Sign in

Manfred Elfstrom

@manfrede.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.9K following 151 posts

Associate Professor of Political Science at University of British Columbia. Researching China, social movements, labor, authoritarianism. Author of "Workers and Change in China." He/him. Website: manfredelfstrom.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hahaha. From the NYT: “Mr. Trump called the Chinese leader ‘an expert on stone’ who ‘loves good granite’ as Mr. Xi stood by without changing his expression.” What a time to be alive. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/u...
nytimes.com
For His Ballroom, Trump Has Pointed to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
President Trump has repeatedly cited the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as inspiration and competition with his own design.
010
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The transformation of Ortega into a copy of the old Samoza regime is something… podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/g...
podcasts.apple.com
UN accuses Nicaragua of crimes against humanity
Podcast Episode · Global News Podcast · September 22 · 28m
000
Reposted by Manfred Elfstrom
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 22/09/2026
DoorDash has ripped off more than 260,000 NYC delivery workers. We’re making them pay $131.5 million — the largest worker settlement in City history. This is New York, where hard work pays and greed will cost you.
DoorDash messed up.
They repeatedly left more than 260,000 NYC delivery workers underpaid or paid late, causing them immense stress and financial difficulty.
That's unacceptable.
We've secured a $131.5M settlement from
DoorDash - the largest worker settlement in NYC history and largest delivery worker settlement in
American municipal history.
Every worker will be paid what they are owed, and every company will be forced to abide by the laws of this city.

