Podcasts about communications workers

LIUNA Minnesota and North Dakota's Kevin Pranis, Marketing Manager, and Steve Cortina, Organizer in North Dakota, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the challenges facing local workers in the wind energy sector. They talked about the influx of out-of-state workers, their impact on local communities and strategies to combat these issues. Debbie Goldman, retired Communications Workers of America (CWA) labor researcher and author of "Disconnected: Call Center Workers Fight for Good Jobs in the Digital Age," joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast. She discussed the transformation of call center work, the impact of technology on workers and the ongoing fight for fair labor practices in the digital era.

Debbie J. Goldman, former research director and telecommunications policy director with the Communications Workers of America, talks about her new book "Disconnected: Call Center Workers Fight For Good Jobs In The Digital Age" and why we can't overlook the struggle of service workers in this critical time of change.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

On May 7, 2025, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit challenging Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard, affirming the lower judge's order finding that the FTC was not entitled to a preliminary injunction blocking the deal, which closed in 2023. Hear from former agency officials and amici filers for the Business Roundtable, Communications Workers of America, and TechFreedom as they discuss the various views presented in the briefing and the ramifications of this decision on future merger enforcement at the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.Featuring:Allen P. Grunes, Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber SchreckHon. Maureen Ohlhausen, Partner, Antitrust and Competition, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & RosatiRahul Rao, Antitrust Partner, White & CaseBilal Sayyed, Senior Competition Counsel, TechFreedom Moderator: Lawrence J. Spiwak, President, Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy Studies--To register, click the link above.

Frank Mathews, District 4 Administrative Director for the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss threats to broadband equity, the push for fiber over satellite internet and proposed Medicaid cuts. David Spero, President of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss recent system failures at Newark Liberty International Airport, the need for updated infrastructure and the challenges caused by insufficient funding.

On Tuesday, April 8, unions, unionized federal workers, and their supporters around the country mobilized for a national “Kill the Cuts” day of action to protest the Trump administration's cuts to life-saving research, healthcare, and education programs. As organizers stated on the Kill The Cuts website,  "By cutting funds to lifesaving research and medical care, the Trump administration is abandoning families who are suffering and costing taxpayers billions of dollars. These cuts are dangerous to our health, and dangerous to our economy. On Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 workers across the country are standing up and demanding NO cuts to education and life-saving research." In this on-the-ground edition of Working People, we take you to the front lines of the Kill the Cuts rally that took place in Washington DC, and we speak with workers and union representatives whose lives and work have already been affected by these cuts.Speakers include: Margaret Cook, Vice President of the Public, Healthcare, and Education Workers sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA); Matt Brown, Recording Secretary of NIH Fellows United (United Auto Workers Local 2750); Rakshita Balaji, a post-baccalaureate researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Amanda Dykema, shop steward for American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1072 at the University of Maryland, College Park.Additional links/info: Kill the Cuts website NIH Fellows United website Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “What's really behind Trump's war on federal unions?” Jocelyn Kaiser, Science, “NIH under orders to cancel $2.6 billion in contracts” Permanent links below… Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music… Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez Post-Production: Jules Taylor

On Tuesday, April 8, unions, unionized federal workers, and their supporters around the country mobilized for a national “Kill the Cuts” day of action to protest the Trump administration's cuts to life-saving research, healthcare, and education programs. As organizers stated on the Kill The Cuts website,  "By cutting funds to lifesaving research and medical care, the Trump administration is abandoning families who are suffering and costing taxpayers billions of dollars. These cuts are dangerous to our health, and dangerous to our economy. On Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 workers across the country are standing up and demanding NO cuts to education and life-saving research." In this on-the-ground edition of Working People, we take you to the front lines of the Kill the Cuts rally that took place in Washington DC, and we speak with workers and union representatives whose lives and work have already been affected by these cuts.Speakers include: Margaret Cook, Vice President of the Public, Healthcare, and Education Workers sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA); Matt Brown, Recording Secretary of NIH Fellows United (United Auto Workers Local 2750); Rakshita Balaji, a post-baccalaureate researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Amanda Dykema, shop steward for American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1072 at the University of Maryland, College Park.Additional links/info:Kill the Cuts websiteNIH Fellows United websiteMaximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “What's really behind Trump's war on federal unions?”Jocelyn Kaiser, Science, “NIH under orders to cancel $2.6 billion in contracts”Permanent links below…Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageIn These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageThe Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter pageFeatured Music…Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongStudio Production: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Jules TaylorBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.

Frank Mathews, Administrative Director for District 4 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joined America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court election, nationwide Hands Off rallies and the importance of fiber optic broadband infrastructure funding. Sherry Linkon, affiliated faculty at the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University, joined America's Workforce Union Podcast to discuss the deindustrialization of Washington, D.C., the impact of federal job cuts and the ongoing attacks on higher education. 

Jimmy Williams Jr., General President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss President Trump's executive order targeting federal unions, the importance of organizing and the need for labor to stand up for free speech. Frank Mathews, Administrative Director for District 4 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the recent judicial victory in Wisconsin, the role of labor in political advocacy and the implications of tariffs on working families.

Download for Mobile | Podcast Preview | Full Timestamps Home Safety Helpline: Low Stakes SCP The Plight of the Early Adopter D&D Jimmy: Epilogue United Videogame Workers Union Announced For US & Canada Why Brightness Calibration Never Works Watch live: twitch.tv/castlesuperbeast Go to http://expressvpn.com/superbeast to get up to 4 extra months free. Go to http://factormeals.com/castle50off and use code castle50off to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Go to http://shopmando.com/ and use code BEAST to get $5 off your Starter Pack (that's over 40% off). Go to https://www.chubbiesshorts.com/superbeast to get 20% off your Chubbies order. New Evanescence song for DMC anime - Afterlife Venom | Announcement Trailer | Guilty Gear -Strive- At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025, the formation of a brand new, industry-wide union for video game workers has officially been revealed. As announced, the United Videogame Workers union has formed with the tenured Communications Workers of America (CWA), with a view to build community and protect the rights of game workers across the United States and Canada. Tekken 8 changes - escaping throws now hurts you YASUKE_A_Lost_Descendant Everything announced at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025

In Episode 542 of Spawn On Me, we're joined by Chris Hill from Cat City Games to talk about his hilarious and action-packed VR game Balls to The Wall. He shares what inspired the wild concept, how development is going, and why VR needs more games that don't take themselves too seriously.In our What's the 411 segment, we dive into two major stories shaking up the gaming world: the Communications Workers of America (CWA) is taking big steps to establish a gaming union—and we break down what that could mean for devs and the industry. Plus, Assassin's Creed: Shadows is already making waves, reaching over 2 million players. We talk about the hype, what this means for the franchise, and what players are saying.In What We've Been Playing, we go hands-on with a bunch of games we checked out during GDC this year. From indie gems to upcoming AAA titles, this segment is packed with impressions you don't want to miss.Tap in for laughs, deep insights, and all things dope in gaming. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit that bell so you never miss an episode!

Tim Burga, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss federal workforce challenges, legislative threats to collective bargaining rights in Ohio, and ongoing efforts to protect workers' rights. Jon Schleuss, President of The NewsGuild, Communications Workers of America (TNG-CWA) joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss efforts to restrict the press under the Trump administration, significant contract victories for media workers and organizing strategies within The NewsGuild.

