oaklandsocialist
The administrator of this blog site, I am a lifelong socialist and a retired carpenter and the former recording secretary and an expelled member of Carpenters Local 713. I was expelled for my leading role in the 1999 SF Bay Area carpenters wildcat strike as well as for his opposition to the union bureaucracy in general. I was one of the founding members of a small group called Labor Militant, which was the forerunner to Socialist Alternative. Along with a small group of others, I was expelled when that group started to adapt to the union bureaucracy. I have also visited the workers' movement internationally, including in Pakistan, Egypt (during the Arab Spring), Britain, Mexico and Chile (during the uprising there in 2020). Unless otherwise specified, I am the author of the articles that appear here. Although I am the main author, Oaklandsocialist welcomes articles on any issue that relates to the working class. Contact us at Oaklandsocialist@gmail.com.
Cheryl Zuur, Former Union President: “Solidarity With Rank-and-File Carpenters”
My name is Cheryl Zuur. I am a retired industrial electrician and former president of AFSCME Local 444 in Oakland, California. I stand in solidarity with your struggle. Your courage to demand […]
Western Washington Carpenters Leading U.S. Working Class
Union carpenters in Western Washington are leading the American working class at this moment. They are not waiting for the official leadership to tell them what to do anymore. Instead, they are […]
Washington State Carpenters “Strike” Update
Introduction: After having had four contract proposals/tentative agreements (TA’s) rejected by the membership, the leadership of the Western Washington Regional Council of Carpenters has been forced to call a strike. This is […]
Afghanistan and the Theory of Permanent/Uninterrupted Revolution: Making the General Concrete
Introduction This is a transcribed version of an introduction to a discussion on Afghanistan and the theory of permanent, or uninterrupted, revolution. The main purpose of the discussion was to try to […]
Podcast: Afghanistan and Theory of Permanent or Uninterrupted Revolution
Podcast On theory of permanent or uninterrupted revolution as it applies to Afghanistan
Germany’s Upcoming Elections: A Writer Unsure How to Vote
A writer in Germany describes the situation there and is uncertain how to vote: In Germany, elections for the Bundestag are coming up (a government and a chancellor are elected), and as […]
Video Interview Labor Day 2021: Rank & File Carpenters Oppose Cut-Rage Contract
Rank and file carpenters in Washington State are organizing a Labor Day rally as part of their campaign to stop a cut-rate contract that the union leadership, together with the contractors, are […]
Early History of Afghanistan and the Origins of the Taliban
Now that US troops have pulled out of Afghanistan, the US media will be putting that country in the rearview mirror at best. It will be moving on to the next sensationalist […]
Fight the Texas anti-abortion law in the streets!
The new law in Texas banning abortion is trying to give the US Supreme Court a sneaky way to allow that ban while pretending to avoid the issue. They are doing that […]