LOGOS:
The OFFICE of the MAYOR of NYC
NYC Consumer and Worker Protection Mayor Mamdani and Deliveristas representatives stand behind a podium.Mayor Mamdani signs a giant check.Three delivery workers holding a giant fake check for $131.5M.
340250674786
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Excellent choice! Also: speeches and the final shoot-out wirh company thugs in Matewan.
030
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Do you want documentaries or fictional stuff, too? The last scene of “Pride” always does it for me, but you have to watch the rest of the movie for it to work. Also, not revolutionary per se.
120
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Surely a banker like Carney understands the moral hazard of bailing out a company like this: they’ll stop negotiating in good faith and just wait for Ottawa to swoop in.
010
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The government better not intervene in ANOTHER labor dispute to force people back to work. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
cbc.ca
Travellers face possible WestJet labour disruption ahead of B.C. Day long weekend
WestJet flight attendants could go on strike as early as August 2. The union representing 4,400 cabin crew says it has issued a 72-hour strike notice. That was quickly followed by the airline giving 7...
110
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Taiwan: Stop union busting at TaiDoc www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaig...
labourstartcampaigns.net
Taiwan: Stop union busting at TaiDoc
Please support this LabourStart urgent action campaign and spread the word.
000
Reposted by Manfred Elfstrom
Turquoise Roof @turquoiseroof.org · 22/07/2026
A sobering report on Lobga Rangzen’s death, and what it reveals about the desperation felt by many #Tibetans as repression intensifies & international attention fades. thediplomat.com/2026/07/why-...
thediplomat.com
Why a Tibetan Protester Set Himself on Fire Outside the United Nations
Loga Rangzen’s self-immolation was intended to force Tibet back onto the international agenda. Instead, it exposed the challenges Tibetans face amid China’s growing global influence.
175
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This is a real predicament. In the long-term, China faces a demographic crunch with fewer and fewer young workers. Xi is prioritizing higher-end manufacturing and pursuing a German rather than U.S. model. At the same time... there are workers who need jobs NOW. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/w...
nytimes.com
‘They Don’t Need People’: The Workers Left Behind by China’s Robot Drive
For out-of-work factory workers in Kunshan, a region made rich by electronics manufacturing, a park is the only place to go.
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Just visited the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. Highly recommended.
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
My two cents!
120
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
With respect to Chinese labor more broadly… I guess I’m in the camp of people who believe that general boycotts don’t help workers and can actually harm them—and more direct forms of mutual support are the way to go.
120
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Judging the extent of the issue is tricky, because China has cracked down on people doing supply chain due diligence. Plus, a lot of the repression in Xinjiang has been reengineered to be less overt in recent years.
120
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
I don’t feel like I know enough about this. Forced labor transfer programs are a serious issue in Xinjiang, with quotas for villages, etc. And I understand that this has been connected to the production of polysilicon for solar panels.
120
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Anita Chan and I on the causes of poor working conditions for Chinese workers on BRI project sites. #China #BRI #Labor www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Use and Abuse of Chinese Workers Recruited for Belt and Road Projects Abroad
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is the subject of considerable debate. However, relatively little attention has been devoted to the reasons why Chinese state-owned enterprises involved in the init...
020
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Comments are welcome! The dataset (for now) only covers a relatively short time frame, so more research is needed.
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
And the final argument: that disruptive (but peaceful) actions "get the goods." This seems to be the case for labor disputes but not environmental disputes.
100
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
The second argument: that smaller but persistent campaigns are more likely to be successful. We find mixed evidence for this.
100
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
The first argument: that the party in control at a local level is important. We do not find evidence for this.
100
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Abigail Ververda and my paper on coal and collective action in Appalachia is finally out and open access. In the paper, we use a new dataset of 1,525 strikes, protests, petitions, and lawsuits in WV to test several arguments about what tactics "work" in coal-related disputes. #contentiousky
121
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Really cool to see people start moving into these apartments now. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | One City Might Have Just Cracked the Housing Crisis
010
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
This isn’t about bashing China. But fawning over the Chinese government is a slap in the face to Chinese labor activists who have made tremendous sacrifices.
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Did you read the original article I linked? I offer some different concrete ways Chinese and American workers have supported each other in the past. And I say that sometimes working through Chinese official channels can be productive.
100
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I’m not starting from a good country-bad country binary here. I’m focused on worker-to-worker solidarity.
100
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I think I’m confused about your underlying argument here. You see the Chinese government—the world’s second most powerful country and a capitalist authoritarian one at that—as leftist and in need of protection from the U.S.? And you think I have a rosy view of the U.S. and its labor movement?
100
Reposted by Manfred Elfstrom
Anne Trubek @atrubek.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
THRILLED to announce this book by @jaykaydee.bsky.social, coming from @beltpublishing.bsky.social in February. Cover by @downpourdw.bsky.social
4286
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
SUPER excited!
010
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I don’t know. Do you have a list? Regardless, my point isn’t that exchanges with labor activists in other countries aren’t valuable too.
110
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I think we probably see this differently. My concern isn't with superpower rivalry and being anti-China vs. pro-China. I'm pro-worker. And, when it's possible once again, I want to return to the hard work of building bridges between activists in the two countries fighting for shared goals.
200
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
My oldster take on #Chinamaxxing and what meaningful progressive engagement with China looks like. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/10/p...
foreignpolicy.com
Progressives Should Show Real Solidarity With China
Don’t let Chinamaxxing come at the expense of meaningful engagement with Chinese workers and activists.
131
Reposted by Manfred Elfstrom
Niao Collective @niaocollective.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
The classic ‘tank man’ photo is a close up but when you zoom out, the image - and what it represents- is even more poignant.
4424126
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Sign this petition to save Kelowna's rail trail. c.org/xq76YwKttX
c.org
Sign the Petition
Save the Rail Trail Greenspace
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Absolutely horrible news. China has improved its mine safety a lot over the last couple decades. Still, this mine reportedly had been cited already for problems. www.cbc.ca/news/world/g...
cbc.ca
Death toll from gas explosion at coal mine in China jumps to 90 | CBC News
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for ​authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured and conducting search-and-rescue ‌operations.
021
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
The biologist under fire seems like an exceptionally principled person. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
US biology lab locked down for more than a week amid smuggling inquiry
The Trump administration has spent months investigating the lab after a Chinese postdoc was charged with smuggling biological material into the country.
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Isn’t there a labor caucus within the Republican Party?
110
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I mean, when one party dominates things nearly completely, political divisions will be expressed within that party instead.
250
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
It should also be noted that this comes amidst a full press by the Chinese government on robotics, so who knows how it all nets out.
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Encouraging development. Of course, it remains to be seen whether other courts in China follow suit and what creative workarounds companies invent. The attitudes of local governments will also be important. www.caixinglobal.com/2026-04-30/c...
caixinglobal.com
Chinese Courts Rule Companies Cannot Fire Workers Simply to Replace Them With AI
Judges classify AI adoption as a controllable business strategy rather than an unavoidable disruption, shielding employees from automation-driven layoffs
110
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Exactly. This echoes the dynamic that Victor Shih describes in the context of Chinese politics: autocrats have good reasons to surround themselves with incompetent underlings. www.cambridge.org/core/books/c...
cambridge.org
Coalitions of the Weak
Cambridge Core - Comparative Politics - Coalitions of the Weak
000
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
An absolutely masterful take-down of a couple clumsy apologists for China’s repression in Xinjiang. This is how you do it! tempestmag.org/2026/04/dism...
tempestmag.org
Dismissing China’s repression in Xinjiang
Vijay Prashad and Tings Chak recently defended China’s policy toward ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang. David Brophy exposes the weakness of their case.
010
Reposted by Manfred Elfstrom
Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 13/04/2026
Hungarians are singing ‘We Are The Champions’ in celebration of the landslide victory of Peter Magyar
471375356
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
This is also true! Whittle down just about everything we've come to expect from the government of a wealthy society--education, research, safety inspections, arts funding, whatever. But amp up the coercive capacity. And provide a sweet playground for the connected insiders of the ruling movement.
010
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
@joshtpm.bsky.social's trenchant take on DoD budget: "It is a huge reorientation of the entire federal government from being a modern government, focused primarily on supporting and protecting its citizens, to one focused on, and built for, force and violence." talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-n...
talkingpointsmemo.com
The New Defense Budget
We need to talk about the president’s 2027 proposed defense budget. It’s...
010
Reposted by Manfred Elfstrom
Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 07/04/2026
Please call your US rep and senators. Yes, I know it can feel like screaming into a black hole. Still. Call them NOW. reps.fyi 202-224-3121
Typewritten text on blue lined paper: 