Katie Arrington has been named the deputy chief information officer for cybersecurity and chief information security officer at the Department of Defense, a department spokesperson confirmed. She assumed the role effective Feb. 18. A familiar face, Arrington comes back to the Pentagon where she was the chief information security officer for the department's acquisition and sustainment organization during the first Trump administration. She was best known for starting the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program over six years ago, which aims to improve the cybersecurity posture of the defense industrial base and contractors by requiring minimum cyber standards to bid on contracts. As the Department of Government Efficiency sets its sights on accessing sensitive taxpayer data, a coalition of union groups and advocates is suing the federal government to block the Elon Musk associates from entering Internal Revenue Service systems. In a lawsuit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance, the National Federation of Federal Employees and the Communications Workers of America allege that DOGE's access to IRS systems has harmed their constituents' privacy interests and exposed their private information to heightened risks. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

To help us celebrate Presidents Day, Claude Cummings Jr., President of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joined America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his journey, the challenges of maintaining diversity initiatives and the critical role of unions in advocating for workers amid political and corporate pressures. Continuing our Presidents Day coverage, Sean O'Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, appeared on America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the union's strategic approaches to negotiations, the challenges posed by automation and the ongoing efforts to organize Amazon workers.

Meet Sarah Blessing from Harrison County Indiana. She ran in the last (2024) election cycle for Indiana House District 70. Here is a link to an article where she talks with The Corydon Democrat the article includes quotes from Sarah and her Republican opponent. She is also collaborating with some other cool people you want to get to know with Project Next.  You can find this helpful, it's the Lunch episode each Monday. find out about how it can help you. Subscribe to the channel, so you can stay informed.  Project Next needs you. Mark your calender to check in with the Tuesday January 28th LIVE show by Project Next from 5-10:00pm  We talk about Tim Peck find him at PeckforCongress Also you can check out Tim's LinkTree Link from the campaign here.  We talk about Corinne Straight -she is on YouTube & you can find her on all the social platforms under her name and on her website Bluesiers.com She is also on TikTok for awhile longer at CorinneStraight  We mention Scott Arron Rogers from the HoosLeft Podcast. Scott also has an awesome HoosLeft Substack that features a lot of posts, check it out at that link. Check out Scott's LinkTree Link for more. Special thanks to The CWA, The Communications Workers of America for their support. Are you thinking about Organizing a Union in your workplace? Contact the CWA's Organizing department to learn more about the easy steps you and your coworkers can take.  Special thanks to The MLPA Midwest Labor Press Association for their support of the work we do at My Labor Radio.  Special thanks to UAWLocal2209 for their support of My Labor Radio - follow the link here to learn more about the work they are doing in NE Indiana.  Thanks for listening. Find us on the socials by following this LinkTree Link.  

Meet Corinne Straight from northern Indiana. She has been an outspoken advocate for Democrats in Indiana and has paid a price for being outspoken. Her role in the 2024 election cycle was to draw in and communicate with like thinking Hoosiers and then popped the idea for a clothing and accessory line at BLUSIERS.com (pronounced Blue-Shers) We met in the summer of 2024 and a lot has changed for Corinne this year. We have a great converstion in this episode as we talk about her life and family. She is also one of the many PROUD  Indiana Jezebels - which is the name that a certain republican in the new wave of theocratic republican representatives calls all women who are not servants of the Indiana republican party.  You can also find Corinne on Instagram follow this link Corinne is on TikTok follow this link On Lemon8 she is @CorinneStraight  Corinne is on Facebook with PROJECT NEXT follow this link to learn more You can find Corinne on BlueSky search @corinnemsb.bsky.social  We spoke about the Teachers Strikes in Massachusetts in 2024. Follow Miss Deb Gesualdo to learn more at her LinkTreeLink   Special thanks to The CWA as they support the work of My Labor Radio. You know you have been talking about Organizing a Union in your workplace. Check out what you can learn from a conversation with a CWA Oeganizer. They would love to help! The Communications Workers of America. Take a moment to follow this link to complete the 2025 Indiana Legislative Survey for your elected representatives at the Indiana State House. Send a note to your Senator and State Rep. First, go to this Legislator Look Up Link once there you will get to see your rep's Survey and home page.   Special thanks to UAW2209 for their stedfast support of My Labor Radio Special thanks to MLAP the Midwest Labor Press Association Join them to learn more about the Labor Press and how you can be served by this great team of Labor Journalists.  Thanks for listening, you can find us on all the socials at this LinkTreeLink  

