Revolutions Per Minute - Radio from the New York City Democratic Socialists of America

On tonight's episode of RPM, we'll talk about how the “border crisis” is manufactured under capitalism and break down some of the dangerous presidential election year framing we see from both Republicans and Democrats.   You'll hear from Yvette Borja, abolitionist and Laura E, Gomez Teaching Fellow at UCLA Law. Yvette lived and organized in Tucson for 6 years and will tell us what it's really like on the ground in Southern Arizona along the border and why there are no single issue voters. We'll also hear from Luisa and Tristan, members of the DSA IC International Migration Working Group, about that working group's new webinar series, revitalizing migration organizing efforts during a presidential election year and so much more.  To listen to Radio Chachimbona: https://www.radiocachimbona.com/And you can follow Yvette on Instagram @RadioChachimbona You can read DSA statement on Migration and International Solidarity Between Working People here: https://www.dsausa.org/statements/statement-on-migration-and-international-solidarity-between-working-people/And visit dsaic.org/MigrantRights to register for upcoming webinars. 

Tonight on Revolutions Per Minute, we travel to the United Kingdom, where far-right riots have swept the country. We ask Alex Roberts, a UK-based organizer and host of the anti-fascist podcast 12 Rules for WHAT, how communities can fight back. We also speak to Paolo Gerbaudo, a senior research fellow at Complutense University in Madrid, on the role of social media in contemporary politics. 

Last Tuesday was election night across New York State. The night highlighted both the enduring challenges and promise of the rising Socialist movement. In the most widely covered race of the night, Reactionary forces across the Right and Center, including AIPAC, funneled tens of millions of dollars into the 16th Congressional District to secure the defeat of DSA-endorsed incumbent, Congressman Jamaal Bowman by George Latimer. While at the state-level, all eight DSA incumbents in the State Senate and Assembly won their reelection bids, and they will be joined by DSA-endorsed candidate, Claire Valdez, who won her insurgent campaign to represent the 37th Assembly District in Queens. Tonight, we will hear from David Vibert, a steering committee member of DSA's National Electoral Commission, to give his perspective on last week's elections and their ramifications for the socialist movement in New York state and beyond. We will also hear from RPM's own Jack Devine and Alex Randazzo on their breakdown of Bowman's defeat, and what his loss tells us about the evolution of the 16th district since he first won the seat in 2020 and what we can learn in his loss 4 years later.

For over five and half years and 220+ episodes, we here at Revolutions Per Minute have brought the voices of activists and organizers fighting for a better world to the listeners of WBAI. Tonight, we dig into the show's archives to hear some of those interviews through the years. Each of the interviews you will hear tonight, in their own ways, exemplify the different dimensions of our show, the members of our collective, and showcase the perspectives that you won't hear anywhere else. Ultimately, this is a show about the RPM difference.   Segments Used from Past Episodes:  1- PSC and New Deal for CUNY2- Build Public Renewables Act3- Kansas DSA and Protecting Abortion Rights4- The Bronx Fires5- Palestinian Solidarity in the UAW 

1864. That's the year Arizona's abortion ban was passed. The archaic law has remained dormant since 1976, when Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide, but a little over a month ago, on April 6, the Arizona Supreme Court resurrected the law, banning abortion in almost all cases.  The Arizona State Legislature has since passed another law to repeal the 1864 ban, which would default the state to a still strict, 15-week ban on abortion because of a law that was passed and signed by former Republican Governor, Doug Ducey, in 2022.  Meanwhile a coalition called, Arizona for Abortion Access has been gathering hundreds of thousands of signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would create a “fundamental right” to receive abortion care up until fetal viability.Tonight, we'll bring you a dispatch from the frontlines of the fight for abortion rights here in Arizona and talk to socialist organizers about how they're trying to change the dynamic so reproductive rights can no longer be tossed around like a football during election years. For more info on Arizona abortion ballot measure visit: https://www.arizonaforabortionaccess.org/

Students here in New York and across the country are staging protests and encampments on university campuses in solidarity with Palestinians under siege in Gaza for over 200 days. The student movements are united by a common call for their institutions to divest and boycott the state of Israel, companies, and institutions complicit in Israel's occupation and ongoing genocide in Gaza. In response to this vast mobilization of students, the university administrations at Columbia, NYU, CUNY and elsewhere have handed out mass suspensions & even threats of expulsion to students involved in the encampments, in addition to unleashing NYPD to arrest students protesting peacefully on their campuses. Tonight, we will hear from the students themselves. We will hear from Britt, a student organizer at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at CUNY City College, about the ‘Five Demands' of the students to the CUNY administration. We will also be joined in-studio by Erin, a student at NYU and a member of the National Coordinating Committee of YDSA, to hear the latest from the NYU encampment and what YDSA is doing to meet the national moment.  *This episode was recorded at 7pm Tuesday night before the NYPD sweep and mass arrests of students at Columbia and CUNY. Go out and provide jail support for the arrested students & comrades opposing genocide at One Police Plaza   Link to CUNY Gaza Solidarity Statement: https://twitter.com/cunygse/status/1785677626431934751/photo/1

In this episode we meet Jonathan Soto, the DSA endorsed candidate running for New York State Assembly in the North East Bronx. Jonathan is a public school parent, an inter-faith organizer and a democratic socialist, campaigning to unseat longtime incumbent Michael Benedetto in Assembly District 82. 