"A whole civilization will die, never to be brought back again."  Trump just threatened genocide against Iran.  Call your US rep and senators and tell them to do everything they can to stop this. I don't care if they're in the minority. Tell them to chain themselves to the White House gates, something, ANYTHING.  Find your reps at reps.fyi.  Call NOW, friends.  God help us all.
314182
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
We are already at the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Tiananmen incident, a protest that was suppressed, then legitimated by the Party.
Protesters gather flowers in memory of Zhou Enlai during the 1976 Tiananmen Incident.
002
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
I think this is the best outcome? Definitely better to have someone who sparks excitement as a leader than someone you just imagine others will be OK with. I hope Lewis recognizes the urgency of repairing ties to western party activists, though. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
Federal NDP elect filmmaker Avi Lewis as new leader
Lewis, who was considered the front-runner in the contest, takes over leadership in a period of turbulence for the party
010
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Just saw Josh Ritter play a solo set in my little corner of Canada. Still remember him as the fourth-year folk singer heartthrob when I was a freshman in college.
020
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Check out our AAS panel: "Class and Contentious Politics in China" cdmcd.co/mR5ZGn #AAS2026
cdmcd.co
2026 AAS Annual Conference
002
Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Our third annual labour lecture co-hosted with the North Okanagan Labour Council is tomorrow (Thursday). Dr. Anelyse Weiler will be discussing farm workers' struggles. events.ok.ubc.ca/event/annual.... Join us if you are in Kelowna!
events.ok.ubc.ca
Annual Labour Lecture: Dr. Anelyse Weiler - UBC Okanagan Events Calendar
Find out how labour movements have advanced stronger workplace safety laws at this year's annual labour lecture.
000