Ralph and the team invite cofounder of RootsAction, Norman Solomon, to autopsy the carcass of the Democratic Party after Donald Trump's decisive defeat of Kamala Harris in the presidential election. They dissect what happened on November 5th and report what needs to be done about it. Norman Solomon is co-founder of RootsAction.org and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of War Made Easy, Made Love, Got War, and his newest book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine.The Democrats couldn't even get their base vote out that they got out in 2020. And what are they looking at? Are they looking at themselves in the mirror for introspection? Are they cleaning house? Do they have any plan whatsoever— other than collect more and more money from corporate PACS? This is a spectacular decline.Ralph NaderWe kept being told that party loyalty über alles, we had to stay in line with Biden. And…that lost precious months, even a year or a year and a half, when there could have been a sorting out in vigorous primaries. We were told that, "Oh, it would be terrible to have an inside-the-party primary system." Well, in 2020, there were 17 candidates, so there wasn't space on one stage on one night to hold them all—the debates would have to be in half. Well, it didn't really debilitate the party. Debate is a good thing. But what happened was this party loyalty, this obsequious kissing-the-presidential-feet dynamic allowed Biden to amble along until it became incontrovertible that he wasn't capable.Norman SolomonA lot of people on that committee—and of course, running the DNC—they and their pals had this pass-through of literally millions of dollars of consultant fees. Win, lose, or draw. It's like General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman, they never lose a war. And so, these corporate donors, they never lose a presidential race. They didn't lose what happened with Harris and Trump. They cashed in, they made out like the corporate bandits that they are.Norman SolomonOne reality as an activist that I've come to the conclusion on in the last couple of decades is that progressives tend to be way too nice to Democrats in Congress, especially those that they consider to be allies. Because they like what some of the Democrats do…and so they give too many benefits of the doubt. It's like grading them on a curve. We can't afford to grade them on a curve.Norman SolomonIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 11/6/241. As of now, Donald Trump is projected to win the 2024 presidential election by a greater margin than 2016. In addition to winning back Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and Arizona, Trump also appears to have flipped Nevada – which went for both Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Most shocking of all, Trump has won the national popular vote, something he failed to do in 2016 and 2020 and which no Republican has done in 20 years. Democrats also faced a bloodbath in the Senate elections, with Republicans on track to win a 54 seat majority in the upper chamber.2. Bucking tremendous party pressure, Representative Rashida Tlaib declined to endorse Kamala Harris at a United Autoworkers rally in Michigan just days before the election, POLITICO reports. Tlaib urged attendees to turn out but “kept her speech focused on down-ballot races.” Tlaib is the only member of “the Squad” to withhold her support for Harris and the only Palestinian member of Congress. She has been a staunch critic of the Biden Administration's blind support for Israel's campaign of genocide in Palestine and voted Uncommitted in the Michigan Democratic primary.3. Along similar lines, the Uncommitted Movement issued a fiery statement on the eve of the election. According to the group, “Middle East Eye ran a story…[which] contains unfounded and absurd claims, suggesting that Uncommitted made a secret agreement with the Democratic Party to not endorse a third-party candidate.” The statement goes on to say that “this baseless story…is misguided at best and a dishonest malicious attack at worst.” Uncommitted maintains that “leaders and delegates are voting in different ways, yet remain untied in their mission to stop the endless flow of American weapons fueling Israel's militarism.” In September, Uncommitted publicly stated that they would not endorse Kamala Harris, citing her continued support for the Biden Administration policy toward Israel, but urged supporters to vote against Donald Trump.4. Progressive International reports that over 50 sovereign nations have called for an immediate arms embargo on Israel, calling it “a legal, humanitarian and moral imperative to put an end to grave human suffering.” This letter cites the “staggering toll of civilian casualties, the majority of them children and women, due to ongoing breaches of international law by Israel, the occupying Power,” and warns of “regional destabilization that risks the outbreak of an all-out war in the region.” Signatories on this letter include Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Norway, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Bolivia, and China among many others.5. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush have sent a letter to President Biden accusing him of illegally involving the American armed forces in Israel's war without proper Congressional authorization. Per the accompanying statement, “The Biden administration has deepened U.S. involvement in the Israeli government's devastating regional war through comprehensive intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and now even the direct deployment of U.S. servicemembers to Israel. Not only do these actions encourage further escalation and violence, but they are unauthorized by Congress, in violation of Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973.” The letter concludes “The Executive Branch cannot continue to ignore the law…In the absence of an immediate ceasefire and end of hostilities, Congress retains the right and ability to exercise its Constitutional authority to direct the removal of any and all unauthorized Armed Forces from the region pursuant to Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution.” This letter was endorsed by an array of groups ranging from the Quincy Institute to Jewish Voice for Peace to the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, and signed by other pro-Palestine members of Congress including Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, and André Carson – though notably not AOC.6. In a story that touches on both the election and labor issues, the New York Times Tech Guild voted to go on strike Monday morning. The Times Tech Guild, which represents “workers like software developers and data analysts,” at the Times negotiated until late Sunday night, particularly regarding “whether the workers could get a ‘just cause' provision in their contract…pay increases and pay equity; and return-to-office policies,” per the New York Times. The Guardian reports “The Tech Guild's roughly 600 members are in charge of operating the back-end systems that power the paper's…[coverage of] the presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump – but also the hundreds of House and dozens of Senate races across the US that will determine who will secure control of Washington in 2025.” Kathy Zhang, the guild's unit chair, said in a statement “[The Times] have left us no choice but to demonstrate the power of our labor on the picket line…we stand ready to bargain and get this contract across the finish line.”7. In more labor news, AP reports the striking Boeing machinists have “voted to accept a contract offer and end their strike after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production.” The deal reportedly includes “a 38% wage increase over four years, [as well as] ratification and productivity bonuses.” That said, Boeing apparently “refused to meet strikers' demand to restore a company pension plan that was frozen nearly a decade ago.” According to a Bank of America analysis, Boeing was losing approximately $50 million per day during the strike, a startling number by any measure. The union's District 751 President Jon Holden told members “You stood strong and you stood tall and you won,” yet calibration specialist Eep Bolaño said the outcome was “most certainly not a victory…We were threatened by a company that was crippled, dying, bleeding on the ground, and us as one of the biggest unions in the country couldn't even extract two-thirds of our demands from them. This is humiliating.”8. Huffington Post Labor Reporter Dave Jamieson reports “The [National Labor Relations Board] has filed a complaint against Grindr alleging the dating app used a new return-to-office policy to fire dozens of workers who were organizing.” He further reports that NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo is seeking a “Cemex order” which would “force the company to bargain with the [Communications Workers of America].” In a statement, CWA wrote “We hope this NLRB filing sends a clear message to Grindr that…we are committed to negotiating fair working conditions in good faith. As we continue to build and expand worker power at Grindr, this win…is a positive step toward ensuring that Grindr remains a safe, inclusive, and thriving place for users and workers alike.”9. In further positive news from federal regulators, NBC's Today reports “On Oct. 25, the United States Copyright Office granted a copyright exemption that gives restaurants like McDonald's the “right to repair” broken machines by circumventing digital locks that prevent them from being fixed by anyone other than its manufacturer.” As this piece explains, all of McDonald's ice cream machines – which have become a punchline for how frequently they are out of service – are owned and operated by the Taylor Company since 1956. Moreover “The…company holds a copyright on its machines…[meaning] if one broke, only [Taylor Company] repair people were legally allowed to fix it…due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act…a 1998 law that criminalizes making or using technology, devices or services that circumvent the control access of copyrighted works.” This move from the Copyright Office reflects a larger pattern of regulators recognizing the issues with giving companies like Taylor monopolistic free reign over sectors of the economy and blocking consumers – in this case fast food franchisees – from repairing machines themselves. With backing from public interest groups like U.S. PIRG, the Right to Repair movement continues to pick up steam. We hope Congress will realize that this is a political slam dunk.10. Finally, in an astounding story of vindication, Michael and Robert Meeropol – sons of Ethel Rosenberg, who was convicted of and executed for passing secrets to the Soviet Union – claim that long-sought records have definitively cleared their mother's name. Per Bloomberg, “A few months ago, the National Security Agency sent the Meeropols a box of records the spy agency declassified…Inside was a seven-page handwritten memo…The relevant passage…is just eight words: ‘she did not engage in the work herself.'” Put simply, Rosenberg was wrongfully convicted and put to death for a crime she did not commit. The article paints the picture of the men uncovering this key piece of evidence. “After he read it, Robert said his eyes welled up. “Michael and I looked at it and our reaction was, ‘We did it.'”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

This episode we talk with the Ken Paff. He gives us some history and support information about the TDU.org movement and where they are today.  He talks about the need in Organized Labor for new leaders ready to commit to working families and helping American workers in the process.  TDU 2024 Convention is November 1-3 in Chicago. Follow this link to learn more. Registration is closed, but you can still attend if you are in the Chicagoland area in early November. You can also call 313-842-2600 to learn more.  Find out more on UAWD.org by following this link Find out more about TDU.org follow this link.  The link for the Movie Mother Trucker the Diana Kilmury story is here.  Learn more about the TDU reform history with this 9 minute video.   Special Thank You to MLPA the Midwest Labor Press Association for their support of My Labor Radio, to find out more follow this link to the MLPA FB page.  Special Thank You to the CWA the Communications Workers of America for their support of My Labor Radio. Contact a CWA organizer and learn more about how easy it is to start a Union in your workplace.  Special Thank You to UAW2209 for their support of My Labor Radio Check out what your Ballot will look like before you vote, use BallotPedia.org     

Gabby Seay, co-director for Battleground New York, joined the show to discuss how the coalition of labor and activist groups is working toward Democratic wins in New York's swing U.S. House of Representatives districts, key electoral dynamics in those districts, and more. Battleground New York launched in 2023 and includes coalition members such as 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the Communications Workers of America, Indivisible, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, the Working Families Party, AFSCME, 32BJ SEIU, the NYS Nurses Association, and the Democracy Alliance. (Ep 466) Release date: 17 October 2024

Frank Mathews, Administrative Director for District 4 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss which Presidential candidate and which Ohio Senate candidate will better support working Americans.  Shane Wolfe, Business Manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 317, appeared on the America's Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about the Local's new training center and how it is already benefiting his members.

