From Fascism to AI: Why Only Rank-and-File Workers Can Save Our Broken World

Rank-and-File Workers Are the Only Force Standing Between America and Collapse—Here’s How They’re Fighting Back

As of June 18, 2026, the U.S. labor movement faces an existential crisis: union membership has declined for decades under Democratic and Republican administrations alike, yet the threats to working people—fascist encroachment, AI-driven job displacement, and corporate exploitation—have never been more immediate. A live discussion in Chicago between veteran labor journalists Hamilton Nolan, Kim Kelly, and Alex Press revealed a stark truth: traditional labor institutions are failing to stop the ruling class’s assault on workers’ lives. The solution? Rank-and-file organizing from the ground up, outside the constraints of AFL-CIO politics or corporate-friendly unions.

Why it matters: The U.S. now has the lowest union density in nearly a century (just 10.1% of workers, down from 20.1% in 1983), yet the economic and political stakes have never been higher. With fascist policies like Project 2025 gaining traction, AI replacing jobs at record speeds, and corporate media consolidating under oligarchs, workers are turning to direct action—strikes, solidarity networks, and even sabotage—to survive. The question is no longer *if* these tactics will work, but *how fast* they can scale.

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Union Density Is Crumbling—But the Real Fight Isn’t in the AFL-CIO

Union membership in the U.S. has fallen every year since 2000, despite Democratic presidents like Joe Biden passing pro-union executive orders. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private-sector unionization dropped to 6.1% in 2025—half of what it was in 1983. Yet, as Hamilton Nolan, a labor journalist and former Gawker union organizer, pointed out, the AFL-CIO’s strategy of betting on Democratic victories has failed spectacularly.

“Biden was the best president for unions since FDR,” Nolan said. “But union density still fell. That means the problem isn’t the president—it’s the labor movement’s refusal to reorganize.”

Alex Press, a labor reporter at Jacobin and former UAW grad union leader, echoed this: “The labor movement is still divided, still reacting to political cycles instead of the existential threats we face—ICE raids, AI replacing jobs, and fascist policies.” She cited recent examples where rank-and-file workers, not union leadership, drove change: SEIU Local 26 in Minneapolis organizing against ICE, and tech workers at Microsoft disrupting operations to protest contracts with Israel and ICE.

Key data:

• 2026 union density: 10.1% (down from 20.1% in 1983) [BLS]
• Private-sector unionization: 6.1% (2025) [BLS]
• Public-sector unionization: 33.1% (2025) [BLS]

But the most promising movements are outside traditional unions. Kim Kelly, a labor journalist and author of Fight Like Hell, highlighted worker-led efforts like the Union of Southern Service Workers, a solidarity union of Black and brown women in fast food and retail who’ve won strikes without NLRB certification. “They’re not waiting for permission,” Kelly said. “They’re organizing from below.”

Local impact: In Chicago, where union density is just 14.5% [Illinois Labor], worker centers like Chicago Workers Collaborative are filling the gap. They’ve helped organize 2,000+ workers in gig and service industries since 2020, despite no NLRB backing.

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AI Is Replacing Jobs—But Unions Are the Only Line of Defense

AI adoption is accelerating, with $3 trillion invested globally in 2025 alone [McKinsey]. Hamilton Nolan, a Writers Guild AI committee member, warned that “AI is being pushed on us whether we like it or not.” He pointed to union contracts—not legislation—as the most effective tool to regulate AI, citing recent wins by the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA banning AI from replacing human work.

Yet, the fight is uneven. Kim Kelly, a freelance journalist, described how AI is already eliminating low-paying gig work—the kind that sustains precarious workers. “If you’re a freelancer writing listicles for $200, AI will replace you,” she said. “But if you’re a sex worker or a temp agency employee, AI is already tracking your every move to exploit you further.”

