore Harbor in Maryland. Authorities shut down traffic after hearing the ship’s mayday calls, but eight maintenance workers on breakContinue reading “Freighter Collision Collapses Francis Scott Key Bridge, Fight for Workers Safety and Job Security”
Government Shutdown and Debt Ceiling: What Workers Need to Know
B.W. Sculos & Ashley RogersRio Grande Valley United Faculty, TFA, NEA member (personal capacity)Edinburg, TX / Philadelphia, PA On March 8, the Senate postponed a partial government shutdown by passing another temporary funding bill continuing the 2023 budget. The threat of a government shutdown, including furloughs of many government employees and the closure of vital services, isContinue reading “Government Shutdown and Debt Ceiling: What Workers Need to Know”
Independent Socialist Group 