On Strike!

Millions around the world have protested the massacre of Palestinian people as Gaza’s death toll has risen to over 11,320 people. Yet, Biden, Antony Blinken, and the Democrats refuse to call for a ceasefire and continue their push to send billions more to the Israeli war machine. Hillary Clinton, who never met a war she didn’t like, is actively supporting the deadly Israeli state’s assault. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is also refusing to call for a cease-fire and completely failing the movement. Only Rashida Tlaib has shown the kind of courage necessary to fight back against the Democratic establishment, but how far is she willing to go? What will it take to end this war, and how can we escalate the fightback? Kshama and Bia discuss the role of the US ruling class—particularly the Democrats—in continuing to fund this massacre, the history of anti-war movements and how the labor movement can play a key role in blocking the dangerous advance of this war. We’re joined by several members of Socialist Struggle in Israel-Palestine, a sister section of Socialist Alternative, to talk about the anti-war movement on the ground, as well as Workers Strike Back activists from across the U.S. As Workers Strike Back activists and socialists, we condemn the Israeli assault, and call for an immediate cease-fire, and for humanitarian aid to help Palestinian people recover. We call for an end to U.S. military aid to the Israeli state’s war machine, the release of all hostages on both sides, and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. On Strike is 100% funded by working people. Donate now to support our work: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/donate Or support us on Patreon: On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe. #Gaza #WaronGaza #Palestine #Israel #Biden #War #Antiwar #BernieSanders #RashidaTlaib #Democrats #GazaUnderAttack

Crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried carried out one of the largest financial frauds in the history of capitalism and was just convicted on all counts. This week, Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe talk crypto and other financial scams, which were talked up as new ways to get rich quick—but when working people invested what little money they had, the rug was pulled out from under them by big finance and they lost everything. What does the Bankman-Fried case mean for the millions of ordinary people who have lost money to these schemes, and why is he being convicted when most corporate fraudsters never see the inside of a jail cell? Can we trust the justice system to hold other billionaires accountable? And what does the proliferation of these “new avenues” for wealth—crypto, Robinhood, NFTs, etc—say about the capitalist system as a whole? Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe speak with Brian Harrison, a Workers Strike Back activist and socialist lawyer, and other WSB activists about how these scams work and how they impact working class people’s lives. On Strike is 100% funded by working people. Donate now to support our work: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/donate Or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OnStrikeShow On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe. #SamBankmanFried #SBF #FTX #CryptoCurrency #crypto #Robinhood #WorkingClass #Billionaires

UAW auto workers just won a historic contract as a result of their six-week strike at the Big Three automakers! This is a breakthrough victory. So, what did UAW workers win, and how does it compare to past contracts? In this segment from our Bidenomics episode, Kshama & Bia talk about the lessons of the UAW strike and Sean Fain’s “Stand Up” strike strategy, what’s next for the UAW with the battle over electric vehicles, and how the broader labor movement can build on this crucial momentum. From the Great Resignation to growing numbers of strikes and labor actions, workers see the record profits that major corporations are raking in, and understand that we don’t have to accept the crumbs on offer—we can turn over the bosses’ table instead. On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by socialist Councilmember Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe—news and analysis to beat the bosses. We're 100% funded by working people. Donate now to support our work: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/donate Or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OnStrikeShow #UAW #UAWstrike #SeanFain #unionization #KshamaSawant #WorkersStrikeBack #union

What is Bidenomics and why are the Democrats trying to gaslight us into liking it?? Hear from Bia Lacombe and Kshama Sawant (who is a PhD economist as well as socialist) about what’s actually going on with the economy and why corporate politicians and mainstream economists twist the facts to defend the capitalist system. Also, we give an update on the exciting news from UAW about the tentative agreements recently announced with the Big Three automakers. In just one year, from 2022 to 2023, a dozen eggs went from costing $1.93 to $4.82! Working people can barely afford groceries, rent, and gas. Meanwhile, the richest 1 percent grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth created since 2020, worth 42 trillion dollars, which is almost twice as much money as the bottom 99 percent of the world's population have. But somehow, the Democrats and corporate media won’t stop saying that the economy is amazing and it’s all thanks to Bidenomics. According to them, if you disagree with that, well then you’re a right-wing sucker or a moron. And yet, only 28 percent of Americans said they were "very" or "somewhat" satisfied with the state of the economy, and Biden's economic approval rating sits at 37 percent. So when it comes to all the Bidenomics chest-thumping, ordinary Americans have just NOT been feeling it. On Strike is 100% funded by working people. Donate now to support our work: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/donate Or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OnStrikeShow On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back. #Bidenomics #Biden #JoeBiden #Democrats #Economy #Inflation #Workingclass #UAW #ShawnFain #UAWstrike