If you're interested in democratizing the economy then you're going to need to build a social base capable of such a dramatic transformation of our way of life. The only way to shift the balance of power toward the working class is to build the labor movement. Organized labor remains weak in the United States with about 10 percent of all workers organized into unions. This number has dropped nearly 25 percent since the peak of the AFL-CIO during the 1950s following the incredible surge in organization in the mass production industries during the New Deal and World War II. What is to be done to demonstrate our strength in organized numbers? Today we continue our series with labor organizers here in New York City fighting to build unions in the service sector. We've already spoken with workers at Starbucks, Trader Joes, Barboncino's, and Nitehawk. Now we're joined by organizers from Partners Coffee Union who are attempting to form a collective organization that can improve their material interests.

Tonight, we continue our series of interviews with NYC- DSA's 2024 slate of endorsed candidates and will be talking with Eon Tyrell Huntley, a retail worker, father and tenant running for Assembly District 56 in Bed Stuy and Crown Heights. We'll talk to Eon about the beauty of Bed Stuy, fighting for affordable rent, standing in solidarity with Palestine despite facing AIPAC money and so much more.To learn more about Eon: www.eonforassembly.com 

Today in Albany, New York tenants numbering in the thousands descended onto our State's Capitol Building in a Day of Mobilization, urging the New York Legislature to pass key legislation, such as Good Cause protections for tenants and greater rent support for low-income families facing eviction. Amidst the calls made by tenants and housing justice organizers for greater protections against the worst injustices of the current housing system, there also exists a new transformative vision of what housing could look like in our state. A new bill co-written by DSA-endorsed State Assembly member Emilly Gallagher representing North Brooklyn, would establish the New York Social Housing Development Authority and empower the state to build & maintain substantial new housing developments across the State that will be publicly funded, environmentally sustainable, permanently affordable by law, and democratically-controlled by tenants. If passed, the social housing authority would work to shift the balance of power over our whole housing system towards tenants and the state government and away from wealthy private developers that have no interest in building affordable housing, and the landlords that get rich from its scarcity. Tonight, we will hear from Renette, a DSA member and tenant organizer with HOPE Tenant Union, and Genevieve, a housing justice organizer with Ithaca DSA, on the importance of this new bill and the campaign to build beautiful, abundant, & affordable social housing for the whole working class of New York. 

Today is day 158 of Israel's genocidal assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza and also primary day for voters in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington.  Over the last several weeks, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have voted "uncommitted" in the presidential primaries, to send a message to President Biden calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.  Tonight we're joined by Ali and Tzara to talk about DSA's role in the Vote Uncommitted campaign and what comes next to achieve a lasting ceasefire and the liberation of Palestine.  To become a member of the Democratic Socialist America: https://www.dsausa.org/joinTo follow Ali & Detroit DSA: @alihallalmi and @detroitdsa

In the early twentieth century the vast majority of mass production industries were unorganized in the United States. Efforts to replicate the success of the United Mine Workers, brewery workers, and the garment trades were largely unsuccessful until the 1930s when the Congress of Industrial Organizations changed everything. Fragile Juggernaut tells this story with a narrative that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the 1950s. Andrew Elrod joins us to discuss why this history is important and what organizers can learn from it today.

Tonight, we're talking to Claire Valdez, a NYC-DSA endorsed candidate for Assembly District 37 in Queens about what being endorsed by NYC-DSA and UAW Region 9A means to her, how she plans to bring her union organizing experience of becoming ‘more powerful than the boss' to the halls of power in Albany and much more. There are currently 8 socialists endorsed by NYC-DSA serving in Albany in the Senate and Assembly. If electoral organizers get their way- that number could be 11 next year - the largest socialist block ever elected in New York.NYC-DSA has voted to endorse three new-insurgent candidates this year- Claire in Queens, Eon Huntley in Brooklyn and Jonathan Soto in the Bronx. As we do every year, we will talk to all of the new-dsa endorsed candidates here on Revolutions Per Minute and tonight is the first in that series of interviews with the NYC-DSA's 2024 slate. So stick around to hear from Claire, a union organizer running for Assembly District 37 in Queens - stretching from Long Island City, Sunnyside and Maspeth to Ridgewood. To learn more visit  https://claireforqueens.com/ and to sign up for a canvassing shift https://claireforqueens.com/events/

The unionization rate in the United States remains at around 10% after decades of deindustrialization in the Northeast and Midwest as well as anti-worker policies from corporations and the state, but labor organizers are fighting back. Across the country the UAW is attempting to organize non-union auto plants while here in New York service workers are building collective power. Last year we spoke with organizers from Barboncino's who successfully organized a union at the pizza restaurant where they work. Today we're joined by members of Nitehawk Workers Union Organizing Committee as they prepare for an National Labor Relations Board Election.

