Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff
Episode: Strikes amid Reviving US Labor Movement
Release Date: January 6, 2022
Guest: Mike Elk, Emmy-winning labor reporter and founder of Payday Report
Episode Overview
This episode of Economic Update delves into the recent surge in labor strikes and the broader revival of the US labor movement. Host Richard D. Wolff is joined by labor reporter Mike Elk, who brings data and frontline stories on labor actions since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion spans the economic context for this wave of activism, changes in worker attitudes, the evolving role of unions, and the emerging influence of non-traditional labor actions, especially in the American South.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Global Communications Industry & Declining American Capitalism
[00:10–06:33] (Wolff speaks)
- Wireless Dominance: The world’s wireless communications sector is dominated by just five companies—Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson, ZTE, and Cisco—the latter being the only American entry and ranked fifth.
- “The one that isn’t socialist … is the United States. And it comes in fifth out of five in this category. What’s going on here?” – Richard D. Wolff [01:09]
- State Support & Hypocrisy: All governments (including the US) support their major firms, countering narratives of “pure” competition.
- US vs. China: Wolff exposes US double standards in critiquing Chinese state-corporate military ties while ignoring similar ties domestically:
- “I went to the website of Cisco and … discovered, very proudly presented, all of the many ways Cisco is … working with, co-sponsoring half a dozen different projects with the United States military." [02:08]
- Broader Concern: He positions this as evidence of the “decline of American capitalism.”
2. Europe’s Energy Crisis & Critical View of Capitalist Response
[06:33–09:40] (Wolff speaks)
- Rising Costs: Major spikes in energy prices threaten Europeans’ ability to heat homes.
- Industry Excuses: Oil companies blame COVID-19 for supply/demand shocks.
- Deeper Problem: Wolff argues either industry was unprepared or is cynically using COVID as an excuse to profiteer:
- “Either you were incompetent to plan for Covid, or you’re hustling us. And either way, private enterprise energy is showing us how very costly it is.” [09:23]
3. Changing Attitudes Toward Socialism — Welcoming Robert Kuttner
[09:40–12:36] (Wolff speaks)
- Liberal Shift: Noted liberal writer Robert Kuttner publicly declares himself a “socialist,” symbolizing shifting US political polarities.
- Complex Definitions: Wolff challenges the simplicity of the label:
- “Socialism is not some simple, singular idea you can salute and everybody knows what you mean. They don’t.” [12:09]
4. Changing Religious Affiliation in the US
[12:36–14:52] (Wolff speaks)
- Decline in Religion: Pew survey data reveals a steady rise in “no religious affiliation” from 16% (2007) to 29% (2021); those never praying to God rose from 18% to 32%.
- Political Disconnect: Despite the shrinking base, the GOP aligns with religious conservatives, prompting questions about long-term strategy and culture war rhetoric.
Feature Interview: Mike Elk on the Labor Movement
Introduction to Mike Elk
[14:52–15:51]
- Background: Founder of Payday Report, son of a union organizer, career in labor journalism.
- Notable moment: “I’m really excited to be able to have this dialogue after admiring your work for so many years.” – Mike Elk [14:57]
1. Is There a Strike Wave in the US?
[15:51–18:44]
- Data Boom: Since March 2020, Elk’s team documented over 1,700 strikes—likely an undercount.
- “Workers after the pandemic don’t want to be treated the way that they used to … People realized they were saving money on childcare … The unemployment benefits, having a good social welfare state for a while, at a certain point during the pandemic helped, certainly a lot.” – Mike Elk [16:41]
- Broader Trends: 25% of Americans changed jobs in 2021 (“The Great Escape”).
- Essential Workers’ Awakening: Those called “heroes” now demand better pay and conditions—embodied by pharmacist and healthcare worker walkouts.
- “The worst mistake the ruling class ever made was coming up with the term ‘essential worker’ because it made people realize how valuable they are.” – Mike Elk (citing Boots Riley) [17:58]
- Labor’s Path Forward: Elk predicts strike activity will intensify in 2022, as workers take action often outside the political arena.
2. The Role and Evolution of Labor Media
[18:44–23:45]
- Media’s Mission: Elk’s Payday Report aims for “community therapy, not clickbait,” spotlighting collective worker action and its social impact.
- “Journalism is how communities work out their issues … We’re not seeing much community therapy in the digital media space these days. We’re seeing clickbait.” — Mike Elk [19:55]
- Union Reform: Recent strikes have seen union members pushing for more democracy—e.g., John Deere and Kellogg’s workers repeatedly rejected leadership-backed contract offers.
- Changing Labor Landscape: Viral walkouts (often by retail workers) and mass resignations expand the definition of labor activism beyond unions.
- “Half of the walkouts we track, more than half, don’t even involve a union.” – Mike Elk [21:46]
- Non-Traditional Actions: Actions around vaccine mandates represent a pool of “the unorganized” that labor must address more creatively.
3. Historical Parallels and Future Possibilities
[23:45–28:05]
- Delayed Labor Uprising: Wolff draws parallels to the labor upsurge following the Great Depression and WWII, suggesting a “delayed” response now may be underway amid dual crises (2008–09, 2020–21).
- Elk agrees, with caveats: today’s workers, like past generations after trauma, feel “owed” more for their sacrifices.
- Trauma-Driven Change: Elk notes COVID’s psychological toll as a catalyst:
- “We have a generation that’s traumatized and out of trauma, like out of the Civil War, I think people want to build back better.” – Mike Elk [25:31]
- Southern Shifts: Elk highlights wildcat strikes and grassroots organizing among public workers (bus drivers, teachers, sanitation) in the South:
- “We’re seeing bus drivers in places like Raleigh get $3,700 a year retention bonuses … teachers in Richmond became the first in Virginia to get collective bargaining rights … The South is changing.” – Mike Elk [27:09]
- Political Realignment: Grassroots labor action could reconfigure traditional political alliances, particularly in the South’s “Black Belt” regions.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Worker Power:
- “Now people are asking for more. And I don’t see that ending anytime soon.” – Mike Elk [17:54]
- On Definitions of Socialism:
- “You may not have thought that, but then again, you weren’t part of it. Now that you’ve joined again, well learn about all the particulars.” – Richard Wolff to Kuttner [11:41]
- On Media’s Responsibility:
- “Journalism as community therapy … We’re not seeing much community therapy in the digital media space these days.” – Mike Elk [19:54]
- On Labor’s Political Muscle:
- “Workers are going out and they're demanding more on their own outside of the political process.” – Mike Elk [18:31]
Important Segment Timestamps
- Wireless Communications & US Capitalism: [00:10–06:33]
- Europe’s Energy Crisis: [06:33–09:40]
- Shift Among Liberals to Socialism: [09:40–12:36]
- Trends in Religious Affiliation: [12:36–14:52]
- Mike Elk Introduction: [14:52–15:51]
- Strike Wave Data & Motivation: [15:51–18:44]
- New Labor Journalism & Worker Demands: [18:44–23:45]
- Historical Parallels, Trauma & Southern Labor: [23:45–28:05]
Tone and Language
The episode is analytical but conversational, mixing dense economic critique (Wolff) with frontline, narrative-driven reporting (Elk). Both speakers challenge mainstream narratives and urge listeners to consider deeper structural shifts behind headline news.
Conclusion
Strikes amid Reviving US Labor Movement provides an in-depth look at the post-pandemic American labor resurgence, the changing faces and tactics of worker activism, and the larger social and political implications. Listeners gain both a macroeconomic framework and granular insights from real labor struggles, equipping them to understand and engage with the rapidly evolving landscape of work and worker power in the US.