The Israeli state’s brutal war on Gaza rages on, with thousands dead and many thousands more injured. What is the agenda of the Israeli ruling class? What is the motivation of the US state? What is the solution to this crisis, and how can working and young people fight back against these abject horrors? Hear from On Strike hosts Kshama and Bia, along with Israeli and Palestinian workers, in this week’s episode. Palestinians in Gaza are facing an unimaginable human catastrophe as the Israeli military—the fourth-largest in the world—imposes barbaric conditions, relentless bombing, blockade, and forced displacement. More than $114 billion has been spent on U.S. military funding for Israel since 1946, spanning both Republican and Democratic administrations. Biden and US imperialism have blood on their hands. Other Democratic Party leaders are either beating the drums of war, making empty statements about how they deplore the violence, or they have been totally silent on the issue. It’s clear working people need to get organized independently to stop the carnage. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of workers and young people have marched in protests in 28 cities across the world. Student walkouts have been taking place at schools across the U.S. As Workers Strike Back activists and socialists, we condemn the Israeli assault, and call for an immediate cease-fire, and for humanitarian aid to help Palestinian people recover. We call for an end to U.S. military aid to the Israeli state’s war machine, the release of all hostages on both sides, and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. On Strike is 100% funded by working people. Donate now to support our work: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/donate Or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OnStrikeShow On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe. #Gaza #WaronGaza #Palestine #Israel #Biden #War #Antiwar #SarahSilverman

In 2016 and 2020 Bernie Sanders campaigned for president on a platform that centered on Medicare for All. Millions of working people had their aspirations and hopes raised by the fight for free healthcare for all Americans—“everybody in, nobody out” as Sanders liked to say. Later self-described “democratic socialist” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of the so-called “Squad” also campaigned on Medicare for All, and were elected on promises to fight for it and other working class demands. So, what happened to Medicare for All? Three years since Bernie dropped out and six years since AOC was elected, Americans are sicker than ever, yet these self-described progressives have gone silent on Medicare for All. They have not once brought Medicare for All for a vote, called for a single mass rally, or used the balance of power they held in the house for 2 years to fight for it. Meanwhile, last year in California, the Medicare for All movement in CA led by National Nurses United was killed by Democrats and business unionist leaders. What lessons can we draw from these betrayals? How have working people in other countries won their public healthcare systems? What is the strategy to win Medicare for All in the United States? On Strike is 100% funded by working people. Donate now to support our work: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/donate Or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OnStrikeShow On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe. #MedicareForAll #BernieSanders #bernie #AOC #Sellout #unions #KshamaSawant #NewParty #M4A #healthcare #debt #unionstrong

We’re covering two important struggles on different sides of the country. Grocery workers in Seattle, unionized with UFCW Local 3000, are taking on their “progressive” bosses at PCC Community Markets and fighting for exciting demands like a $25/hour starting wage and $35/hour after three years in their upcoming contract. Nurses in New Jersey at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, unionized with United Steelworkers’ Local 4-200, have been on strike for more than two months and have faced attack after attack from the bosses and the courts, but they’re not backing down. Hear from workers involved in both struggles and how they’re fighting to win by building a rank-and-file campaign from the bottom up. At PCC, workers have encountered the resistance of top union leaders to their organizing efforts and demands. *Support the Robert Wood Johnson nurses by donating to their strike fund! Send a check to 1440 How Lane, North Brunswick, NJ, 08902.* We're 100% funded by working people. Donate now to support our work: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/donate Or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OnStrikeShow On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe. #union #strike #nursesstrike #nurses #KshamaSawant

11,500 writers organized with WGA have won historic concessions in their five-month, all-out strike against the wealthy executives of the multi-billion-dollar film & TV industry. Hear analysis from On Strike about how the WGA victory was won — and what fights lay ahead — featuring interviews with WGA & SAG-AFTRA members. 150k actors with SAG-AFTRA are still on strike. The solidarity of actors and writers has been crucial in bringing the Hollywood bosses to their knees and shutting down their profits, as was the strike’s militancy throughout. This is an example-setting strike for the whole labor movement! On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe — news and analysis to beat the bosses. #WGA #WGAstrike #SAG-AFTRA #KshamaSawant #WorkersStrikeBack #union

This week, On Strike talks with Tom Barker about the UNISON teachers strike in Leicester, England, AND we give an update on the historic United Auto Workers strike in the United States. We speak to UAW workers on the picket lines in Oregon, Illinois, and Massachusetts about their views of the strike in its second week, and talk about the strike’s current level of escalation and our analysis of the UAW leadership’s approach. One of the key questions facing UAW workers is how best to shut down the bosses’ profits to force them to concede to workers’ demands, and what strategy and escalation are needed to make that happen. On Strike is a production of Workers Strike Back, hosted by socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant and Bia Lacombe — news and analysis to beat the bosses.

On Strike interviews Cornel West about his Green Party campaign for president, which offers a sorely needed left alternative for working and young people. We talk with Dr. West about his working class political program, internationalism, the fight against racism and all oppression, and the vital importance of mass movements. As Dr. West says, “In the end, without mass movements, the best politician in the world is still shallow and hollow.” We ask Dr. West about his commitment to run all the way to November 2024, and not endorse Joe Biden. On Strike also comments on the ongoing debate about the campaign’s decision to bring on former Democratic Party insider, Peter Daou. ⁠#CornelWest⁠ ⁠#MedicareForAll⁠ ⁠#CancelStudentDebt⁠⁠#CornelWest⁠ ⁠#MedicareForAll⁠ ⁠#CancelStudentDebt⁠ ⁠#MassMovements⁠ ⁠#ClassStruggle⁠ ⁠#RentControl⁠ ⁠#Internationalism⁠ ⁠#WeNeedANewParty