This past weekend, DSA held their inaugural kickoff for their new nationwide campaign for Trans Rights & Bodily Autonomy. Spearheaded by the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission, DSA will mobilize the organization's tens of thousands of members across 150+ chapters across the country, not only to combat the advances of the far-right and their systematic attempt at every level of government to remove trans people from public life & restrict access to abortion, but also to advance a positive vision of queer liberation that protects queer spaces, our rights as workers, students & educators, and as human beings. Tonight, we will hear from Genevieve, joining us from Ithaca, NY and one of the leaders of this organization-wide project, to break down all the pieces of this ambitious campaign, how DSA will rise to fight the far-right, and why the struggle for trans rights & bodily autonomy is a struggle for the whole working class.  Join DSA's Trans Rights & Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission: https://airtable.com/appxkhakxWCUXVVqO/pag9jCfy3jpsn74do/form Support Tech Guild Workers organizing for trans rights at The New York Times:https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/nyt-respect-trans-workers

This episode of Revolutions Per Minute explores the life and legacy of Pablo Yoruba Guzman, who co-founded the New York chapter of the Young Lords, and later became a prominent television reporter on local news channels in the city. We are joined by Mickey Melendez, a fellow Young Lord, to discuss the group's occupations of the First People's Church in Harlem and Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. We will also hear from New York City Council Member Charles Baron, the organizer Denise Oliver-Velez and CUNY scholar Johanna Fernandez on the legacy of the group. 

With the battle over abortion rights raging in the United States at local, state, and national levels, we here in New York state cannot become complacent that access to abortion will always be guaranteed here. Economic, social, and logistical barriers prevent many people from accessing the care they need, and without decisive action to change that, working-class New York residents as well as people living in the surrounding area will continue to be at risk. Tonight we're joined live by Chelsea Williams-Diggs of New York Abortion Access Fund and Allie Bohm of New York Civil Liberties Union to discuss the state of abortion access in New York state and their advocacy for the statewide Reproductive Freedom and Equity Fund. Tell your legislators that you support increasing access to abortion in New York state: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/protect-abortion-access-new-york Follow and support the New York Abortion Access Fund at nyaaf.org.

2023 was the hottest year on record and for many people across the country being able to afford  their utility bills to cool or heat their homes during the more extreme temperatures caused by climate change is becoming a possibly deadly challenge. Last year, Maine DSA was part of a statewide coalition called Pine Tree Power that attempted to take over the two largest corporate utilities in the state through a ballot measure in November. They didn't win. But here on Revolutions Per Minute we are just as interested in talking about losses as we are victories. Tonight, we'll go to Maine and talk with Aarron and Dwight about the struggles of organizing in a rural state and the lessons they learned from their Public Power campaign. We'll also check in with Chen from the New York City EcoSocialist Working Group for an update on the state of renewable energy development in New York (spoiler alert: the private market is in shambles) and what comes next for implementing the Build Public Renewables Act. Follow Maine DSA and our guests at @DSA_Maine, @bioleera, and @dwobbsy.Follow New York City EcoSocialist Working Group at @NYCDSA_Ecosoc

The holiday season is in full swing, and as some people head toward time off and relaxation, workers in many industries are facing their busiest time of year. We are joined live by Connor Spence, a worker-organizer at Amazon's first union distribution facility, JFK8 on Staten Island. Connor discusses his work as a co-founder of both the Amazon Labor Union and the ALU Democratic Reform Caucus, and how Amazon workers organized and won new leadership elections in their union.  Now they'll be upping the pressure on this mega corporation to bargain a first contract with workers at JFK8. We also talk about Amazon Labor Union's recent organizing around Palestine solidarity and the movement to stop the US-Israeli war machine from the bottom up. Connor was recently illegally terminated by Amazon for his organizing activity. Read more and donate to the solidarity fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/connor-spenceillegally-fired-alucaucus-organizer Learn more about Amazon Labor Union: https://sol.alu.network/ Follow the ALU Democratic Reform Caucus at @ReformALU. 

