The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century

The last few years have left the US at a crossroads. Threats to democracy, the prevalence of bad jobs, and the continued battle against discrimination and hate have led some to question whether the American dream, progress toward the promise of equal opportunity, and the Great Experiment of democracy are lost. In the face of these challenges, people are once again turning to organizing. Workers are organizing their workplaces, the young and old are marching for social justice, and business leaders are proclaiming, “We stand for democracy.” Questions remain, however, about what forms of organizing will succeed in addressing the multitude of issues we face. In their new book, “The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century,” authors Erica Smiley and Sarita Gupta argue that collective bargaining can be used to help improve work, help address discrimination, and improve the health of our democracy. Smiley, executive director of Jobs With Justice, and Gupta, the Ford Foundation’s vice president of US programs, “bring a novel perspective to building worker power and what labor organizing could look like in the future, suggesting ways to evolve collective bargaining to match the needs of modern people—not only changing their wages and working conditions, but being able to govern more aspects of their lives.” This virtual book talk with the authors will explore the struggles of work today and explain how new forms of collective bargaining and worker organizing and power can help build a healthy, multiracial democracy with an economy that works for all. Enjoy this virtual book talk featuring Smiley, Gupta, and moderator Rick Wartzman, presented in partnership with the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program.