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Lowell Peterson

@lowellpeterson.bsky.social
76 followers 47 following 151 posts

Union activist and professional. Former Executive Director, Writers Guild of America East.

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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 20h
The freedom of regular people to express themselves is eroded when a plutocrat is permitted to buy hundreds of millions' of dollars of political messaging. #buildlaborpower www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/u...
nytimes.com
Inside Elon Musk’s $276 Million Midterm Rescue Mission for Republicans (Gift Article)
The world’s richest person has quietly become by far the biggest known midterm donor, trying to save Republicans’ Senate majority with some of the largest donations in American political history.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I'm attending New York State AFL-CIO's event, “LI Fed Labor Walk for Rory Lancman and Kim Keiserman” - sign up now to join me! #DPWL www.mobilize.us/nysaflcio/ev...
mobilize.us
LI Fed Labor Walk for Rory Lancman and Kim Keiserman · New York State AFL-CIO
Please join the Long Island Federation of Labor as we knock on doors for Rory Lancman and Kim Keiserman!
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Intervene at the "conceptual" stage, before the employer gets to the implementation stage re: AI. #buildlaborpower www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/b...
nytimes.com
Unions Rally Around the Threat of A.I.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
News reports: Ground Zero dust was toxic. See Nadler's report below (I was working with Laborers Local 78 at the time). chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://nadler.house.gov/sites/nadler.house.gov/files/documents/epa%20white%20paper%20final%203_11.pdf?utm_campaign=194618-238
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This union growth is a good start. We need density closer to 35%. Plenty of work to do to #buildlaborpower. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US labor unions saw membership gains in 2025, mostly in states with bargaining protections
Uptick in US union membership coincides with high public approval ratings of unions
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Another reason we must build a bigger, stronger labor movement. #buildlaborpower www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
CEOs earn 614 times more than workers at US’s 100 lowest-paying corporations
Analysis by Institute for Policy Studies found that between 2019 and 2025, CEO compensation increased 41.4%
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Like Gallagher I was an elected official (Mayor Pro Tem of Ann Arbor) while active in DSA (and DSOC). DSA members have never been lock step in their opinions or strategies. Actually Michael Harrington Would Probably Love Today’s DSA – and Hate It Too www.commondreams.org/opinion/mich...
commondreams.org
Actually Michael Harrington Would Probably Love Today’s DSA – and Hate It Too | Common Dreams
The "big tent" of the Democratic Socialists of America has its drawbacks too.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Collective bargaining can shape how AI is deployed in the workplace - to make work better vs. devaluing it or destroying jobs. #buildlaborpower Unionized workers are bargaining with the bots www.axios.com/2026/07/26/u...
axios.com
Unionized workers are bargaining with the bots
Collective bargaining can preserve jobs, pay and worker input as AI spreads.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I'm watching Ari Emmanuel on MS Now defending the proposed Paramount/Warner deal. He seems confused by his own notes, and he's not making sense. Fewer entities to bid for writers' work, clamped-down editorial control of news. In the meantime, Ellison's pops is deep underwater. Awful deal.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Steve Greenhouse calls out Trump's hypocrisy on forced labor. #buildlaborpower www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Tariffs are Trump’s favorite plaything – and his justifications are absurd | Steven Greenhouse
The president is using forced labor as a pretext to slap tariffs on countries around the world
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The top 1% own 50% of the stock market. The bottom 50% own 1%. That's the wrong kind of symmetry. #buildlaborpower www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
Two in five Americans believe stock market only serves the top 1%
Exclusive Harris poll for Guardian reveals Americans’ assumptions about stock market and wider economy
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
People do not want more neo-liberalism. They want political leaders to answer to them, to act in the interests of the people who work for a living. #buildlaborpower www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
Exclusive | America’s Support for Capitalism Has Declined Over Last Decade
A new Wall Street Journal-NORC survey finds that older and conservative people are more optimistic about the country
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
This is a Trump two-fer: attacking unions and clean energy. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Why take those jobs away?’: the unionized workers decrying Trump’s war on wind
Workers proud of their efforts to grow renewable energy say US president pursuing ‘personal vendetta’ at their expense
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
One of the questions asked in this piece: when do we tip over into oligarchy? When the wealth of the top .1% exceeds half the GDP? #buildlaborpower www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
As billionaires’ wealth soars, US workers struggle: ‘The rich keep getting richer for no good reason’
Ultrarich face backlash as billionaire tax in California makes it to the ballot and Americans organize for higher wages
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
I am so intrigued by the notion that democratic socialism is far left. I almost wish that were so. Harrington called it "the left wing of the possible". www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Democratic party is being hit by a leftist tidal wave | Ben Davis
The party’s leadership is deeply out of touch with its base. A leftist politics of collective struggle is cresting across the US
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Reposted by Lowell Peterson
UNI Global Union @uniglobalunion.org · 24/06/2026
No worker should have to fight alone. The US @nlrbgov.bsky.social order requiring Amazon to bargain with unionized warehouse workers is an important step toward accountability, respect, & workplace democracy. Congratulations @teamsters.bsky.social #MakeAmazonPay
reuters.com
Amazon ordered to bargain with union, teeing up review of US labor board ruling
A National Labor Relations Board judge has ordered Amazon.com to bargain with a union representing dozens of workers at a San Francisco warehouse, saying the company failed ​to recognize the union or ...
