The hottest Strikes Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

Why Grad Students at Columbia May Go on Strike

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 459 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
🚌 Education Strikes
  1. About 3,500 graduate student workers could authorize a strike that would halt teaching, grading, and research, potentially disrupting Columbia’s academic operations.
  2. The strike vote is happening amid campus turmoil over pro‑Palestinian protests and clashes between university leaders and federal scrutiny over alleged antisemitism.
  3. The union’s political focus is controversial among students, and an affirmative vote could quickly escalate tensions by triggering an immediate walkout.

The nature of mass demonstrations

Maybe Baby • 975 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Strikes
  1. Joining a general strike is a way people show solidarity with a specific cause or place and use collective action to draw attention.
  2. Skipping usual posts or links can be a deliberate choice to avoid driving traffic to ad-funded sites and to make actions match principles.
  3. Mass demonstrations often get criticized for being underprepared or unrealistic, even when participants believe the action is the right thing to do.

Labor Unions Are Industrial Policy

BIG by Matt Stoller • 32430 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Strikes
  1. Labor unions can influence corporate investment decisions and set industrial policy.
  2. There is a shift towards empowering workers to have a greater say in how corporations operate.
  3. The rise of antitrust enforcement, labor activism, and focus on domestic manufacturing subsidies are interconnected in challenging the influence of financiers and middlemen.

Blame Air Canada: The Cartel Just Canceled My Vacation

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 830 implied HN points • 19 Aug 25
🏝 Travel Strikes
  1. Air Canada faced a strike from flight attendants, which caused significant travel disruptions for passengers and led to financial losses. Many travelers, including one author, lost money on flights and bookings due to the strike.
  2. The strike highlighted issues in the airline industry and the difficulties flight attendants face, particularly regarding their pay for non-flying duties. The situation sparked debates about labor rights and fair compensation.
  3. Government intervention, such as binding arbitration to end the strike, can complicate things further and isn't always effective in resolving conflicts. There are concerns about the airline industry's protections that make it hard for new companies to enter the market.

The week in US unions, February 19th-26th, 2023

Who Gets the Bird? • 255 implied HN points • 27 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Strikes
  1. The ILR Labor Action Tracker's 2022 report is a must-read for anyone interested in the US union movement.
  2. Various strikes and negotiations are happening across different sectors and locations in the US.
  3. There are significant developments in internal union politics with upcoming elections, retirements, and new organizing efforts.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

And So The Writers Are On Strike

At the Mountains of Sadness • 2 HN points • 02 May 23
🎭️ Culture Strikes
  1. The Writers Guild of America is on strike due to issues like shorter seasons leading to less pay for writers.
  2. Streaming platforms are cutting pay by changing weekly rates to day rates and withholding specific viewership numbers for residuals.
  3. Writers are advocating against the use of A.I. in the creative process and are asking for fair treatment and to stop cutting corners in entertainment industry.