On the 1st of December, the United Auto Workers International Executive Board, alongside other labor unions & allies, announced the UAW's support for a permanent ceasefire in Israel & Palestine. The announcement also called for the formation of a Divestment and Just Transition Working Group to study the UAW's ties to the ongoing violence & terror of the Israeli occupation, and to explore future scenarios for a Just Transition of US workers from the war economy. The endorsement represents an important step forward for international solidarity between US labor unions and Palestine, and is the product of a long, often neglected, history of Palestinian solidarity by rank & file workers organizing within the UAW to pressure its leaders into action and divest its ties to the Israeli state. Tonight, we hear from Mary, a labor historian, filmmaker, and a graduate worker in UAW Local 2865, on the history of Palestinian solidarity by UAW rank & file workers, and how those lessons from our collective past can inspire working people today. We will also hear from Gordon, a labor organizer in UAW Local 7902, on organizing for Palestine in his local and at New York University, and the struggle that lies ahead for the UAW in the new year. 

2023 has been a major year for workers so far, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down as we head into 2024. While major strikes by UAW at the Big Three in the auto industry and by WGA and SAG-AFTRA in the entertainment world are making headlines, thousands of workers across the country are taking action in ways big and small that you may not always hear about. On this show, we're joined live by Jenny Brown, assistant editor at Labor Notes and author of Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women's Work, to discuss the labor year so far and what organizers can learn going into 2024. We also hear from Evan, vice chair of the Graduate Center Chapter of the Professional Staff Congress at CUNY,  on how union organizers are protecting the free speech of Palestinian solidarity activists on campus.

Earlier this month, voters nationwide went to the polls. In Ohio, The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety, listed on the ballot as Issue 1, passed with 57% of Ohioians voting to codify a right to an abortion, contraception, and other reproductive rights into the state Constitution, in a clear rebuke to the near total-ban on abortion pushed through by the far-right Republican Ohio Legislature in the wake of the Supreme Court Dobbs Decision. While here in New York, voters elected their City Council members, and DSA-endorsed incumbents, Tiffany Caban of District 22 in Queens and Alexa Aviles of District 38 in Sunset Park, won resounding bids for reelection in their districts. Tonight, we will hear from Julie from Cleveland DSA, about the statewide effort across several Ohio DSA chapters to mobilize voters to the polls in support of reproductive rights. We will also be joined in-studio with Stef from NYC-DSA Electoral Working Group and Anna from the Aviles campaign to discuss the City Council races and what's in store for DSA electoral politics in 2024. You can become a DSA member at https://act.dsausa.org/donate/membership/ To get more involved in the NYC DSA Electoral Working Group go to https://socialists.nyc/ or email at electoral@socialists.nycTo join a phonebank to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, visit https://www.dsausa.org/no-money-for-massacres-phonebanks/

Regular listeners of Revolutions per Minute will be familiar with our coverage of Palestine solidarity work within the Democratic Socialists of America. We recognize that the struggle for Palestinian liberation and the violence of settler colonial displacement are both ongoing. Tonight, our coverage continues with a live conversation with Sumaya and Daphna, two NYC-DSA members and organizers with deep experience in Palestine solidarity work. We discuss this month's outbreak of violence in Palestine and Israel, which has led to the genocidal and illegal bombardment of Gaza happening as we speak. Socialists in New York and across the country have joined forces with the multi-cultural, international movement for Palestine solidarity, with hundreds of thousands flooding the streets of major cities, conducting civil disobedience, and calling on the country's leadership to end United States support for Israel and a ceasefire now. Join us to learn more about why Palestine liberation is a priority for socialists.  Visit https://socialists.nyc/no-money-for-massacres/ to find an upcoming NYC-DSA-endorsed solidarity phone bank or action. Visit gazaispalestine.com to find or post an upcoming protest in your city anywhere in the United States.

Tonight, we're traveling to Arizona to learn from socialist organizers who are fighting on their home turf to make forming and maintaining strong unions easier for workers. We're joined live by Bobby and Kaland of Arizona Works Together and Phoenix DSA to hear about their campaign to repeal so-called “Right to Work” laws in their state and what it means for union organizers in Arizona and nationwide. Plus, it's ladies' night once again here on RPM with Amy and Lee as hosts, so we'll spend some time discussing why unions are great for women and feminists. More info at: https://www.azworkstogether.com/and in Spanish at https://aztrabajajuntos.com/

Revolutions Per Minute explores migrant solidarity efforts in Brooklyn, exploring the broader context of the global migration crisis as Israel continues its military offensive against Gaza. RPM interviews people who have recently arrived in New York from Mauritania, and we meet Jaz Walker from Assemblymember Emily Gallagher's office. 

The City University of New York improves the lives of millions. Founded in 1847 with the purpose of providing higher education to working class New Yorkers, CUNY today has 25 colleges spread across New York City's five boroughs, serving 243,000 degree-seeking students of all ages and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. Like many other institutions built to serve the public good, CUNY faces multiple intersecting crises. The university system could not function without its 30,000 strong unionized labor force. Many professors, graduate student workers, and staffers are underpaid and overworked. The Professional Staff Congress, of which I am a member, is currently in negotiations to improve the material conditions of workers across the board. CUNY has also suffered from decades of underfunding by New York state and city elected officials. This has not only forced thousands of educators into precarious employment, but led to decaying infrastructure. As funding has gone down, tuition has been increased at the once free public university system. We'll discuss how PSC union organizers and their allies are fighting back to build the People's University that this city deserves. Later in the show we'll hear from Amy Wilson and her interview with Wren, a healthcare worker struggling to materialize reproductive rights in a capitalist society.