This episode we follow-up with the team at Chicago Jobs With Justice. Last time we talked in 2023, Executive Director Jill and Angie joined us. This episode we talk with Angie Moreno and cover so many topics. The website is under construction as of this shows release, but their link tree is highlighted below. We also talk about the importance of the ILCOSH Illinois Coalition for Occupational Health and Safety and the work they are doing.  ILCOSH is Linked here.  Chicago Jobs WIth Justice Links here. National Jobs With Justice Links here. Special thanks to the Communications Workers of America. The CWA is ready to help you when you want to talk with a CWA Organizer, click that link.  Special thanks to MLPA the Midwest Labor Press Association for their supportt of My Labor Radio You can find out more about the MLPA by following that link.  Special thanks to UAW 2209 a 4,000 member UAW local in NE Indiana serving multiple industries and communitites in the tri-state area. Find out more about their work at UAW2209.org.  Thanks for listening, folow us on all the Socials through our My Labor Radio LinkTree.  

This episode we get an update from the campaign trail on the race for the open seat in NE Indiana. Kiley Adolph joins us as we talk about the things constiuants are telling her team as they visit all 13 counties in the Third Congressional District in Indiana. We have links below to check your voter registration, the Kiley for Congress website and more. Kiley appeared on a FOX - 59 station and the interview is linked here.  Check your voter registration at IndianaVoters.IN.GOV  Find out what is on the ballot in your area by visiting BallotPedia.com Special thank you to the Communications Workers of America, the CWA. For their support of My Labor Radio. Find out more by following the link. You can also talk with a CWA Organizer about all the options you have to organize your workplace. The conversation is confidential, you have everything to gain.  Special thank you to UAW 2209 for their continued support of My Labor Radio you can find out more about this over 4,000 member Union in NE Indiana, follow the link.  We thank you for listening, find us on all the socials, follow our link tree link. My Labor Radio

Ralph welcomes back Jack Dangermond, co-founder of Esri—Environmental Systems Research Institute, the leader in GIS mapping technology to open up his book, “The Power of Where: A Geographic Approach to the World's Greatest Challenges.” Then John R. McArthur, journalist, author and publisher of Harper's returns to discuss a recent study by neuroscientists that concluded that students absorb and retain information better on paper than they do on screens and what this means for the future of education and society as a whole.Jack Dangermond is President of Esri—Environmental Systems Research Institute—and is recognized as one of the most influential people in the field of geographic information system—GIS—technology. Jack, along with his wife Laura, founded Esri in 1969. He is the author of The Power of Where: A Geographic Approach to the World's Greatest Challenges.Geography is everything. It's what happens, when it happens, in some cases why it happens, but most importantly, where it happens.Jack DangermondI believe geography and maps—the language of geography—are a new kind of way to understand the complexity of our world. Our world is complex. All these relationships—the world is hard to fathom. And using these interactive mapping tools, people can learn a lot in a short amount of time. They can see context, as well as all the content that they're learning in their various disciplines.Jack DangermondYears ago, Jack called up and said—help us apply GIS to civic action, civic advocacy…We used GIS techniques, applied federal government data, and in a report we came out with in the 1990s—it was called “Racial Redlining: A Study Of Racial Discrimination By Banks And Mortgage Companies In The United States”—the map showed the worst-case lending pattern as prima facie evidence of unlawful discrimination against low-income areas in mortgage lending. And so, the applications for civic work still need a lot of attention. I don't think the potential has been reached anywhere near what it could be, especially as the field and the technology just explodes with innovation.Ralph NaderJohn R. MacArthur is the president of Harper's, a journalist, and the author of several books, including Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the 1991 Gulf WarCommon sense tells you just instinctively—well, if somebody's looking at a page in a book or in a newspaper, there's less distractions and there's more focus on what you're actually reading, whereas on a screen you have a tendency to get distracted and the lighting is not good and so on and so forth. But now the obvious has been proven. And I get the sense that they're almost ashamed. They just don't want to address it. Or they're in so deep with big tech.John R. MacArthurIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 9/11/241. Zeteo reports “Israeli forces allegedly shot and killed US citizen Ayşenur Eygi…at a demonstration in the West Bank village of Beita…The 26-year-old was there alongside other Americans who have been demonstrating against illegal settlement activity and providing a nonviolent protective presence for Palestinians…Ayşenur…was shot at the same weekly demonstration where American teacher and volunteer Amado Sison was shot last month.” This piece also notes that Eygi was in the West Bank with the International Solidarity Movement, the same group that American activist Rachel Corrie was affiliated with when she was murdered by an IDF bulldozer in 2003. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken decried this incident as “unprovoked and unjustified,” saying “No one…should be shot and killed for attending a protest. No one should have to put their life at risk just for expressing their views,” per CNN. According to Yahoo News, President Biden has not talked to Eygi's family, and neither he nor Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris have issued a statement on Eygi's death.2. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who was recently primaried by an AIPAC-backed challenger after being outspent a by margin of seven-to-one (per CNN), has issued a statement in light of the revelations that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu sabotaged negotiations for a hostage and ceasefire deal in July. This statement reads “Netanyahu has continuously derailed negotiations and added new demands to stall for his own political benefit, with zero regard for the immense death toll and scale of human suffering…His goal is not to bring the hostages home or bring peace and safety to the region…Every life is precious and should be treated as such…My thoughts are with the families of the dead hostages, who have suffered an unimaginable loss, and with the people of Gaza, who are facing the horrors of genocide and being killed indiscriminately every day.”3. Variety reports a group of prominent Hollywood actors are leading a new initiative to pressure the Biden administration to end illegal arms transfers to Israel. This new push, growing out of the Artists4Ceasefire collective, is led by Mark Ruffalo, Cynthia Nixon, Mahershala Ali, and Ilana Glazer. Ruffalo writes “Our demand is simple — our elected leaders must enforce existing U.S. and international humanitarian laws that prohibit the use of military assistance to commit ‘grave human rights violations.'” Nixon adds “Words without action will not end the unbearable suffering…Enough is enough. The global call for a permanent ceasefire — supported domestically by an overwhelming majority of Americans — must be answered.” Despite overwhelming public support for peace, advocating for Palestinian rights has been a dangerous proposition in Hollywood since October 7th, with “A top movie agent, an Oscar winner, and the star of Scream VII [having] all been demoted or fired for calling out Israel's bombing of Gaza,” per Rolling Stone.4. In a chilling story from our Northern neighbor, the Ottawa Citizen reports “The Ukrainian Canadian Congress says it plans to go to court to stop the federal government from making public the names of alleged Nazi war criminals who fled to [Canada].” As this piece explains, “At issue are documents created by a 1986 federal government war-crimes commission…One of the documents is titled ‘Master List of alleged war criminals resident in Canada… [including] names of alleged war criminals as well as Nazi scientists and technicians” who fled to the country. The total number is around 900. These records have been requested under Canada's equivalent to the Freedom of Information Act. The government must now decide whether or not to disclose these names. According to this article, the Canadian government has consulted with leaders of Canada's Ukrainian community, but not with Holocaust survivors or scholars.5. In a major win for the Biden Treasury Department, the IRS announced last week that it has clawed back $1.3 billion from rich tax dodgers since last fall, per AP. Since 2023, the IRS has “launched a series of initiatives aimed at pursuing…taxpayers with more than $1 million in income and more than $250,000 in recognized tax debt.” According to officials, approximately 80% of the 1,600 tax delinquent millionaires have now made a payment.6. More positive news comes to us from the union front. The Orlando Weekly's McKenna Schueler reports “Florida's anti-union law, SB 256, has forced dozens of public sector unions to ask the state for recertification elections—and so far, they're all crushing it. Out of 26 elections with final results reported, workers in all but 1 have voted to keep their unions alive & intact.” Yet despite the unions' overwhelming victories in these re-certification elections, “more than 68,000 public employees in Florida have lost their union representation - NOT because they voted to get rid of their unions, but because their union had low membership and didn't petition for a recertification election.” 7. In more red-state union news, Washington Post Labor Reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley reports “Apple retail workers in Oklahoma City secured a tentative union contract, the 2nd store to do so at Apple.” This contract between Apple and the workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America, is said to include “pay increases of up to 11.5% over 3 years, severance & store closure protections [and] worker involvement in scheduling.”8. Yet not all is well on the union front. According to NJ.com a “civil war” is brewing between the United Autoworkers and the AFL-CIO at Atlantic City casinos over the UAW's demand to end indoor smoking. According to this piece, many of the dealers at these casinos, represented by the UAW, have contracted emphysema or even cancer despite not smoking themselves due to their constant exposure to secondhand smoke. Meanwhile the state AFL-CIO, led by Charlie Wowkanech, is standing with the casinos against a proposed ban. The UAW's Daniel Vicente is quoted saying “Dealing with Charlie was like dealing with some lame-ass mafia guy – it felt like a shakedown…We're planning to go to war with these other unions…We're coming straight at anyone who stands in the way of our people coming home safe.”9. Another story of betrayal comes from France. Al Jazeera reports “More than 100,000 left-wing demonstrators…have taken to the streets across France to protest President Emmanuel Macron's decision to appoint centre-right Michel Barnier as [Prime Minister], with left-wing parties accusing [Macron] of stealing legislative elections.” For the past two months, the French parliament has been hung due to legislative elections that left it divided into three blocs – the largest of which being the left-wing coalition. Yet despite a popular front alliance between Macron and the Left during the elections, Macron has now chosen to elevate a right-winger as PM in order to appease the far-right bloc led by Marine Le Pen. Al Jazeera notes that French pollster Elabe found that 74 percent of French people believed Macron had disregarded the results of the elections and 55 percent believe he has stolen them.10. Finally, the first debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was held on Tuesday. Shortly before the debate, Harris finally released some concrete policy proposals on her website. These include vague pledges to reduce the cost of healthcare, increase the minimum wage, and protect the civil liberties of marginalized communities. Harris more clearly articulated her more conservative policies, including beefing up border security, increasing funding for law enforcement, challenging China on the world stage, and keeping weapons flowing to Israel. This suite of policies seems designed to correspond with her courtship of anti-Trump Republican voters, which has included touting the endorsement of Liz and Dick Cheney.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Frank Mathews, Administrative Director for District 4 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the striking AT&T workers in the Southeast U.S. He also discussed a new executive order signed last week by President Joe Biden and some of the CWA's organizing wins this year. Christine Johnson, President of the United Auto Workers Local 2300, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a new contract for members at Cornell University. She talked about the outpouring of support members received and what the contract will mean for these workers and others with contracts set to expire this year.

