Labor Must Fight Trumpist Authoritarianism to Revive Itself and Democracy
Source: Stephen Lerner. "The Fight Against Trumpism Can Reinvigorate Labor." April 9, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The authors argue that unions shouldn't just try to survive Trump's presidency, but should actively fight his authoritarian policies. They believe this fight will make unions stronger and more relevant, just like unions in other countries grew powerful when they fought dictatorships.
Conclusion
The US labor movement should actively fight against Trumpist authoritarianism because this struggle represents a historic opportunity to both defend democracy and trigger a massive revival of union power and membership
Premises
- Democracy and worker organization have been historically intertwined, with forces eroding both making the US vulnerable to authoritarianism
- Trump's second term has created an unprecedented crisis with paramilitary occupations, unauthorized wars, and attacks on union rights that threatens rights-based democracy
- Historical examples from Brazil, South Africa, and South Korea show that when unions fight authoritarianism and win, they experience explosive membership growth
- US labor history demonstrates that aligning with struggles to defend democracy against existential threats has triggered periods of union expansion
- The Minnesota resistance to ICE operations shows how unions can successfully lead broad coalitions against authoritarian actions
- Labor movements grow through 'discontinuous' and 'explosive' bursts during crises that force 'qualitative innovations in the movement'
- Relying solely on electoral victories without workplace organizing will leave unions in the same weak position they held before Trump's rise
Assumptions
- The current situation constitutes genuine authoritarianism rather than normal political opposition
- Historical patterns of labor growth during democratic struggles will apply to the contemporary US context
- Unions have the capacity and willingness to take on a leading role in anti-authoritarian resistance
- Fighting authoritarianism will translate into workplace militancy and organizing success
- The current crisis represents a unique window of opportunity that may not persist