Here’s a combination of words I’ve never used before: I just got back from a long weekend at a hotel near O’Hare Airport. It’s probably not the last time I’ll haul that phrase out, though; I was attending my very first Labor Notes Conference, and I’m so glad I went. The conference was, bluntly, extraordinary. And how could it not be? I was surrounded by some 4,500 people from across the labor movement — workers, artists, writers, union leaders, and more. And every single one of them was fired the hell up.
Honestly, I don’t really have the words to neatly sum up the conference. 1 I guess I’d describe it as a happy, wild blur, overwhelming and inspiring in equal measure. I sat in on panels where workers discussed shared opportunities for organizing and activism; I watched as attendees organized an impromptu protest against the genocide in Palestine; I teared up during the first plenary, when the speaker called out to Jane McAlevey with love and grateful solidarity. I was in a packed reception hall when the UAW vote was won at a VW factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, making it the first Southern auto factory to join a union since the 1940s. The room was practically exploding with joy, with relief, with exhilaration: every single person in the room knew the stakes of the election, and the significance of winning it.
I heard organizing strategies for workers across the supply chain; I heard how tech workers built digital tools to support their organizing. I got to meet some of my favorite writers, and met some new favorite writers. I spoke with nurses, teachers, warehouse workers, and more. I connected with friends new and old, and even got a chance to talk about You Deserve a Tech Union with a roomful of authors and workers. Heck, I even spotted some copies of my little book at the conference, stocked by the fine folks at Pilsen Community Books:
In a weekend filled with wonderful moments, that was right near the top for me.
The conference was a lot; the conference was remarkable. I was exhausted and ready to come home when it was over; at the same time, I wish I was still there. And I absolutely can’t wait until the next Labor Notes Conference in 2026.
My head’s full, and my heart’s on fire. Let’s get to work.
Footnote
If you’re looking for a more detailed recap, I really enjoyed this write-up over at The Chief. (My thanks to Matt Noyes for the link.) ↩︎
Further reading
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You deserve a new book design.
A peek into You Deserve a Tech Union’s new design, and the typefaces — and process — that made it happen.
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A new op-ed: on OpenAI and worker power.
What happens when workers take collective action, and in an anti-worker industry?
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Mail, run.
What else happened this week? Well, I wrote my first op-ed; also, I got some mail.
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Announcing my new book, You Deserve a Tech Union.
I wrote this book for you, for me — for all of us. I hope you like it.
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