We’re sad to inform our readers of the recent passing of journalist Robert Fitch.  Fitch was a strong critic of corruption in the labor movement and an advocate for structural reform within it.  He leaves behind two classic texts — Solidarity for Sale and The Assassination of New York — and a host of contributions in shorter forms. In particular, his last batch of essays for New Politics rank among his best and deserve scrutiny.

On a personal note, Fitch was also a warm supporter of the Jacobin project, a source of encouragement, and more generous with his time than this writer deserves.

The first step in the transformation of American unionism in the 21st century is to get beyond exclusion, and coercion, accomplishing a task that unions in other countries accomplished as early as the 19th. A labor Left that breaks with the old playbook will bypass the autonomous local union, it will fight to end monopoly unionism, creating a system of representation that’s based on consent, offering workers a choice of political ends; transforming finally a culture that breed sectionalism into one that promotes solidarity. Because what the left Labor needs is not union democracy but working class democracy.

We aver to continue his work to the best of our ability.

—BKS