Beyond Strike Support: Labor-Community Alliances and Democratic Power in New Haven

This paper considers how low-income workers and urban residents can cooperate in their local communities through alliances among unions and community organizations. We focus on the case of the Connecticut Center for a New Econom, a labor-community partnership that includes the unions who represent employees at Yale University. We begin by drawing concepts from debates in political theory and labor movement practice, and then analyze recent union and community struggles in New Haven. Our analysis explores how groups may build capacity for collective voice and action, establish public spaces for social dialogue, and negotiate binding commitments around mutual concerns.