From OnLabor – Labor Law in Crisis: The Case for Worker Cooperatives

Sustained and effective worker power arises out of collective action. By building self-funding, democratic organizations, America’s workers can confront and influence powerful forces, including employers, Wall Street, and the government. Our goal at Power At Work is to contribute to a discourse in the United States that emphasizes the importance of collective action and puts workers and worker power at the center of that conversation.

In too much of today’s public discourse, workers are treated as passive actors. Economic and workplace decisions are portrayed as driven by market forces or government action, not workers’ self-determination. Unions are caricatured as little more than political actors or economic disruptors, while benefits to workers (e.g., plentiful jobs, rising wages) are characterized as inflationary and threats to economic growth and stability.

By explaining the effects of labor market trends on workers, advocating for policies that promote worker empowerment, profiling activist workers, unions, and workers organizing union or otherwise seeking to build their power, and spearheading projects that refocus public discourse, Power At Work will advance actions that build power to confront power.

We won’t be able to tell every story or support every cause, but fortunately, we’re not alone — this blog is just one part of a much larger discussion. Part of our role will be elevate and celebrate others who are lending voices and efforts to increasing worker power, workplace fairness, and economic justice in our country.