More Than Sewers
The pragmatism of the Milwaukee socialists was inseparable from the international world of socialism that they inhabited and helped to shape.
Winter 2026
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Elections in a Pandemic: The Crisis Response Should Be Permanent Policy
The best way to keep people safe during this election season is also the best way to maximize participation: give people the widest possible range of opportunities to register and to vote.
After Act 10: How Milwaukee Teachers Fought Back
A Wisconsin law stripped their union of its rights. So the teachers got to work.
What Milwaukee Can Teach the Democrats about Socialism
The Democratic Party didn’t choose Milwaukee for its 2020 convention because of its radical past. But the city’s history shows how socialism worked in the United States—and could work again.
The Factory That Ate Wisconsin
Touted by Republicans as a case study in reviving U.S. manufacturing, Foxconn’s new factory in Wisconsin only reveals the failings of the GOP agenda. To defeat Scott Walker in November, Democrats will have to show there’s a better way to create good jobs.
Belabored Podcast #122: Immigrants Strike Back at the White House
Following last week’s Day Without Immigrants, organizers share their insights about how to fight Trump at work and in the streets.
I’ll Take Care of You Tonight
Emerging alongside the growth of the service industry is a new interest in the literary expression of this kind of labor, with the female worker at its center.
Right to Work (For Less): By the Numbers
Though it’s still hard to judge the full economic impact of the laws, it’s clear that workers in “right-to-work” states face a cascade of disadvantages.
Is Labor a Commodity in Wisconsin?
A recent decision by a Wisconsin judge should help unions by asserting that “labor is a commodity,” an argument that marks a U-turn for labor’s advocates.
Gutting Public Unions
Attacks on public-sector unions are setbacks not just for organized labor but for anyone who believes the state should ensure access to basic social needs.
Belabored Podcast #72: The Right to Work for Less, with Elizabeth Shermer
Lawmakers across the country are racing to pass so-called “right-to-work” legislation, the euphemistically named union-busting policy that restricts the collection of fees from all workers covered by a union contract. Belabored spoke with historian Elizabeth Shermer about the politics and history of right-to-work policies, and what labor can do to fight back.