After Friday's midnight deadline, the United Auto Workers went on strike against the Big 3 automakers of Ford, GM, and Stellantis, marking the first time in history the UAW has gone on strike against all three auto companies. As of this recording, 12,700 auto workers have walked off the job at three plants: a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio, and there are potentially many more plants to follow. While here in New York City, postdoctoral workers with the UAW at Columbia University and Mt. Sinai Hospital are fighting to transform the working conditions for postdocs in Higher Ed. Tonight, we are joined in-studio with Brandon Mancilla, Director of UAW Region 9A, and Chris Voila, an auto worker and UAW member, to hear the latest about this historic auto strike. We will also hear from PJ and Andrea, postdocs with the Columbia Postdoctoral Workers Union and Sinai Postdoctoral Organizing Committee, on their respective contract fights and how postdoc workers are ready, if necessary, to strike.  Follow SPOC-UAW at @spocuaw (Twitter) and https://sinaipostdocunion.org/And CPW-UAW at @CPWUAW (Twitter), cpw_uaw (IG), and https://columbiapostdocunion.org/

Join us as we celebrate our 200th episode! We've been broadcasting on WBAI and online for almost five years and in that time, have featured the stories of hundreds of workers, tenants, and organizers fighting for socialism in New York City, in the United States, and around the globe. It's a true honor and privilege to bring these stories to you, and we're looking forward to what the future has in store! For this week's show, we're joined live by Honda Wang of DSA Labor. As a New York City delegate to the recent national DSA convention in Chicago, Honda will be sharing his analysis of the present and future of DSA and what's next in the struggle for socialism. We also hear from Mac, Smitha, and Adam, three  NYC-DSA members who were inspired by their work in DSA to start organizing for tenants' rights in their own buildings and neighborhoods. Take the DSA Labor Strike Ready pledge to support workers at the UAW Big 3: dsausa.us/UAWPledge Donate to the DSA Labor Solidarity Fund: donate.laborsolidarity.com.

Earlier this month the national Democratic Socialist of America joined the Atlanta chapter of DSA in publicly endorsing a campaign to put a referendum on the November ballot that would stop “Cop City”, a massive police training facility that has been proposed to be built in the Weelaunee Forest - public forest land and one the largest remaining green spaces in Atlanta - surrounded by predominantly Black working class neighborhoods.Tonight we'll hear from Atlanta DSA member Gabriel Sanchez about the chapter's effort to stop Cop City through a ballot referendum, the terrifying tactics police, the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia have used to in order to crush opposition and what motivates them to keep fighting despite few clear victories for the Defund the Police and abolition movements in recent years.  To learn more and to get involved you can visit copcityvote.com and atldsa.org/stopcopcity

The workers of Barboncino Pizza in Crown Heights, Brooklyn made New York history on July 26th, as they voted unanimously to form a union with Workers United. Barboncino Workers United became New York's first unionized pizzeria, an incredible show of strength for the cause of Labor in the deeply unorganized food service industry. Tonight, we hear from Alex and Mike, two workers involved in the organizing effort, about their successful campaign at Barboncino, and the fight that's yet to come not only in their own workplace but across the restaurant industry.

Our focus this week is on Cuba, where a 62 year blockade is being continued by President Biden. We'll be hearing from the DSA. International Committee activists campaigning to end the blockade on a recent political win, and a from Desirée Michelle Molina, a recent Columbia University graduate who has just spent four months living in the country.  Our episode starts with an update from Jeremy Cohan, co-chair of New York City DSA, about what to expect from the DSA's National Convention in Chicago this weekend.

When workers at the JFK8 facility in Staten Island won the first union at an Amazon distribution facility on April 1, 2022, by voting to form the independent Amazon Labor Union, their stunning victory was a surprise and an inspiration. Now, a little over a year later, workers at that same facility are organizing for reform to the Amazon Labor Union, which they say has adopted a top-down structure that stifles shop floor democracy. Regular listeners of Revolutions per Minute will certainly be familiar with union reform efforts in more established unions like UAW, the Teamsters, and UFCW, but the Reform ALU movement brings a new twist to this common story by organizing within an independent union that has yet to reach a first contract for its workers. To understand this moment and what led up to it, we speak live with David-Desyrée, a worker-organizer at the JFK8 facility and a member of the Amazon Labor Union Democratic Reform Caucus. Follow the reform efforts inside Amazon Labor Union on Twitter @ReformALU or Instagram @reform_alu.    

