How labor shames its traitors

+ retirement poses heady questions – unrelated to money US Edition - Today's top story: How organized labor shames its traitors − the story of the 'scab' [View in browser]( US Edition | 2 September 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Presidential tickets have starkly different records on labor]( - [Want to contest medical bills? Pick up the phone]( - [Podcast: The researchers who oppose blocking the Sun to cool the Earth]( Lead story Last month, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called former President Donald Trump a “scab” after Trump suggested to Elon Musk that striking workers at one of Musk’s companies ought to be illegally fired. “No word has burned American workers more consistently, or more wickedly,” writes English professor Ian Afflerbach. An epithet deployed to demean people who cross picket lines or break up strikes, it's so effective because it “directs visceral disgust at anyone who put self-interest above class solidarity,” he adds. [Afflerbach details the history of the insult]( and how it emerged during some of the ugliest 19th-century labor battles, when the unions that put racial solidarity above class solidarity found themselves in a bind. On another note related to labor, The Conversation last week released a new book titled “[The Conversation on Work](,” a collection of articles that explore how people work and what these changes mean for the future of labor. [ [The best of The Conversation, every Sunday. Sign up here](. ] Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain wears a shirt reading ‘Trump is a Scab’ at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, 2024. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images [How organized labor shames its traitors − the story of the ‘scab’]( Ian Afflerbach, University of North Georgia It’s too reductive to simply smear scabs as sellouts. It’s important to understand why some workers might be motivated to weather scorn, rejection and even violence from their peers. Ethics + Religion - [Retirement doesn’t just raise financial concerns – it can also mean feeling unmoored and irrelevant]( Marianne Janack, Hamilton College If you have spent 40 years of your life working 40 hours a week, retirement isn’t just a financial consideration, writes a philosopher. Economy + Business - [DEI policies work best when they are designed to include everyone and are backed by evidence]( Henry Tran, University of South Carolina Diversity programs that emphasize quick, symbolic wins are a lot less useful than building a shared understanding of fairness. - [Trump and Harris, with starkly different records on labor issues, are both courting union voters]( Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell Union voters are particularly significant in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada, three swing states where the share of voters who belong to unions is above average. - [Job supervisors with disabilities can boost productivity, new research shows]( Dustin Cole, Auburn University The imperative for employers to accommodate people with disabilities is partly driven by the need to keep older workers on the job as the population ages. Science + Technology - [What is space made of? An astrophysics expert explains all the components – from radiation to dark matter – found in the vacuum of space]( Nilakshi Veerabathina, University of Texas at Arlington While space is mostly empty, it does have some matter and particles spread throughout it. Health + Medicine - [Got an unaffordable or incorrect medical bill? Calling your hospital billing office will usually get you a discount]( Erin Duffy, University of Southern California Researchers found that nearly 74% of patients who reached out about a billing mistake received bill corrections. For those who negotiated their bills, nearly 62% saw a price drop. Labor Day - [Democratic Party’s embrace of organized labor in 2024 elections has long roots that had started to wither]( Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell Both sides took this marriage for granted until Southern Democrats, concerned that labor unions would organize Black workers across the South, joined pro-business Republican colleagues in Congress. - [5 unsung films that dramatize America’s rich labor history]( Peter Dreier, Occidental College Inspired by real events, the films tackle issues of race, gender and class in ways that will resonate with many of today’s viewers. - [Why police unions are not part of the American labor movement]( Paul F. Clark, Penn State George Floyd’s death has thrust police unions into the spotlight amid a growing recognition that they are not part of the U.S. labor movement but a narrow interest group pursuing their self-interests. Podcast 🎙️ - [Solar geoengineering: the risks and distractions of trying to reflect sunlight to cool the Earth]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation The second of two episodes on geoengineering from The Conversation Weekly podcast examines the case against solar radiation modification. Trending on site - [How the 14th Amendment prevents state legislatures from subverting popular presidential elections]( - [No, the world isn’t heading toward a new Cold War – it’s closer to the grinding world order collapse of the 1930s]( - [Conservative opponents of DEI may not be as colorblind as they claim]( Reader Comments 💬 "Having worked both [as a cook and supervising robots], my choice would always be to cook. Though physically demanding it is more satisfying and psychologically rewarding. The only advantage a tech job has is better pay, but in my experience it came at the expense of my happiness." – Reader David Wiebenson on the story [Robots are coming to the kitchen − what that could mean for society and culture]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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