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Unions understand leverage. #buildlaborpower www.wsj.com/economy/jobs...
wsj.com
Big Pay Raise for L.A. Stadium Workers Is Latest Win for Unions
Unions have scored some high-profile victories, but any real resurgence in organized labor could be a long way off.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Wouldn't it be great if Mamdani challenged Trump to a friendly game of Horse before the Knicks game tonight?
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
My piece exploring one of the themes of my upcoming book from Cornell University Press: Working People Need Power, Not Promises www.commondreams.org/opinion/work...
commondreams.org
Working People Need Power, Not Promises | Common Dreams
If we want the Democrats, or the Republicans, or any political party to enact a political agenda that effectively addresses the real concerns of working Americans, we must build a movement that enhanc...
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Here's what happens when union density plummets. #buildlaborpower. www.wsj.com/finance/stoc...
wsj.com
The Record Divide Between Corporate Profits and Worker Pay
Labor’s share of economic output just hit an all-time low, while the profit share neared a record. It helps explain why consumers feel so glum.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
This is like Bill Clinton saying how smart he was to deregulate the financial industry while corporate American continued to pummel organized labor. Thanks, no thanks. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tony Blair tells Starmer and rivals: abandon net zero and move closer to Trump
In highly unusual intervention, ex-PM says his party’s ‘almost infinite capacity for self-delusion’ makes it likely to lose next election
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I guess this means the labor movement needs to spend $1.5 billion on new organizing . . . www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US employers spend more than $1.5bn a year to fight labor unions, report finds
Critics say employers spend money hiring union-avoidance consultants and lawyers while not investing in workers
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Collective bargaining works. #buildlaborpower www.wsj.com/economy/jobs...
wsj.com
New York City Unions Keep Winning Six-Figure Salaries
Hotel housekeepers, commuter rail workers and nurses are among the unionized workers who have notched big wage gains.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
My article takes up a theme from my upcoming book: Bargaining to Save Our Jobs from Artificial Intelligence www.commondreams.org/opinion/unio...
commondreams.org
Bargaining to Save Our Jobs from Artificial Intelligence | Common Dreams
​There is broad and deep recognition that AI technology will reshape the future of work, and unions have decided to roll up their sleeves (and dust off their picket signs) to bargain how AI will be im...
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
The Tricky Path to a Left Wing Candidate in 2028 open.substack.com/pub/howthing...
open.substack.com
Lowell Peterson on How Things Work
I want to amplify your comment about getting more union members. As you say, it is essential to build a larger, more powerful labor movement. I think it is also a condition precedent (as the philosoph...
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
A well-researched piece about job destruction, but there is an alternative: empower workers to bargain for AI that enhances their jobs rather than replacing them. #buildlaborpower www.nytimes.com/2026/04/30/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Silicon Valley Is Bracing for a Permanent Underclass
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
We are in Portugal. 51 years ago yesterday was thecarnation revolution that overturned the fascist dictatorship here. Unions were essentially illegal on April 24; they organized and built power in a matter of weeks after the revolt. It is always possible to #buildlaborpower.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
I recommend reading Capitalism: A Global History by Sven Beckert. It's a lot of pages for people on the front lines but worth the time and effort. Comprehensive, clear, insightful. #buildlaborpower
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
I recommend reading Capitalism: A Global History by Sven Beckert. It's a lot of pages for people on the front lines but worth the time and effort. Comprehensive, clear, insightful. #buildlaborpower
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Powerful speeches at yesterday's rally for Union Now, which will raise money for union organizing. Collective bargaining builds democracy: people listen to each other, decide priorities, and take action together. #buildlaborpower. (Reposted with better pics.)
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Powerful speeches at the rally yesterday for Union Now, which will raise money for union organizing. Collective bargaining builds democracy; people listen to each other, decide priorities, and take action together. #buildlaborpower
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Union Now: Building the Labor Movement with Bernie Sanders and Sara Nelson act.berniesanders.com/signup/rsvp-...
act.berniesanders.com
Union Now: Building the Labor Movement with Bernie Sanders and Sara Nelson
RSVP today to say you'll join Bernie in New York on Sunday, April 12! Union Now: Building the Labor Movement with Bernie Sanders and Sara Nelson With Special Guest Mayor Zohran Mamdani Music by Josh Ritter Sunday, April 12 12:00pm Doors Open 2:00pm Speaking Program Starts Terminal 5 610 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019 Transportation: Take the 1, A, B, C or D train to 59 St - Columbus Circle Please note: the following items are not permitted inside the venue: No signs and no flags of any kind No weapons of any kind, including for attendees with open carry permits No hard water bottles No chairs of any kind (ADA seating will be provided on-site) No bags larger than a fanny pack (exceptions made only for medical needs)
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Reposted by Lowell Peterson
Hamilton Nolan @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
There's an important new group launching tomorrow, that will channel money directly into building union power. We're having a big ass launch rally in Manhattan tomorrow with Bernie, Zohran, Sara Nelson, and a bunch of union people and you should come. www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/how-to-put...
hamiltonnolan.com
How To Put Money Directly Into Union Power
Union Now is here.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
"Mission accomplished!"https: //www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/free-seas-iran-strait-hormuz-toll-3404b2e1?st=RpMvjk&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Trump's budget is old-school Imperial: a huge military that can exert power over others' resources (oil) He trivializes child care spending, Medicare, Medicaid, food aid, education - programs which arose not from the kindness of elites but from militant social disruption. Let's bring that back!
