Heartland Labor Forum

Americans have many questions these days about government services like the postal service that are under attack. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we'll visit with Darcy Wood, President […] The post Labor Leader Series: Darcy Wood and Our Right to Read Is Under Attack appeared first on KKFI.

UAW founder Walter Reuther was famous, his brother Roy wasn't, but he made important contributions to both the labor and civil rights movements. Roy's son, Alan joins us this week […] The post Alan Reuther: From Flint to Selma: How Roy Reuther Shaped Labor & Civil Rights in America and Bert Nash Mental Health Workers Organize appeared first on KKFI.

Former Commissioner Martin O'Malley says Social Security could collapse within just a few months. Social Security workers report bedlam at work, and their union leader Everett Kelley says Elon Musk […] The post Social Security Workers Speak Out appeared first on KKFI.

It's May Day and this week the Heartland Labor Forum is celebrating International Workers Day with songs to raise the spirit, an interview from 1997 with Studs Terkel on the […] The post HLF-May1-2025-May Day! – Songs, History, and Rants to Celebrate Worker Power appeared first on KKFI.

What do you do when the head of state comes after your union with 6,000 cops and a license to kill? We'll get advice from John Dunne who had his […] The post Remembering the British Miners' Strike after 40 Years with Miner John Dunn appeared first on KKFI.

We see their work everywhere: big cities, small towns, schools, tall and short buildings. These craftsmen are bricklayers and masons. Many can be called artists. This week on the Heartland […] The post Labor Leader Series: Dustin Himes from Bricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers Local 15 and Rep Tobias Schlingensiepen: Fighting Fascism from Germany to KS appeared first on KKFI.

The surest way to defeat a union is to create division within it. Many in management excel at pitting workers against each other, but this week we'll talk with organizers […] The post How Do We Overcome Internal Division in Unions? and Beneath REI's Green Sheen: Union Busting, Debt Bondage, and Partnership with Eco-Criminals appeared first on KKFI.

Right after he became President Trump marked another milestone on the trail of broken promises when he cut funding for Haskell Indian Nation's University in Lawrence, crippling its teaching capacity […] The post Layoffs at Haskell Indian Nations University: Treaty Violation? And Property Tax Reform: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly appeared first on KKFI.

We'll interview labor historian Jeff Stilley about Kansas City's greatest labor champion you never heard of — Frank Walsh, labor lawyer, defender of radicals and visionary for future labor law. […] The post Why Has America's Greatest Labor Progressive: Frank P. Walsh Been Forgotten? and The School District Bond Issue with Dr. Jennifer Collier appeared first on KKFI.

The MO Legislature is at it again – trying to subvert the will of the people.  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we'll talk to Missouri State Reps. Pattie […] The post Will the Missouri Legislature Undo the Will of the Voters? and Former AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stewart Acuff: Love Is Solidarity in Action appeared first on KKFI.

With President Trump's dismantling of the federal bureaucracy in full swing, led by Elon Musk’s DOGE, federal workers are under siege. But unionized federal workers are fighting back. We’ll talk with leaders […] The post Federal Unions Fight Back appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we'll get a report from last weekend's Workers Strike Back Conference organizing to win a $25 minimum wage and healthcare for all. Then, […] The post The Workers Strike Back Conference and Julie Greene on Who Built the Panama Canal and Trump’s Bullying appeared first on KKFI.

Union organizer and photojournalist David Bacon joins us to discuss cross-border labor solidarity, the fight for immigrant and domestic workers' rights, and how grassroots organizing is reshaping the future of […] The post David Bacon on Domestic Workers Organizing and Nancy MacLean: Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Ku Klux Klan appeared first on KKFI.

Have Trump's tariffs got you confused?  How will they affect jobs and prices?   We'll talk to trade expert Lori Wallach, of Rethink Trade. She's a 30-year veteran of international and […] The post Explaining Tariffs and How They Affect the Working Class and Hidden in Plain Sight: the $8.5 trillion in Untaxed Income of the Rich appeared first on KKFI.

