Mother Jones Quotes

I'm a lifelong believer in trade unionism.

Organized labor, if they're doing a responsible job, is going to organize the pooling of small amounts of money to protect the interests of the people who are not rich.

A divided labor movement hurts the prospects of union members and it makes me very angry.

We were no experts in the field of labor organization, but we had something in common with our fellow workers -- we were all poor -- we were all overworked -- we were all victims of the 84 hour week. In fact, we were all so low down on the economic and social ladder that we had nowhere to go but up

Power? Nine workers out of ten still unorganized, and union dues going to bribe middle class politicians. You call that power?

If the workers took a notion they could stop all speeding trains; every ship upon the ocean they can tie with mighty chains.

I think we will see a united labor movement again. When workers unite they're stronger. The same goes for unions.

I believe in trade unionism, and I believe in democracy, in democratic trade unionism.

At first everyone predicted that it would be impossible to hold these divergent people together, but aside from the skilled men, some of whom belonged to craft unions, comparatively few went back to the mills. And as a whole, the strike was conducted with little violence.

Unions are about the collective leverage, the power of numbers versus the power of capital.

I'm a big believer in the value of labor unions and with what collective effort gets people.

Solidarity Forever

No strike has ever been lost.

We back Solidarity [the Polish trade union], and bust our unions.

Duty of the Catholic Worker to Join Organized Labor

The picket line is the best place to train organizers. One day on the picket line is where a man makes his commitment. The longer on the picket line, the stronger the commitment. A lot of workers think they make their commitment by walking off the job when nobody sees them. But you get a guy to walk off the field when his boss is watching and, in front of the other guys, throw down his tools and march right to the picket line, that is the guy who makes our strike. The picket line is a beautiful thing because it makes a man more human.

And if you are going to truly stand with workers, it also means embracing solidarity, not attempting through lame talking points to pit union workers against non-union workers.

I'm pro Union.

If Occupy Wall Street can see their way to more collaboration with the union movement, then there will be a great deal of political action possible.

The General Strike has taught the working class more in four days than years of talking could have done.

And I think we understand we cannot make social change for all workers until we have enough strength, membership strength, and at the same time having membership strength and only making change for a limited group of workers is not what our country really needs for people that work.

To denigrate the union movement in this way is to denigrate the right and the ability of people who are not rich to organize and to accomplish things together.

That's what unions do. They can get money, they can get support, they can get manpower.

I will never apologize for standing up for my fellow Teamsters and all American workers.

If we are going to reverse the race to the bottom, workers must have the right to engage in collective bargaining.