Why is the working class seeking different political representation?

Les Leopold, co-founder of The Labor Institute and author of Wall Street's War on Workers, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the economic and political factors driving the working class away from the Democratic Party.

Leopold's journey began at Oberlin College in the 1960s, where he developed a passion for labor issues. After graduate studies at Princeton, he co-founded The Labor Institute in 1976 to focus on developing educational programs for unions and worker centers. His work has included supporting major strikes and writing several books on labor and economic issues.

Recently, Leopold's research revealed a startling correlation between areas with high layoff rates and working-class voters moving away from the Democratic Party. Contrary to popular belief, these defections were not primarily driven by social issues or so-called "anti-wokeness." Instead, Leopold found that economic factors, particularly job losses and lack of government support, were the main catalysts for this political shift. He discussed Mingo County, W. Va., where support for the Democratic Party has dropped nearly 55 percent since 1996. This drop in support coincided with the loss of most of the coal mining jobs in the area.

Leopold emphasized the need for a political party that genuinely represents working-class interests. He proposed a simple, yet powerful idea to hold companies accountable for maintaining jobs when they benefit from public funds. Leopold also suggested efforts could start with a focused agenda and rallying support from progressive unions. He added that unions need to focus on organizing the nearly 90 percent of non-union workers. By focusing on concrete solutions and building a broad-based movement, there is the potential to create a political party that truly represents the interests of American workers.

To hear more about Leopold's insights on rebuilding a strong working-class movement and his proposals for political change, listen to the full episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast.