I recently had the opportunity to speak with Workzeitung, the newspaper of a major Swiss labor union, about capitalism, work, and the power of artistic activism in labor organizing. As a member of United University Professions – the largest higher education union in the United States – I could bring personal insights on how labor movements impact the way the economy functions for workers.

The Universal Question: Does Capitalism Work?

We explored how people in Switzerland respond to “Capitalism Works For Me! True/False.” The discussions that emerge from this simple prompt reveal something unions understand well – that while organized labor can force capitalism to work better for workers, the very fact that unions are necessary indicates the system is broken.

Beyond False Choices

The question the sign asks is personal, complex, and often difficult. Unconsciously, people think of capitalism as the standard to measure everything against – and implicit within that idea is that capitalism is a success. People also often try to, unconsciously, turn the question into something simpler and easier, like:

• Is capitalism better than a dictatorship?
• Is an ideal form of capitalism better than oppressive forms of socialism?

These are easy questions, but they’re not what’s actually being asked. These common starting points come from a lack of vision for anything outside capitalism.

Art Meets Organizing

We also discussed how artistic activism can strengthen labor movements. Unions offer a compelling vision: meaningful, well-paid work that provides workers with a sense of ease and time for leisure. This vision doesn’t need to remain an ideal – it’s something that can be woven into the everyday organizing work of unions, making the movement more accessible and inspiring. One simple example is ensuring there are snacks and time for socializing at meetings, bringing a piece of that future vision, when the labor battles are won, into the present.

The interview was published in Swiss-German and includes a video segment created for Instagram.