Representing around 1.1 million workers in the US and Canada in the fields of retail, grocery, healthcare, cannabis, and more, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)  is a major union with the potential to win big gains for workers. But some of its own members say the union is too top-down, lacks worker engagement and democracy, and isn't investing enough in organizing new workers in a time of increasing economic inequality and pressure on the working class. Tonight we're joined live by Enrique and Iris, two grocery worker-organizers and members of Essential Workers for Democracy, to discuss their efforts to reform their international union and "raise the floor" for workers everywhere. Learn more about EW4D and get involved here: https://ew4d.org/

At 12:01am May 2nd, the Writers' Guild of America launched their first nationwide strike since 2007, grinding production to a halt across the entertainment industry. The WGA represents over 11,500 writers in TV, film, radio, and online media production, and for 56 days and counting, its members have held the picket line from coast to coast, demanding fair compensation for their time and labor, greater job security, as well as firm protections against studio efforts to replace their profession with artificial intelligence. Tonight, we hear from Jono Matt, a screenwriter based in Los Angeles and a strike captain for the WGA, on their fight for a fair contract and why this public display of labor power by the writers is so critical in this incendiary moment for the working class of this country.

Although New York just became the 13th state to pass a bill designating this a sanctuary state for trans and nonbinary people and protecting gender-affirming care patients and providers, the attacks on trans youth and adults are only escalating nationwide. Media establishments like the New York Times are covering "debates" around access to gender-affirming care using bad science and faulty logic and without respecting the direct experience and analysis of trans people themselves. What are the social and political forces that are seeking to legitimize transphobia in the public sphere and restrict access to healthcare for gender non-conforming people? Join us for a panel discussion with Alex, a researcher and journalist, Quinnehtukqut, a social psychologist, and Jess, a therapist, on gender-affirming care and how Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs) have partnered with the far-right to advance bigotry and restrict trans people's human rights. 

In our latest episode, we are talking about what we can do to stand up against apartheid in Palestine. A new bill sponsored by New York State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani aims to stop nonprofits funding illegal settlements benefiting from charitable status. Zohran joins the show, along with the Adalah Justice Project's Sumaya Awad.You can find more information about the The Not on Our Dime bill here.You can also read the legislation here. 

Tonight we are going to talk about winning. Earlier this month the Build Public Renewables Act passed through the New York State budget - a monumental victory for the Public Power NY Coalition that has been organizing for four years to pass the bill.No outlet has covered the fight for Public Power in New York more than Revolutions Per Minute. Since day one in 2019, we've had lead organizers of the campaign on the show to speak about why we need Public Power and how we were going to win it.Tonight on this special Best of BAI fund drive show - we'll revisit some of those interviews and hear from the organizers who won socialist climate legislation here in New York. We'll also hear past interviews with Assemblymembers Zohran Mamdani and Sarahana Shrestha If you've been listening along with us since day one, go to WBAI.org right now and make a donation to keep us on the air. You can follow the Public Power NY Coalition on twitter @PublicPowerNYTo learn more about how the Public Power NY Coalition won the Build Public Renewables Act watch BPRA: A Win in the Fight for a Green New Deal 

Two weeks ago, millions of New Yorkers were devastated and horrified to learn of the murder of Jordan Neely on the New York City subway. Neely, a young Black person and street artist experiencing homelessness, was held in a chokehold on the F train by a white man who remained unidentified for several days after the incident. In the weeks since Neely's killing by the man identified as Long Island native Daniel Penny, the impact of this story has continued to unfold with reactions pouring in from across the city and country. While NYPD brutalized protestors and press at vigils and actions demanding justice for Jordan, Daniel Penny was allowed to turn himself in on a charge of second-degree manslaughter. On tonight's show we're live with Andrew, an organizer with NYC-DSA's Racial Justice Working Group,  on how they have reacted to Jordan Neely's murder and the socialist demands that we believe will make New York a truly safer place. We also hear from the WBAI listening audience with perspectives from the public on this story. RSVP for NYC-DSA's Socialist Approach to Mental Health and Public Safety town hall event TONIGHT, 5/17, at bit.ly/nycdsa-townhall. RSVP for NYC-DSA's Racial Justice Working Group Vigil and Teach-in for Jordan Neely on Saturday, May 27: https://actionnetwork.org/events/jordan-neely-deserved-better-a-vigil-teach-in Follow the Racial Justice Working Group on Instagram or Twitter @nycdsarjwg. 

The United Auto Workers emerged as a powerful force during the 1930s. Sit-down strikers challenged the capitalists of the Big Three car companies. Their willingness to take militant action unleashed a wave of unionization in the industry that could not be contained and spread to other sections of the working class. The UAW formed the bedrock of the Congress of Industrial Organizations which shifted the balance of power between capital and labor. A decade later leadership negotiated the Treaty of Detroit. An agreement that established wage increases, pensions, and health insurance. It became the foundation of labor relations in the United States. The union fought for more than bread and butter as it developed into a key backer of the civil rights movement. Various factors began to undermine the power of the UAW. Many of its most effective organizers were purged amidst the Red Scare. The Midwest experienced deindustrialization as factories were moved down South or out of the country. The Administrative Caucus led throughout this process and became increasingly corrupt. A movement for workers' democracy in the union sprouted forth and demanded competitive elections. After securing One Member, One Vote in a referendum, ​​Unite All Workers for Democracy successfully elected new leadership. What does this mean for the UAW and the broader movement for working class empowerment? UAW member Chris joins us to discuss this and much more.

