Members of the Independent Socialist Group (ISG) joined with almost 5,000 other attendees at this year’s Labor Notes conference in Chicago, April 19-21. The conference, which is organized every two years, brings labor activists together to discuss rebuilding a fighting labor movement, including how to organize reform caucuses in our unions and how to overturnContinue reading “ISG in Action: Labor Notes 2024”
Category Archives: News & Analysis
The Working Class and the 2024 Presidential Election
by B.W. SculosVice President, Rio Grande Valley United Faculty (TFA/NEA) (Personal Capacity) Edinburg, TX In the leadup to the 2024 US Presidential election, the working class is confronted with two major party candidates who will not represent our interests. Both Democratic Party nominee President Joe Biden and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump will continue toContinue reading “The Working Class and the 2024 Presidential Election”
ISG in Action: Massachusetts Teachers Association
Union educators & nurses rally together in Worcester, MA. by ISG members in the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) In April, ISG members in the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) participated in the union’s Annual Meeting of Delegates. This is the union’s highest decision-making body, with elected delegates – representing 117,000+ educators in pre-K through higher edContinue reading “ISG in Action: Massachusetts Teachers Association”
Union Baristas Win First Contract at Coffee by Design
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”
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 “
Defying the ban on Massachusetts public sector strikes
by Miranda AlpertSharon Teachers Association / Massachusetts Teachers Association (personal capacity)Boston, MA There has been a recent wave of strikes by members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), part of the National Education Association (NEA). Although public-sector strikes are illegal in 37 states, including Massachusetts, educators in Brookline, Malden, and Haverhill in 2022, as wellContinue reading “Defying the ban on Massachusetts public sector strikes”
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”
Independent Socialist Group 