“The woke left is killing the workers’ struggle” — Truth or Myth?

Some left-wing labor organizers and economists argue that:

• Identity-focused activism sometimes overshadows class issues, especially when university-educated activists set the agenda.
• This can create division among working-class people who often prioritize wages, job security, cost of living, and healthcare, not symbolic cultural debates.
• When a movement shifts heavily toward cultural topics, employers and governments may find it easier to ignore economic demands.

Examples often cited:

• U.S. union membership declining while political discourse centers on culture wars.
• Working-class voters drifting toward conservative parties because they feel neglected by the progressive left.

So yes, there is real friction: some forms of “woke” politics can fragment class solidarity.

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## ❌ Also a Myth — when used as a blanket statement

It becomes a myth when people assume:

• “Woke left” = all progressives
• Workers’ struggle = one unified group

In reality:

• Many “woke” activists support workers’ rights, unions, anti-exploitation laws, and social safety nets.
• Many labor movements today are led by women, minorities, migrants, and LGBTQ+ workers—the same groups associated with “woke politics.”
• Employers love the narrative that “the left is divided,” because division weakens bargaining power.

So the idea that “wokeness destroys labor movements” is too simplistic.