Expert perspective:

“The real front line of AI regulation is union contracts—not Congress.” — Hamilton Nolan, labor journalist and Writers Guild AI committee member

Local data: In Silicon Valley, where tech giants are leading AI adoption, Google and Microsoft employees have disrupted operations to protest AI contracts with ICE and Israel. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, where data centers are booming, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 770 is negotiating AI protections into contracts—but not all unions are moving fast enough.

Actionable solutions:

• [Labor Law Firms] – Navigating AI clauses in contracts requires specialized legal expertise. Firms like Outten & Golden (which represented Google workers in AI disputes) are leading the charge.
• [Worker Centers] – Organizations like Chicago Workers Collaborative help gig workers fight AI-driven wage theft.
• [Tech Ethics Advocacy Groups] – Groups like AI Now Institute provide research on AI’s labor impacts.

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Fascism Is Here—But Workers Are Already Fighting Back

Project 2025, a far-right policy blueprint, is being implemented by Trump-aligned officials. As of June 2026, 12 states have passed laws restricting abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and union organizing [ACLU]. Kim Kelly, who covered Charlottesville in 2017, warned that “the alt-right didn’t disappear—it just got co-opted by the state.”

Yet, workers are resisting. In Minneapolis, SEIU Local 26 organized against ICE raids, while in East Palestine, Ohio, railroad workers abandoned by their union are now leading environmental justice campaigns after the 2023 train derailment. “The AFL-CIO isn’t saving us,” Max Alvarez, host of Working People, said. “Rank-and-file workers are.”

Local impact: In Chicago, where fascist organizing is rising, groups like Chicago Anti-Fascist Organizing are tracking far-right networks. Their 2025 report found a 40% increase in fascist flyering and harassment since 2023.

Actionable solutions:

• [Anti-Fascist Legal Defense Networks] – Groups like National Lawyers Guild provide legal support to workers facing fascist retaliation.
• [Community Organizing Hubs] – Labor Notes and In These Times offer training for rank-and-file organizers.
• [Environmental Justice Groups] – East Palestine Community Action Group is suing railroad companies for toxic exposure.

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The Media Is Being Gobbled Up—But Independent Journalism Still Matters

Oligarchs like Jeff Bezos (Washington Post), David Ellison (Warner Bros.), and Elon Musk (X/Twitter) now control 70% of U.S. news media [Pew Research]. Alex Press, a Jacobin reporter, called this a “hostile takeover of ownership.” “Barry Weiss running CNN isn’t a bug—it’s a feature,” she said. “Corporate media doesn’t serve workers. Independent outlets do.”

Kim Kelly, who freelances for In These Times, described how mainstream outlets reject stories about working-class struggles. “I pitched a piece on UPS workers protesting weapons shipments to Israel,” she said. “Every major outlet said, ‘It’s not a story.’ In These Times ran it.”

Local impact: In Philadelphia, where Kelly is based, local worker-owned media like The Sentinel (a Black-led news outlet) are filling gaps left by corporate media.

Actionable solutions:

• [Worker-Owned Media Co-ops] – Groups like Democracy Now! and The Real News Network provide alternative coverage.
• [Journalism Nonprofits] – ProPublica and The Marshall Project investigate corporate and state abuses.
• [Union Media Funds] – The UAW’s media fund supports independent labor reporting.

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The Only Way Forward: Organizing from Below

The labor movement’s future isn’t in the AFL-CIO or corporate-friendly unions—it’s in rank-and-file organizing. From sex workers in Nevada to railroad workers in East Palestine, workers are proving that direct action works. As Kim Kelly put it: “We don’t need permission. We’ve never needed it.”

Final warning: The ruling class is consolidating power—through AI, fascist policies, and media control. But history shows that workers have always won when they organize outside the system. The question is whether they’ll act fast enough.

Where to start:

• [Labor Organizing Training] – Labor Notes offers workshops on rank-and-file strategies.
• [Legal Aid for Workers] – Workers Defense Project provides free legal help for labor disputes.
• [Solidarity Networks] – Groups like United We Dream support undocumented workers facing deportation.

“The only thing that stands between us and collapse is our own organizing.” — Hamilton Nolan