Very proud to be associated with the effort to pass the New York State Debt Stabilization Act looking to help the world's poor improve their lives and fight climate change AND to be in the same room with my dear friend Eric LeCompte and the brilliant Layna Mosley

Tonight the promise of the #StandUpUAW strike for America beyond the Big Three became reality as Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga won a crushing victory for all working people. Courage creates power which creates more courage. On to Alabama, Mercedes and a contract in Chattanooga UAW

Why is @vw workers winning their union tonight so important for America? In 1980 the auto industry was the most important source of jobs in America. Every auto plant in the US had a union contract paying middle class wages, health care & a pension. Including Southern auto plants.

75pct yes at VW w almost 700 votes counted. @uaw

.Eric LeCompte and Damon Silvers discuss the proposed New York State Sovereign Debt Stability Act.

psfl.princeton.edu/events/2024/po…

At VW Now more than 1200 votes in margin holding at 75-25 yes

And if one Southern auto plant's workers can organize a union for themselves it suggests others can too.

Today for the first time since before the 1980's workers in a Southern auto plant have succeeded in organizing a union for themselves despite politicians' threats and race baiting.

Now that's what a Secretary of Labor should sound like.

10 days to go!🗓️

We kick off our Labour & Climate Change Lecture Series by Prof. of Practice Damon Silvers on 25 April @ 17:30 BST.

Register for the lecture on 'The Labour Movement, the State & Climate Change: What Must be Done to Prevent Catastrophe' ➡️ ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/publi…

7️⃣ days to go!🗓️

We kick off our Labour & Climate Change Series by Prof. Damon Silvers on the 25th of April.

Register for the first lecture on “The Labour Movement, the State & Climate Change: What Must be Done to Prevent Catastrophe” in-person/online ➡️ ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/publi…

IIPP’s Mariana Mazzucato & Damon Silvers explore how the UAW strikes reflect the urgency of an economy-wide transformation to address climate change in their op-ed for Foreign Affairs.

Read why empowering workers is essential for an ambitious green transition➡️ foreignaffairs.com/united-states/…

The rise of the non union auto sector in the South was key to the US becoming a low wage economy, and to the dominance of hard right politics in the South after 1980

The Southern plants set off a downward wage spiral. Real wages in the auto industry fell from 1980 to 2008, even as productivity skyrocketed. And then in the financial crisis, Southern politicians made GM and Chrysler lower their wages to level of the Southern plants.

Fantastic! Damon Silvers

When workers in the Southern plants tried to organize-- as they did many times--they were met with racist divide and conquer tactics, threats to move offshore, threats from their local public officials & illegal filings. And workers lost election after election.

UAW website showing 90% yes with 300 votes in

The giant foreign auto companies had plants all around the world. Everywhere else they operated their workers were organized. The German workers even sat on their companies' boards. But Southern workers were silenced, treated as if they were somehow less.

And at VW with 2200 votes counted margin remains YES 75-25. @uaw