This episode we talk with elected and soon to be elected leaders in audio clips from the 2024 Organized Labor Annual Picnic in NE Indiana. Held each year, on Labor Day, this picnic is held at Headwaters Park in downtown Fort Wayne. Wayne Township Trustee Austin Knox did a nice write up prior to the picnic in the Waynedale News.  This episode we hear from Indiana HD 80 Representative Phil GiaQuinta. Followed by a quick interview with Indiana HD 82 Representative Kyle Miller. We talk with Allen County Council at Large candidate Nena Bailey. We talk with Fort Wayne City Council District 5 Representative Geoff Paddock. While talking with Geoff, Mayor Sharon Tucker drops in for a minute, before going back out to visit and talk with constituants.  We wrap up this episode with a conversation with picnic committiee Co-Chair Andy McKeeman member of SMART-TD Local 1202. He is the Co-Chair with USW Local Herb Anderson.  Local Unions from NE Indiana who supported in donations and volunteers are listed here. (Not a Complete List)   USW Local 903  Sprinkler Fitters UA Local 669  RWDSU   NALC Letter Carriers Summit City Branch     IBEW 305  IBEW 1393  IBEW 723  UA Plumber Steamfitters Local 166  Teamsters Local 414   American Federation of Musicians Local 58  NEIN Building Trades  Smart-TD Local 1202  UAW 2209  IronWorkers Local 147 Bricklayers Local 4 Indiana & Kentucky  USW 12775 Laborers Local 213 LIUNA  FW Firefighters Local 124  SMART Local 20  Cement Masons Local 692  IUOE Local 399   We also need to thank the local businesses who stepped up to donate to this years event. (Not a Complete List) Victory Trucking, UNFI, Speedway, G&L Corp. Special THANK YOU to CWA the Communications Workers of America for their support of My Labor Radio. When you are ready to organize your workplace, talk with a CWA Organizer by following this link.  Special THANK YOU to UAW Local 2209 for their support of this show. IndianaVoters.IN.gov BallotPedia.org Thanks for listening. Find us on all the socials by using our Link Tree Link here. 

U.S. Senate candidates Republican Senator Deb Fischer and independent Dan Osborn announced endorsements from labor groups Tuesday. Fischer touted endorsements from 13 labor unions and trade associations, which include the Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Hospital Association and the State Troopers Association of Nebraska. Meanwhile, Osborn announced support from 23 labor unions, including the Nebraska AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers and Communications Workers of America.

Adam Keller, Co-host of The Valley Labor Report (TVLR), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss what he's learned while supporting the Communications Workers of America District 3 strike at AT&T across the Southeast. He also talked about his work with the North Alabama Area Labor Council and then gave an overview of their segment, Boss Watch. Charleeka Thompson, Director of the Next Generation Program (NextGen) for the United Steelworkers, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss how the USW is working to engage a younger generation of union members. She also talked about the renewed vigor behind the program's outreach efforts and where she envisions the program in the future.

Administrative Director of the Communications Workers of America District 4, Frank Mathews, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the potential issues that could befall unions if Project 2025 were to be implemented and what the union is doing to educate members about the anti-union and anti-worker policies proposed in the conservative manifesto. Jane Flanagan, Director of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), joined the Amerca's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss Illinois's recent amendment to its child labor laws that will strengthen its regulations. She also spoke about enforcing regulations and a change to the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2023.

Meet the candidate. This episode we talk with Roxanna Lucas Murray who is running for Huntington County Council at Large in the 2024 election cycle. We have a well rounded conversation that covers her history and the things she wants to do for constituants. Transparency and open communications are the key. Take time to learn more about the candidate as you listen to this show.   Her Facebook page Roxanna Lucas Murray for County Council is linked here. Her LINKEDIN profile is linked here. To make a donation follow this Link - Roxanna Lucas Murry for County Council. The link we spoke about to the Rachel Maddow Prequal Book Talk is here. Find out more on Voting by visiting IndianaCitizen.org As Always we recomend you visit Indiana's Awesome MADVoters.org website. Great information and details you will not find elswhere.  Special thanks to the Communications Workers of America for their support of My Labor Radio. When you are ready to learn more about organizing a Union in your workplace check in with a CWA Organizer.  Special thanks go to UAW2209 for their support of this programming for over 5 years now.  Thanks to the membership of UAW Local 2209 for their work in NE Indiana. Labor Strong and Labor Proud! Thanks for listening, Find us everywhare with this LINKTREE link to guide you. 