In Auburn New York in 1840 William Freeman, an imprisoned Black teenager, demanded pay for forced labor, l leading to violence. We'll talk to author Robin Bernstein about the first […] The post Freeman’s Challenge; The Murder That Shook America's Original Prison for Profit by Robin Bernstein and The KC Campaign to End Gender Violence in the Workplace appeared first on KKFI.

It's all about chickens and those nuggets that are presumably made from them. We'll talk to Patrick Dixon about his new book, Nuggets of Gold and then to Alice Driver who […] The post Nuggets of Gold: Processed Chicken and the American Diet by Patrick Dixon and The Life and Death of an American Worker by Alice Driver appeared first on KKFI.

Kansas City building trades unions want area towns to pass Responsible Bidder Ordinances requiring public works contractors to provide good jobs with apprenticeship training and opportunities for continuous employment for […] The post What’s Responsible Bidder Language? and Are There Dire Days Ahead for Labor Under Trump? appeared first on KKFI.

We'll have two remarkable union leaders. Laura Kelly (no it isn't the governor of Kansas) from UFCW Local 655 where she's assistant to the president. She says, “the union changed […] The post “The Union Changed My Life” UFCW’s Laura Kelly and Union Leader Series: New KC Federation of Teachers President David Price appeared first on KKFI.

The union of bus drivers in Kansas City local 1287 of the Amalgamated Transit Union or ATU is bogged down in negotiations with the Area Transportation Authority or ATA amidst […] The post Public Transit Union Fights Service Cutbacks appeared first on KKFI.

As we begin the new year, we look back at highlights from the Heartland Labor Forum in 2024. We'll hear clips of some of the most interesting interviews, features, and […] The post The Best of 2024 of the Heartland Labor Forum appeared first on KKFI.

Starting in the 1940s US labor officials worked with the CIA to split militant unions overseas and overthrow neutral governments in an obsessive anti-communist crusade that helped make poor countries […] The post Blue Collar Empire — The AFL-CIA and Trump’s Labor Department Pick appeared first on KKFI.

Anticipation or dread, what's YOUR prediction for 2025? Will the current upsurge in support for unions and worker organizing continue, or will the next administration squash labor rights? Will threats […] The post Heartland Labor Forum’s Annual Crystal Ball Show appeared first on KKFI.

Do feel assaulted and confused by the abundance of Medicare Advantage ads filled with endorsements by celebrities? Tune into the Heartland Labor Forum Thursday as we clear up deceptions and […] The post David Kingsley Asks: Is Medicare Advantage a Scam? and Shifting Gears; Canadian Autoworkers and the Changing Landscape of Labour Politics appeared first on KKFI.

In the 1930s American workers responded to the greatest economic crisis in our history, with an upsurge of organizing, and they forced government to respond. This week on the Heartland […] The post What Can We Learn from the Great Depression? and IRIS Workers Organizing appeared first on KKFI.

Workers have been singing while working and singing about working since antiquity. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we give thanks for labor and work songs that they've written. […] The post Thanks for the Labor Music appeared first on KKFI.

We'll look at two ballot measures that won: Prop A will increase the Missouri minimum wage to $15 and mandate paid sick leave for most workers and Amendment 3 removes […] The post Missouri Initiative Debrief on Amendment 3 and Prop A and The Right to Read Coalition appeared first on KKFI.

It's been a year since veteran labor strategists Rand Wilson and Pete Olney discussed the chances of a “labor movement moment” on the Heartland Labor Forum. This week we'll ask […] The post Where Does the Labor Movement Go from Here? and Labor Leader Series: CWA Local 6327's Tanya Holmes appeared first on KKFI.

Pension expert Teresa Ghilarducci returns to the Heartland Labor Forum this week to explain how some corporations are selling off workers' pension plans and putting them at risk. Find out […] The post Teresa Ghilarducci: Is Your Employer Selling Off Your Pension? and HELU, Higher Education Labor United appeared first on KKFI.