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Does anyone believe that Pam Bondi did anything without Trump's approval? She withheld the Epstein files, decimated the attorney corps, politicized prosecutions - not because it came to her in a dream, but because her boss demanded it. Authoritarians create puppets, and destroy them.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Vacation resistance. As many as a thousand at No Kings in St. Augustine today.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Collective bargaining works! #buildlaborpower www.wsj.com/sports/baske...
wsj.com
WNBA Players Just Made a Record Leap: A Nearly 400% Raise
In the middle of a growth spurt for women’s basketball, sparked by Caitlin Clark, the league reached a collective-bargaining agreement with record increases to the salary cap and league minimums.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
It is good that NYS leaders are pressing employers to disclose the impact of AI on the workforce. More important: empower the affected workers to bargain how AI is implemented, to ensure it enhances their work and doesn't destroy their jobs. www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/...
cityandstateny.com
Hochul, DiNapoli want more information on AI’s threat and benefits to the workforce
A new commission is tasked with creating policy remedies to the potential rise in automation.
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Reposted by Lowell Peterson
AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 18/03/2026
They stood on business and stood up for the dignity and respect they deserve—and won. Congrats to the WNBPA players on reaching a historic agreement on a new contract. Women’s basketball is #BetterInAUnion!
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Trump response to farm labor shortage? Slash wages for immigrant workers who don't have the leverage to fight for more. #buildlaborpower. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/u...
nytimes.com
To Address Farm Labor Shortage, Trump Administration Turns to Migrant Workers
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Even a Murdoch outlet recognizes authoritarianism. "The Wall Street Journal found that the Department of Homeland Security, created in 2002 to protect Americans, has turned its force against citizens." #buildlaborpower www.wsj.com/us-news/immi...
wsj.com
Americans Are Now a Target in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
A WSJ investigation tracked the U.S. citizens caught in the crosshairs of an aggressive federal campaign to detain and demonize dissenters.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
As we think about Open AI slinking around the DofW let's remember that most AI corporations care far more about profit than about the devastation their products will bring to working people. Think about how they treat content moderators - instability, low pay, trauma-inducing work. #buildlaborpower
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
This is not good. Consolidation of giant media corporations is not good. Opportunistic right wing oligarchs swallowing Warners is especially not good. This is worse than Italy under Berlesconi. #buildlaborpower www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/b...
nytimes.com
Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover
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Reposted by Lowell Peterson
SEIU_ORG @seiu.org · 23/02/2026
Workers keep organizing because we know collective power is how we win better pay, safer conditions, and a real voice on the job. The system might try to slow us down, but it WILL NOT stop us. prospect.org/2026/02/19/t...
prospect.org
Trump Notwithstanding, America’s Unions Actually Grew Last Year - The American Prospect
Only a pro-employer labor law is keeping millions of American workers from the benefits of unionizing.
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Reposted by Lowell Peterson
Writers Guild of America East @wgaeast.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
“We made many important gains — better raises, higher wage floors, and an improved 401k match — for members of our unit with this contract. We also know there is still a great deal of work to be done to make Hearst Magazines a place we can all be proud of.” - @hearstunion.bsky.social ✊
variety.com
Hearst Magazines Union Ratifies New Deal With Company Covering 410 Members
Unions workers at Hearst Magazines affiliated with WGA East ratified a deal with the company, marking their second three-year collective bargaining agreement.
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Reposted by Lowell Peterson
AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 17/02/2026
Throughout his life, Rev. Jackson fought tirelessly for workers, both at home and around the world. At every turn, he reminded us that the fight for good jobs, living wages, and union rights is inseparable from the fight for justice and equality. May he rest in power.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
I worked with Rev. Jackson and the AFL-CIO in the struggle for many thousands of Enron workers who lost their jobs in the company's collapse. Rev. Jackson brought moral force - and great organizing skills - to the fight. #buildlaborpower www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/u...
nytimes.com
Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leader Who Sought the Presidency, Dies at 84
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
"Concerted employee action may start to change the AI calculus." #buildlaborpower www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
wsj.com
Workers Are Afraid AI Will Take Their Jobs. They’re Missing the Bigger Danger.
It isn’t whether artificial intelligence is going to replace them. It’s who will control the knowledge that companies capture from their employees.
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Lowell Peterson @lowellpeterson.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
This is how authoritarians insulate themselves from political responsibility: sacrifice a lackey. Note this article is in a Murdoch publication. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem’s Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS
Secretary faces fire for confrontational immigration crackdown and self-promotional style; White House to wind down Minnesota operations.
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