RECOMMENDED READING
In hindsight, the biggest warning sign for the prospects of unionizing Amazon‘s Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse was, well, a sign: a large placard, posted by organizers outside the facility’s entrance, featuring Stacey Abrams dressed as Rosie the Riveter, declaring “We Can Do It!” through a COVID mask.
Adopting the failed gubernatorial candidate and progressive darling as the symbolic heroine of the campaign was part of an effort to link unionization to progressive causes—voting rights, racial justice and gender equity—that organizers thought would appeal to a predominantly Black workforce.
“Stacey the Riveter” may have been a hit with Democratic politicians, who posed for pictures with the sign on visits to the facility. But not so much with the workers themselves. Abrams lost her election by 2 points; the union lost its by more than 30.
Recommended Reading
America Needs a Conservative Labor Movement
American Compass’s Oren Cass argues that a strong, reformed labor movement has unique potential to advance conservative priorities.
American Labour Unions Should Stop Playing Politics
American Compass’s Oren Cass discusses the state of American organized labor and what the working class wants from their unions.
Why the US Right Wants to Put Workers in the Boardroom
American Compass executive director Oren Cass on how a new Republican bill that proposes to give labor a new voice is a challenge to vested interests on both left and right.