We're crossing the Hudson River once again to speak to our socialist comrades fighting for workers' and tenants' rights  in New Jersey. We'll hear live from Isaac and Julia of the Right to Counsel campaign in Jersey City, now the priciest city in the nation, on their organizing to guarantee representation from an attorney for all tenants facing evictions and other housing issues. We also speak to Deepti, an undergraduate student at Rutgers University, and Sarah, a member of the grad union's bargaining committee, on their recent and historic strike and what's next for workers at the largest university in New Jersey. To learn more and get involved with the Right to Counsel campaign in Jersey City, visit righttocounseljc.org. Follow Rutgers AAUP-AFT at @ruaaup and Rutgers One Coalition at @r1coalition. 

The New York State budget is now 18 days late and while the media focuses on the horse trading going on between Governor Hochul and Senate and Assembly leadership behind closed doors in Albany, there are of course, as there always are, workers keeping everything running behind the scenes. Tonight we're joined live by two of those legislative staffers, Astrid and John. We'll talk to them about New York State Legislative Workers United - an effort to unionize and improve working conditions for legislative staffers across the state. You can follow New York State Legislative Workers United on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NYSLWU

Tonight, RPM goes global. Strikes and protests have rocked the country of France in response to President Macron's reform of the social pension system, lifting the country's retirement age and robbing millions of their retirement. We will hear from Emre, an activist based in Paris with La France Insoumise, about these strikes & protests, and what the Left can do to fight Macron and the far-Right. Plus, we speak to Maia and Erl from NYC-DSA's Healthcare Working Group on the ongoing organizing to bring universal healthcare to the United States - starting right here in New York. Learn more and RSVP for the April 15 bike ride and rally for the New York Health Act: https://www.mobilize.us/ourrevolution/event/552943/. 

Last Wednesday, March 22, workers at two Trader Joe's locations announced they have filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board to join the independent union Trader Joe's United. One, the College Avenue store in Oakland, California, would be the first unionized Trader Joe's in the company's home state. The other is located in our own backyard in the historic labor hotspot of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. We are tremendously excited for the over 300 workers who are facing this important step in their organizing and are sending all of our support and solidarity to Trader Joe's workers in Oakland and at the Essex St store. While Trader Joe's is beloved by many shoppers across the country for its colorful atmosphere, wide array of special snacks, and of course its famously low prices, workers at the national retail chain know very well the difficulties that lie behind Trader Joe's hibiscus curtain. Tonight on Revolutions per Minute we're live with Kelly and Chris, who have each worked and organized at a Trader Joe's location in New York City. We'll talk about the realities of life at TJ's and why it's critical to support retail, grocery, and service industry workers in the ongoing struggle for fair conditions, living wages, and dignity at work. We also hear an update from Lee Ziesche on the likely passage of the Build Public Renewables Act. *Please note that while we are in solidarity with Trader Joe's United, we are not members or representatives of the union.*

A toxic train derailment turned the focus of the world to the tiny town of East Palestine, Ohio. Tonight we'll talk to Timothea Deeter, an East Palestine resident and Mahoning Valley DSA member about how mutual aid can transcend political boundaries and what her community needs moving forward. We'll also zoom out and look at the larger environmental degradation of Ohio and neighboring states. We're joined live tonight by Andrew Woomer, the advocacy Coordinator for the Southwestern Pennsylvania office of the Clean Air Council. Andrew is from Pittsburgh and was in East Palestine earlier today dropping off air purifiers. We'll talk to him about that and his work to monitor and organize around petrochemical and oil and gas issues across Pennsylvania. We'll also hear from documentary filmmaker David Ruck about his film The Erie Situation on toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie. Follow Mahoning Valley DSA on Twitter and Facebook Watch the trailer for "The Erie Situation" and follow filmmaker David Ruck on TwitterFollow Clean Air Council on Twitter and you can donate to their mutual aid efforts in East Palestine here   

 The contract covering over 30,000 workers through the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY expired late last month, and members of the union are joining with CUNY students, alumni, and the NYC community to fight for a new contract that will not only improve working conditions for CUNY's faculty and staff but also move toward a more equitable, just, and vibrant public university system in the largest city in the country. On tonight's show, we speak with rank and file organizers Zoe and Evan on how PSC members are organizing for raises, justice, and community in a contract that reflects The People's CUNY. View upcoming actions and ways to support PSC-CUNY in their contract struggle at https://linktr.ee/psc.cuny.

