As a teenager Kieran helped convene the first meeting of Anti-Racist Action at a Minneapolis library with 100 other Midwestern antiracist youth. Many of those folks have grown up to be labor organizers. It’s awesome to see Kieran and other labor leaders engaging in the same mutual aid tactics they used to chase the klan out of Minneapolis but with more clout, wisdom, reach, and experience. So proud to know him, and thank you for uplifting and honoring his work and all the labor leaders. It is not an easy road, and the state has delivered violence at every opportunity. Thank you Hamilton for your reporting and your heart.
Hi, Hamilton and thanks for this. I am a fan of the Twin Cities and MN for decades. You allude to the fact that these folks know how to work together. And it goes waaaayyy back, of course.
In case anyone doesn't know of it, Georgetown U. published a fine study of this process not too long ago: "Aligning For Power A Case Study of Bargaining for The Common Good in Minnesota." I've pasted in the link. It's how Minnesota became the Minnesota we admire. Remember Paul Wellstone?....
Hi Hamilton: I am mystified as to why the labor movement does not publish its own newspapers at the local level. It seems to me that local labor councils ought to educate the general public on labor, work, and political issues, instead of hoping or leaving it to the local mainstream media to cover Labor's meaning and significance. Any thoughts?
It used to be a common thing and has declined along with union density itself. I agree though and generally think that unions need to support labor journalism, because when it goes away they lose more than anyone.
I've been thinking the same thing plus there need to be more things like union community halls that get people together with communal entry like play groups, sports more than basketball, dinners, conversation circles, dances. That are open to everyone of course they will be about getting people seeing what they have in common and countering the news and working on building a positive vision for the future not just a negation of the capitalist one. It will require a different type of focus from what's happening and the latest outrage to what we're doing ands why.
I feel fortunate to have witnessed and participated in some things like that.
Sure needed this uplift. Thanks!
As a teenager Kieran helped convene the first meeting of Anti-Racist Action at a Minneapolis library with 100 other Midwestern antiracist youth. Many of those folks have grown up to be labor organizers. It’s awesome to see Kieran and other labor leaders engaging in the same mutual aid tactics they used to chase the klan out of Minneapolis but with more clout, wisdom, reach, and experience. So proud to know him, and thank you for uplifting and honoring his work and all the labor leaders. It is not an easy road, and the state has delivered violence at every opportunity. Thank you Hamilton for your reporting and your heart.
Keep writing, keep watching the scum where they are, as most of us have to trust "the news", which is often made of mush. Thank you.
Hi, Hamilton and thanks for this. I am a fan of the Twin Cities and MN for decades. You allude to the fact that these folks know how to work together. And it goes waaaayyy back, of course.
In case anyone doesn't know of it, Georgetown U. published a fine study of this process not too long ago: "Aligning For Power A Case Study of Bargaining for The Common Good in Minnesota." I've pasted in the link. It's how Minnesota became the Minnesota we admire. Remember Paul Wellstone?....
https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/kxsmj8lkmpriwxsp6jthw387k43kdh7z
Thanks for your work, Hamilton; stronger together always.
Power comes from cooperation. Protests are fleeting but organization remains.
Hi Hamilton: I am mystified as to why the labor movement does not publish its own newspapers at the local level. It seems to me that local labor councils ought to educate the general public on labor, work, and political issues, instead of hoping or leaving it to the local mainstream media to cover Labor's meaning and significance. Any thoughts?
It used to be a common thing and has declined along with union density itself. I agree though and generally think that unions need to support labor journalism, because when it goes away they lose more than anyone.
We are lucky in Portland that we have the NW Labor Press.
I've been thinking the same thing plus there need to be more things like union community halls that get people together with communal entry like play groups, sports more than basketball, dinners, conversation circles, dances. That are open to everyone of course they will be about getting people seeing what they have in common and countering the news and working on building a positive vision for the future not just a negation of the capitalist one. It will require a different type of focus from what's happening and the latest outrage to what we're doing ands why.
I feel fortunate to have witnessed and participated in some things like that.