Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Beyond Club and Fang

Finding a better way forward at work means recognizing that solidarity matters more than survival

By Nathan Koslowsky

When I was a kid, Jack London’s White Fang was one of my favourite books. I’ll never forget the first time I read about what London called “the law of club and fang.”

On the frozen trails of the north, dogs and men lived in a brutal reality: the men wielded clubs, ruling with force and fear, while the dogs fought one another for survival, dominance, and scraps of food.

Hopefully, it’s clear I’m not comparing workers to dogs! But I am interested in the power dynamics London described.

On one side, power used like a club: humans over animals, or employers over employees. On the other side, the fang: a desperate, survival-of-the-fittest scramble for position and advantage.

Neither of these models is a vision of healthy work. Without safeguards, the workplace can start to look uncomfortably close to London’s snow-bound world: employers ruling with oversized sticks and workers left fighting one another for whatever they can get.

So, what’s the alternative?

Rediscovering an Old Word: Union
The word union carries a lot of meanings. For some, it calls to mind marriage. For others, it may bring back memories of a high school reunion. Still others think of their local credit union.

But at its heart, union is an old word for something simple and profound: oneness, unity, togetherness.

When it first appeared in Latin, it meant a single entity, a sense of solidarity. Around 700 years ago, it entered English. By the 19th century, it took on the meaning we’re most familiar with today: workers coming together for collective power and protection.

Why does that matter now? Because we live in a world increasingly defined by I rather than we. Individualism brings real freedom—ownership, initiative, self-expression, the right to pursue our own goals. But it can also fragment us, pitting us against one another, leaving each person to negotiate for themselves in a world where not everyone has equal footing.

Self and We: A Better Balance
This isn’t about rejecting self-interest. Both history and economics show us that people’s lives often improve when they aim to better their own situation. The problem comes when it’s self-interest only. Left unchecked, it turns into that club-and-fang world. Those with leverage take more, and those without get pushed to the margins.

The alternative is something more balanced, where self-interest and unity work together. A great marriage is a good analogy. Each partner continues to grow as an individual, but in the context of a strong, supportive us. They make sacrifices to build something meaningful together.

The same principle applies to unions. A little give-and-take—like agreeing to common rules, sharing resources, or acting collectively—ensures protections and opportunities that no single person could secure alone. It’s the same trade-off we make as citizens. We accept taxes and traffic laws so that we can benefit from safe streets, garbage collection, fire protection, and hospitals.

Can’t Everyone Just Negotiate on Their Own?
Some people can and do. If you have rare skills, years of leadership experience, or connections with the right manager, negotiating your own terms might work out.

But even then, should it only be about what one person can get? An every-person-for-themselves approach often leaves the majority in the cold while a small few thrive. That’s the law of club and fang again, but dressed up in modern clothes.

Unions and collective action aren’t about eliminating individuality. They’re about finding a way to protect people from exploitation and to reduce the scramble of workers undercutting one another just to survive. They create the space for fairness, cooperation, compassion, and mutual aid—things we all know we need more of, not less.

From Club and Fang to Something Better
So, what’s the better way? From one-sided power to partnership, negotiation, and collaboration. From survival of the fittest to a workplace where nobody is left behind. From isolation and competition to cooperation and solidarity.

If citizenship is how we live together in broader society, then maybe union is the “citizenship” of the workplace: a way to build rules, rights, and responsibilities so that all of us—not just the strongest—can thrive.

Jack London’s wild north was a place where peace, rest, or safety could never be taken for granted. Our workplaces don’t have to look like that. With union—both the word and the practice—we find something far better than clubs and fangs.

We find us.

Beyond Club and Fang

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