Abortion providers across the country are bracing this week for a decision expected soon out of a Texas federal court which will immediately block access nationwide to one of the two medications commonly used for medication abortions. As the anti-abortion lobby and their allies in the United States government attempt to deal yet another blow to this fundamental human right, organizers here in New York state are continuing the struggle to ensure abortions remain safe and accessible for all. On tonight's show, we are live with Nix from Reproductive Justice Collective and Marian from NYC-DSA's Socialist Feminist working group to discuss the upcoming decision and what it means for abortion providers and patients. We'll also hear about their efforts to ensure abortion access in NY state and how you can get involved with this crucial struggle. Visit https://reprojusticecolumbia.org/abortion-pills to learn more about the campaign to ensure access to abortion on college campuses, then text NYCREPRO to 50409 to ask your elected officials to sign on the New York state legislation. Follow @NYCSocFem on Twitter for updates on NYC-DSA's Socialist Feminist Working Group. 

It's budget season again here in New York! We caught up with freshman Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha to talk about a major development in the fight for Public Power here in New York State and what her budget priorities are in her first year in office.  And in City budget news, Eric Adams is using the influx of migrants to justify an austerity budget this year. His preliminary budget proposes deep cuts to public education, libraries and other essential social services- while it appears he is leaving the New York Police Department budget untouched. Desiree and Caitlin have been doing mutual aid work with migrants and are joining us live tonight to give us an update on what happened to the migrants who camped outside the Watson Hotel and to comment on the Mayor's austerity budget.  To call your rep and urge them to Tax the Rich and include Build Public Renewables in the budget, visit https://taxtherichny.com/contact-your-reps/To connect with Desiree and Caitlin you can show up to the Red Hook Mutual Aid Store at 147 Pioneer Street in Brooklyn and follow South Bronx Mutual Aid on twitter @SBXMutualAid and on Instagram @southbronxmutualaid

Revolutions Per Minute spans the Atlantic Ocean this week, exploring the parallels between Labor movements in the UK and the US, with special guest Jordan Flowers, a co-founder of the Amazon Labor Union. We speak to Stuart Richards, a senior organizer with the GMB in the UK's West Midlands focused on Amazon workers, and James Meadway, a Council Member at the Progressive Economy Forum and a former advisor to the shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP. 

Drag is an art with deep roots in New York City's queer communities of color that has much to offer to all people who are interested in liberating themselves from traditional and patriarchal ideas of gender. That's part of why it's become a target of the organized far-right both here in NYC and nationally, with public libraries and other community venues facing protests over their regularly offered drag performances and story hours. Local politicians have also experienced far-right threats for merely expressing support for drag. On tonight's edition of Revolutions per Minute, we're live with Drag Story Hour NYC storyteller Oliver and  organizer and parent Desiree to discuss the many aspects of drag, and how New Yorkers have come together to reject the far-right threat and show the beauty and power of queer community.  To learn more about Drag Story Hour NYC, visit dshnyc.org. 

Workers at America's only major unionized publishing house, HarperCollins, went on strike in early November of last year after their contract expired in April. As their strike approaches day 50 with little response from management, workers are standing strong on the picket line and fighting for higher wages, real racial equity on the job, and a union security agreement or “agency shop”. Tonight, we hear from bargaining committee member Carly Katz on how workers are standing up to a company owned by right-wing media conglomerate NewsCorp and how their union is sustaining the longest strike in their shop's history. In other New York labor news, Senate Judiciary Committee hearings started Wednesday January 18 for Governor Hochul's nominee for the next chief judge of the state's top court. In the weeks since Hochul announced her nomination of Hector LaSalle to the Court of Appeals, labor unions have joined with the abortion rights movement, socialists in office, and Senate progressives to oppose a judge with an alarming record on labor and abortion rights. Last week, TWU International president John Samuelsen broke with NY Labor and refused to denounce LaSalle. We'll hear from transit worker John Ferretti on why he won't be following his union leadership and what the LaSalle story can tell us about the power of organized labor in our city. Find ways to support and follow HarperCollins Union here: https://linktr.ee/hcpunion

New York State Assembly Members and Senators headed back to Albany last week for the start of the 2023 legislative session. We caught up with Queens Assembly Member and socialist Zohran Mamdani the night before the session began to learn how he's feeling about this year's prospects to pass legislation that will help the working class and the addition of two new socialist legislators. We also talked to him about why his office joined as an intervening party to stop Con Edison from raising gas and electric bills and his platform of legislation to fix the MTA. We're also joined live tonight by Lizzy Oh and Brandon West to talk about one of New York City DSA's priority campaigns this year - taxing the rich.   To submit a public comment against ConEd's proposed rate hike visit: bit.ly/NoConEdRateHikeFor more information on the Fix the MTA platform, visit: www.fixthemta.orgFor more information on the Tax the Rich campaign, visit: www.taxtherichny.com