‘I Just Wasn’t Made for This Time’: U.S. Labor in the Age of Authoritarianism

Over the past two years, U.S. labor has gone from enjoying an usually hopeful moment, when we seemed on the cusp of a new labor order, to facing an existential crisis under an authoritarian regime. So, how should labor respond? While superficially attractive, European-style sectoral bargaining is a pipe dream. Cozying up to right wing authoritarianism is doomed to failure. And simply keeping their heads down and wishing for a Democratic presidential victory in 2028 won’t revive the labor movement. U.S. labor is too weak to change its own environment, but it can take advantage of opportunities that arise when the environment shifts. If Trump’s authoritarianism implodes, more may be in play than has been true for several decades. But to take advantage, labor needs to both rediscover the dynamism of the 2022–2024 organizing wave and articulate why unions are key to a more just society.