In this, our final episode of the Practical Radicals Podcast, we hear from over a dozen progressive leaders, including several former students, and reflect with them about what we've learned since the book Practical Radicals came out last November and what we make of the path ahead — as the U.S. and the world face a daunting and overlapping set of crises. We offer thoughts on the seven strategy models, looking at exciting developments in the field as well as areas that could improve. Base-building in community organizing faces major challenges. Sulma Arias has reoriented her organization, People's Action, to spark a “revival of community organizing,” a field whose crisis became more acute and widely acknowledged during the COVID pandemic. The labor movement, by contrast, is experiencing its most exciting resurgence in decades. Stephen Lerner — whose organization, Bargaining for the Common Good, brings together unions and community groups to work on joint strategies — sees tremendous promise in labor's upsurge, pointing especially to the prospect of organizing entire sectors and taking on “the giant corporations that are driving the whole economy.”  Thomas Walker of the Communications Workers of America explains why he thinks building on labor's momentum calls for unions to spend more of their assets on base-building and to support new ways of organizing.  Maurice Mitchell of the Working Families Party argues that movements need to get serious about governing power, which requires treating progressives elected to office as co-conspirators rather than targets. Lydia Avila describes her work with California Calls, which hopes to build a grassroots leadership development pipeline and combine the best principles of community organizing with electoral politics.  A key strategy in the years ahead will be disruption, which Lisa Fithian, author of Shut it Down, argues is a “transformational process” that can give people a greater sense of agency over their own lives and the world. Lissy Romanow, who used to run the training institute called Momentum, points to hopeful examples where momentum as a strategy is being combined with more long-term base-building work.  We then offer thoughts on the ways movements and organizations need to adapt to get sharper on strategy. Texas activist Asha Dane'el addresses the importance of developing a long-term vision and investing in leadership development that combines “rigor and compassion.” Alex Tom tells us how the Chinese Progressive Association hit upon a hugely successful new approach to fostering organizational alignment and preventing unnecessary internal conflict by writing a “culture operations document,” which is given to all new staff and explains the organization's vision and leadership philosophy as well as key terminology. Doran Schrantz describes the commitment to leadership and other factors that have allowed ISAIAH, a church-based organization, and labor and community partners in Minnesota to transform the state.  We conclude with some thoughts on our current historical conjuncture. Overdogs have never wanted a true democracy, and right now, they see an opening for autocracy. As Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy explains, by objective scholarly measures, “US democracy has been declining faster [in recent years] than almost any other country on the planet.” Alicia Garza, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter, argues that it's crucial to form not only a “united front,” which brings together different elements of the left, but also a “popular front,” which unites the left with the center and even pro-democracy elements of the right. As the recent victories in France, India, and Brazil illustrate, there is nothing inevitable about the slide to authoritarianism — if we can achieve the unity and will to fight it. Links:  Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice Alicia Garza, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart Lisa Fithian, Shut It Down: Stories from a Fierce, Loving Resistance Transcript for Ep. 13 (coming soon)

Biden drops out of the race via tweet "CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say Amazon's Prime Day causes worker injuries, Senate probe finds Kaspersky Lab Closing U.S. Division; Laying Off Workers Researchers: Weak Security Defaults Enabled Squarespace Domains Hijacks The Paris Olympics Will Show Us the Future of Sports on TV Judge dismisses much of SEC suit against SolarWinds over cybersecurity disclosures FBI Used New Cellebrite Software to Access Trump Shooter's Phone Hundreds more Californians get housing with Apple's help Microsoft's new AI system 'SpreadsheetLLM' unlocks insights from spreadsheets, boosting enterprise productivity Bethesda Game Studios workers unionize under Communications Workers of America Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Lisa Schmeiser, Ashley Esqueda, and Anthony Ha Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT lookout.com mintmobile.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT motific.ai

Biden drops out of the race via tweet "CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say Amazon's Prime Day causes worker injuries, Senate probe finds Kaspersky Lab Closing U.S. Division; Laying Off Workers Researchers: Weak Security Defaults Enabled Squarespace Domains Hijacks The Paris Olympics Will Show Us the Future of Sports on TV Judge dismisses much of SEC suit against SolarWinds over cybersecurity disclosures FBI Used New Cellebrite Software to Access Trump Shooter's Phone Hundreds more Californians get housing with Apple's help Microsoft's new AI system 'SpreadsheetLLM' unlocks insights from spreadsheets, boosting enterprise productivity Bethesda Game Studios workers unionize under Communications Workers of America Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Lisa Schmeiser, Ashley Esqueda, and Anthony Ha Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT lookout.com mintmobile.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT motific.ai

Biden drops out of the race via tweet "CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say Amazon's Prime Day causes worker injuries, Senate probe finds Kaspersky Lab Closing U.S. Division; Laying Off Workers Researchers: Weak Security Defaults Enabled Squarespace Domains Hijacks The Paris Olympics Will Show Us the Future of Sports on TV Judge dismisses much of SEC suit against SolarWinds over cybersecurity disclosures FBI Used New Cellebrite Software to Access Trump Shooter's Phone Hundreds more Californians get housing with Apple's help Microsoft's new AI system 'SpreadsheetLLM' unlocks insights from spreadsheets, boosting enterprise productivity Bethesda Game Studios workers unionize under Communications Workers of America Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Lisa Schmeiser, Ashley Esqueda, and Anthony Ha Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT lookout.com mintmobile.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT motific.ai

Biden drops out of the race via tweet "CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say Amazon's Prime Day causes worker injuries, Senate probe finds Kaspersky Lab Closing U.S. Division; Laying Off Workers Researchers: Weak Security Defaults Enabled Squarespace Domains Hijacks The Paris Olympics Will Show Us the Future of Sports on TV Judge dismisses much of SEC suit against SolarWinds over cybersecurity disclosures FBI Used New Cellebrite Software to Access Trump Shooter's Phone Hundreds more Californians get housing with Apple's help Microsoft's new AI system 'SpreadsheetLLM' unlocks insights from spreadsheets, boosting enterprise productivity Bethesda Game Studios workers unionize under Communications Workers of America Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Lisa Schmeiser, Ashley Esqueda, and Anthony Ha Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT lookout.com mintmobile.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT motific.ai

Biden drops out of the race via tweet "CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say Amazon's Prime Day causes worker injuries, Senate probe finds Kaspersky Lab Closing U.S. Division; Laying Off Workers Researchers: Weak Security Defaults Enabled Squarespace Domains Hijacks The Paris Olympics Will Show Us the Future of Sports on TV Judge dismisses much of SEC suit against SolarWinds over cybersecurity disclosures FBI Used New Cellebrite Software to Access Trump Shooter's Phone Hundreds more Californians get housing with Apple's help Microsoft's new AI system 'SpreadsheetLLM' unlocks insights from spreadsheets, boosting enterprise productivity Bethesda Game Studios workers unionize under Communications Workers of America Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Lisa Schmeiser, Ashley Esqueda, and Anthony Ha Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT lookout.com mintmobile.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT motific.ai

Frank Mathews, Administrative Director of the Communications Workers of America District 4, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the union's recent Legislative-Political Conference. He also discussed their member action day on Capitol Hill and the union's impact on the BEAD program. Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, Co-Chair of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's proposed heat rule.