For Halloween, we feature two books about blood-thirsty bosses. First book is called Not All Fun and Games about the super-profitable North American video game industry which squeezes the sweat […] The post Two Books Perfect for Halloween: Not All Fun and Games and Building Power, Breaking Power appeared first on KKFI.

Do you still read the paper? Is it even made of paper? Is the newspaper industry changing or dying? We'll see what Jon Schluess, President of the CWA News Guild […] The post News Guild Leader John Schleuss Challenging Lords of a Dying Industry and Union Leader Series: Firefighters 781's Mike Veit appeared first on KKFI.

We'll look at the race for control of the Missouri legislature. The results of the election could mean that for the first time in years the legislature would operate without […] The post Three Hot Missouri House Races appeared first on KKFI.

We'll look at a couple of Missouri Senate races that are up for grabs. They're the 11th District in Independence and the 17th in Clay County. Candidates will get the […] The post Two Hot State Senate Races and Is Biden the Most Pro-Labor Prez? appeared first on KKFI.

Coming of age is hard, especially for impoverished undocumented youth who come here to work.  We'll hear about the lives and work of unaccompanied minors from Dr. Stephanie Canizales, author […] The post Stephanie L. Canizales, Without Parents Or Papers: Unaccompanied Migrant Youth Coming of Age in the United States and Hot Kansas Legislative Races appeared first on KKFI.

Does work make you feel productive and proud? If you're a member of the working class, your job may not give you the warm and fuzzies. This week on the […] The post On The Clock; What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane and Leadville Colorado: Labor History at 10,000 Feet appeared first on KKFI.

It's all about rights. First, we'll talk to Trini Murguia from the US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division about the many laws they enforce from child labor to […] The post What Do You Know About the Fair Labor Standards Act? and IBEW 124 Wins Paid Family Leave appeared first on KKFI.

Many candidates call for less government regulation, nursing homes need more. Workers complain of unsafe staffing, and poverty wages and owners who view patient bodies only as profit centers. This […] The post The Problems with Nursing Home Jobs and Disconnected Call Center Workers II appeared first on KKFI.

We celebrate the 80th birthday of Si Kahn, singer, songwriter, author, organizer, and activist. We'll hear a few tracks from his new album, Labor Day: A Tribute to Hardworking People […] The post Si Kahn at 80: Honoring a Life of Song and Activism appeared first on KKFI.

We will feature two Books. First, in Disconnected: Call Center Workers Fight for Good Jobs in the Digital Age author Debbie Goldman shows how workers struggle for good jobs against […] The post Two Books: Debbie Goldman’s Disconnected: Call Center Workers Fight for Good Jobs in the Digital Age and Jake Friedman’s The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation’s Golden Age appeared first on KKFI.

Immigration polls as a top issue for voters this Fall. We'll talk about the candidates' positions on the border, asylum, and jobs and also ask where's the invasion. Then, we'll […] The post Project 2025, Trump and Harris on Immigration and KCMO School District's International Welcome Center appeared first on KKFI.

Will you get a pension when you retire? Pensions have been disappearing for decades, and now companies like AT&T are selling off their pensions to insurance companies. Find out why […] The post The New Plan to Fleece Workers' Pensions and IBEW Local 53's Ben Bush appeared first on KKFI.

Ever wonder why every system we deal with is on the verge of overload? In the 1980's management adopted “Lean Production” to keep workers and consumers constantly under stress and […] The post Is It Really the End of Lean Production? and KC and the Pregnancy Fairness Act appeared first on KKFI.

On the last day of its 2024 session, the Missouri legislature put ranked choice voting on the August ballot. Already ten states outlaw it. Will Missouri voters do the same? […] The post Why Are They Trying to Outlaw Rank Choice Voting? And Ethan Marcotte, You Deserve a Tech Union appeared first on KKFI.