Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Four pro-union writers you should follow

UPDATES to correct headline from 'workers' to 'writers.'

Our friends at Labor 411 put together a list of four terrific writers who care about unions, and gave us permission to cross-post their blog about it.

Here at Labor 411 we have to be on top of all the current labor news in the country. Admittedly, that news can often be quite dry, so I rounded up a few guys who love to talk labor, economics and the like, and make the topic accessible and often fun. And we just happen to share a similar point of view. Enjoy!

If there’s a particular author you love, let us know in the comments!

Robert Reich

One of the most well known and vocal proponents for unions and organized labor. Reich served as the Secretary of Labor for the Clinton administration, has authored more than a dozen books, teaches as a professor at UC Berkeley and recently released a full-length documentary currently out in theaters called “Inequality for All.

His quirky shorts on the economy are entertaining and easy to follow, which makes him very approachable as an educator on an often frustrating topic.

See the trailer for his film, along with all his articles and shorts on his web site.

Harold Meyerson

A long-time friend of labor, Meyerson writes political opinion regularly for the Washington Post, L.A. Times and sits as the editor-at-large for The American Prospect. Organized labor and unions are common topics in his articles, of which he writes several every week. He’s good at what he does, and he’s on our side.

Read his latest articles here (updated weekly).

Paul Krugman

Krugman teaches as a professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University and regularly contributes to the Op-Ed section of the New York Times. Krugman tends to delve pretty deep into the world of economics (he’s a professor in the subject after all), so be prepared to take notes and have a dictionary nearby. He doesn’t explicitly discuss organized labor as much as Reich or Meyerson, but there’s a lot to be learned here.

Krugman at the The New York Times

Gary Cohn

For those in unions in California, Cohn is one of your biggest defenders. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Cohn writes on politics in California for Frying Pan News. Read his exposé on attacks on the middle class and unions in the Golden State at the link below.

California Exposé at Frying Pan News