The demise of the XBox console as we know it. Another studio forms a union and we take issue with a poll. http://www.joystickandmouse.com http://shop.joystickandmouse.com/ Show Notes Here is the press release from Microsoft - At Xbox, we're committed to bringing the joy and community of gaming to everyone.  Today, we're announcing a collaboration with Amazon where Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in over 25 countries can play games directly from the Xbox app on select Fire TV devices via cloud gaming, giving people even more choice in how they play their favorite games. https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/06/27/xbox-cloud-gaming-amazon-fire-tv/ We follow up that story with another that heralds the end of the XBox console as we know it. A leak from NVidea shows that users will be able to play games from GeForce Now on XBox consoles.  https://www.videogamer.com/news/nvidia-geforce-now-app-allegedly-coming-to-xbox-consoles-according-to-leaks/ https://www.videogamer.com/tech/nvidia-geforce-now-games-list-in-2024/ Bethesda Game Studios Montreal has filed to unionise with the Communications Workers of America. The BGS Montreal union announced yesterday in a thread on social media that they filed for certification with the Quebec Labour Board. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/bethesda-montreal-files-for-unionisation The worst thing to ever hapen to our wallets is the Steam Sale. We've all done it. That game we've had our eye on goes on sale and it's too good of a deal to pass up. Thennnn it just sits there in our library. Staring at us every time we log in. Well we are not alone. According to a report this week users have spent $19 Billion on games that they have never played. https://www.pcgamesn.com/steam/pile-of-shame Of course we have a list and man do I have issues with this one. BAFTA released a poll they did of the most iconic characters of all time in video games. let's go through it. https://www.bafta.org/media-centre/press-releases/bafta-most-iconic-character-poll-results

This episode we want you to meet Kyle Thele. (His last name is pronounced Tee-Lee) He is running for Indiana House District 83 in NE Indiana. You can hear the interview to learn more. You do need to know that we have an alternative to the hatefull attitude that the so called Christian who occupies the seat now holds. This is a great chance for change and Kyle does not hold back in this interview. Also you'll learn why he wants to run and the fact is clear he wants to hear from you. The Constituant. Visit his website read more and learn why this election year, a time for change is happening at IN House District 83. Kyle is a Union member of WGAEast  The Writers Guild of America East.org - Kyle is working for VOX Media.  On Twitter he is @Kyle4IN83  On Instagram he is @KyleINStateRep On Facebook he is Kyle Thele For Indiana State Rep As always you can find out more at KyleForStateRep.com Special Thank You to the CWA Union. The Communications Workers of America. You have been thinking about organizing a Union in your workplace and the best step forward is by clicking this link here CWA-Union/Organizing to contact an organizer and make that change in your workplace.  Special thanks to UAW 2209 for their support of My Labor Radio they are an over 4,000 member amalgamated union serving their membership and communities at large in NE Indiana.  Thanks for listening - You know where to find us...

Antonio Salazar-Hobson is the 11th of 14 children who lived as migrant farmworkers in Phoenix, Arizona. At age four, he was kidnapped by his neighbors, sexually abused, and eventually trafficked at a California holiday guest ranch. He connected with Cesar Chavez as a teen and went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California Santa Cruz, a Master's Degree from Stanford as a Danforth Fellow, and a Juris Doctor from the University of California Davis Law School; he has been working as a union labor and national tribal attorney since. In addition, he has represented the Communications Workers of America as the District 9 counsel, was the Controller for the California Democratic Party for eight years, and authored his memoir, Antonio, We Know You. Antonio makes his home in San Francisco, California.

This episode we learn about EWOC - Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee - To learn more we talk with volunteer and activist Nate Wendt. Nate is the Media Lead for EWOC. We talk about the process, how to contact and start working with them. We also talk about his origins and what the support and wins in organizing is doing for EWOC and so many Unions in America. , Learn more about EWOC by visiting this website  WorkerOrganizing.org  Learn more about UE Union - The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America To get your hands on the Haymarket Books printed booklet Nate spoke of Unite And Win follow the link to learn more about this valuable tool  Learn more about DSA Labor by visiting that italicized link The EWOC You Tube channel is linked here On Instagram they are @OrganizeWorkers On TikTok they are @OrganizeWorkers On Twitter they are @OrganizeWorkers On BlueSkySocial they are @OrganizeWorkers.BSKY.Social You can find Nate on Twitter @NateWendt Find out more about Starbucks Workers United SBWU Special thank you for the support we receive from The Communications Workers of America find them at CWA-Unions.org When you are ready to talk with an Organizer through the CWA just follow this link CWA-Union/Organizing   Special thank you also goes to UAW2209.org for their support of My Labor Radio. Find out more about this 4,000 member local in NE Indiana. A UAW local supporting their members and serving the Tri-State area and their communities. Thanks for listening; You can find us at My Labor Radio.org and on the Socials we are; @mgevaart on Twitter @My_Labor_Radio on Instagram @MyLaborRadio on Facebook @MyLaborRadio on TikTok This show and more are posted on Libsyn getting us to all platforms. Just search MyLaborRadio   

