Public Employee Press

As elections near, blogs focus on labor and politics

Online labor news resources include blogs, which are often provocative and give readers an opportunity to respond.

The AFL-CIO blog covers the most ground since it changes frequently and has a wide audience. Two newer labor blogs have also become "must reads," especially as Election Day nears and the political atmosphere heats up.

"In These Times," a progressive magazine, publishes the "Working In These Times" blog, which has frequent postings on labor struggles and protests in many industries and the public sector, national economic policy, unemployment and the recession.

The blog includes contributions from veteran labor writers David Moberg, Steve Early and Les Leopold and newer voices such as Keri Lydersen and Mike Elk. It's especially refreshing that these contributors don't always agree with assessments by individual unions, the AFL-CIO or even each other. And the reader comments offer additional viewpoints. That's the beauty of blogs, so go to http://www.inthese times.com/working/ and add your two cents.

For more insight and controversy, Michael Whitney writes a provocative labor blog called "Work in Progress" on the progressive Firedoglake site at http://workinprogress.firedoglake.com/.

His main focus is labor and politics, and he mercilessly blasts and ridicules Sarah Palin and Alan Simpson, the cochair of President Obama's Deficit Commission who frequently attacks Social Security.

Whitney, who wrote excellent posts on the BP oil "cleanup" over the summer, occasionally holds Obama's feet to the fire on labor issues. If you don't know Firedoglake, the wider blog is definitely worth exploring. And obviously, it doesn't forget the working class. So blog on.

—Ken Nash
Librarian, Room 211