Ralph welcomes professor M. Steven Fish, political scientist and author of “Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy's Edge” who argues that winning elections is about more than policy positions, it's about projecting strength and dominance. And Donald Trump plays that game better than his Democratic rivals. Plus, former Navy Petty Officer, Phil Tourney, who was aboard the USS Liberty when it was attacked and nearly sunk by Israeli fighter planes and torpedo boats during the Six Day War in 1967, tells us why 57 years later, he still fights for accountability.M. Steven Fish is a comparative political scientist at the University of California, Berkeley who specializes in democracy and authoritarianism, religion and politics, and constitutional systems and national legislatures. He writes and comments extensively on international affairs and the rising challenges to democracy in the United States and around the world, and he has published commentary in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Foreign Policy, among other publications. His latest book is Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy's Edge.Dominance can be used for good or for ill. The Republicans have used it to advance injustice and corruption. And the Democrats need to—as they did in the 20th century, very often—use it in favor of justice.M. Steven FishWhat's holding them back? PAC money? Corruption of campaigns? Lack of character? Fear of skeletons in their own closet? What's holding them back if it's so obvious?Ralph Nader, on why Democrats aren't more dominantThe Republican Party historically has been the party of “no”, once the Civil War was over. When they were formed in 1854, they were the party of “no” against slavery. But after that, they're the party of “no” against labor unions, “no” against progressive taxation, “no” against Medicare, “no” against Social Security, “no” against environmental health regulation, “no” against consumer protection, “no” against raising the minimum wage, “no”, “no”, “no”. And the Democrats— in those examples at least—were “yes”, “yes”, “yes”, and they never bragged about it.Ralph NaderPhil Tourney served aboard the USS Liberty as a US Navy Petty Officer on June 8th 1967, when the Liberty was attacked by Israeli planes and torpedo boats. He is President of The USS Liberty Veterans Association, which was established to provide support for survivors of the attack. The efforts of the LVA are also focused on ensuring the US government finally conducts the public investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty.I can't explain the carnage that went on, but that ship— all of us came together. All the spies, all the ship's company we all came together…we saved that ship, to tell the truth—and we were ordered by Admiral Isaac Kidd never to say anything about it. He boarded our ship and told us to shut up or we'd end up in prison, fined, or worse— we all knew worse meant death. That's what they told us. To shut up. They took away our First Amendment rights and Congress has not done a darn thing in 57 years. The line is, “It was a case of mistaken identity, that's where they left it.Phil Tourney, President of the USS Liberty Veterans AssociationIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 5/28/241.  In Rafah, at least 35 people were killed Sunday night when Israel bombed a “tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in a designated safe zone,” per Al Jazeera. AP reports that at first, Israel's military claimed it had “carried out a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound,” and only after photographic and video evidence of the horror inflicted on civilians emerged did Prime Minister Netanyahu reverse this position and claim the strike was a “tragic mishap.” Israel's assault on Rafah continues despite the U.N. International Court of Justice ordering Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive” in the South Gaza city, per the BBC. 2. The Guardian is out with a disturbing report alleging “The former head of the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency…threatened a chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in a series of secret meetings in which he tried to pressure her into abandoning a war crimes investigation.” This expose details how Yossi Cohen, the former Israeli spy chief, threatened ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, reportedly telling her “You should help us and let us take care of you. You don't want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family.” The paper also hinted at further forthcoming revelations, noting that they are working with +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call to expose “how multiple Israel intelligence agencies ran a covert ‘war' against the ICC for almost a decade.” This piece notes that “According to legal experts…efforts by the Mossad to threaten or put pressure on Bensouda could amount to offences against the administration of justice under article 70 of the Rome statute.”3. Investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein reports through his newsletter that “The Biden administration has publicly admitted that it is working with tech companies to…suppress pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel sentiment,” under the guise of “limit[ing] Hamas's use of online platforms.” As Klippenstein explains, “Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook have long banned terrorist organizations like Hamas. Now, however, the federal government is pressuring companies to ban ‘Hamas-linked' accounts and those of pro-Palestinian Americans.” Human Rights Watch raised the alarm about censorship of pro-Palestine content in a report from December 2023, which detailed “Meta's…‘systemic…censorship' of speech regarding the…war.”4. Over Memorial Day weekend, activists assembled in Detroit for the People's Conference for Palestine. In a surprise address, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib spoke to the crowd, decrying the genocide in Gaza and asking "Where's your red line, President Biden?" the Detroit News reports. Tlaib went on to call Biden an "enabler," who "shields the murderous war criminal Netanyahu." Over 100,000 Michigan residents voted “uncommitted,” in the state's Democratic primary.5. Celebrated actor Guy Pearce was recently photographed by the French subsidiary of Vanity Fair during the Cannes film festival. When he posed for the photo, Pearce wore a Palestinian flag pin; yet when the photo was published, the pin had been photoshopped out entirely. The Middle East Eye, which covered this story, reached out to Vanity Fair asking for a comment on why they edited the image, but did not receive a response. Vanity Fair restored the original photo and apologized, claiming it was a mistake, but many are not buying it. As one social media commenter put it, “This is a reminder that the media... will do anything and everything to hide any form of solidarity.”6. The American Prospect's David Dayen reports “[The American Prospect] has learned that during [Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco's recent trip to California to participate in the 2024 RSA Cybersecurity Conference]…[she] had an off-the-record, no-readout briefing with several tech executives.” As Dayen notes, this meeting comes “at a time when the DOJ is suing both Google and Apple,” and as Monaco has spoken of making corporate criminal enforcement a higher priority at Justice. As there is no official record of this meeting it is impossible to know what was discussed, but the cloak-and-dagger nature of this rendezvous raises serious questions about DOJ's commitment to pursuing the lawsuits against the tech giants. We demand the Deputy Attorney General disclose the content of this meeting at once.7. The Reform Party, originally founded by Ross Perot, has announced that it “has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.…for President of the United States.” The most significant effect of this nomination, as the party notes, is that it “will hand [Kennedy] our automatic ballot access in the State of Florida as well as our advantages as a qualified party.” According to Kennedy's campaign website, he is now eligible to be on the ballot in states totaling 229 electoral votes, though Axios has a lower tally. Kennedy now faces a race against the clock to qualify for the upcoming presidential debates, though even if he does qualify his participation is not guaranteed as both the Biden and Trump campaigns have agreed to sidestep the Commission on Presidential Debates.8. In more Third Party news, the Libertarian Party has chosen Chase Oliver as their 2024 presidential nominee, per POLITICO. Oliver gained national attention for his 2022 campaign for Senate in Georgia, with some claiming his candidacy forced the race to a runoff, ultimately resulting in the reelection of Democrat Raphael Warnock. During that race, Oliver describes himself as “armed and gay.” Both former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vied for the Libertarian Party nomination. Trump himself addressed the convention in person but was roundly booed. He was ultimately deemed ineligible, while Kennedy received only 19 votes. However, Larry Sharpe, a longtime Libertarian Party member and unsuccessful vice presidential candidate expressed alarm about Kennedy's potential impact on the party. Sharpe said “We're gonna lose ballot access in probably 22 states. We're not gonna make more than half a percent…RFK sucks the money out of the room and he gets the ‘I'm mad at the system votes' that we used to get because we're the only other guy on the ballot.”9. The Teamsters union is turning their presidential endorsement over to their members. Since May 19th, Teamsters locals have been holding polls to determine which candidate the national union will endorse. This is a marked departure from the traditional endorsement structure, which is typically decided in a top-down fashion by the national union leadership. However, this process could result in a Teamsters endorsement of Donald Trump – a real possibility based on the union's recent flirtation with Trump and the GOP more generally. We urge the union not to endorse Trump, who has an abominable track record on labor issues, clearly documented by the AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America.10. Finally, Bloomberg Labor reporter Josh Eidelson reports the United Autoworkers union is petitioning the National Labor Relations Board, to “discard the results of last week's Mercedes election in Alabama, [and] asking the agency to hold a new vote due to alleged misconduct by the company.” CBS 42 reports this alleged misconduct includes “poll[ing] workers about union support, suggest[ing] voting in the union would be futile, target[ing] union supporters with drug tests and [per UAW] “engag[ing] in conduct which deliberately sought to exacerbate racial feelings by irrelevant and inflammatory appeals to racial prejudice.'” In addition to these complaints, Mercedes is reportedly under investigation by the German government for anti-union activity during this campaign. In a statement, the UAW wrote “All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions…Let's get a vote at Mercedes…where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Meet Les Leopold. We talk about his latest book Wall Streets War on Workers: How Mass Layoffs and Greed Are Destroying the Working Class and What To Do About It. He was on earlier in the year but it was a short we picked up from his time with the Labor Radio Podcast Network.  This time we spend a solid 45 plus minutes talking about his amazing perspective on this important Working Families issue; Mass Layoffs!  Les also has some great dispatches and writings on his Substack Page You can also find him on some links below and he has several previously published books, we link them here as well.. We talk about Mike Lux and his writing "Factory Towns" which can be found at this link from the website Amarican Family Voices.org    On SubStack find him as Les Leopold  On Twitter Les can be found as @Les_Leopold   The Book is published by Chelsea Green Publishing in The UK    The links to his book, and others he has published are from  Powell"s Books in OR. It is a Union Shop and the employees handeling your book order are represented by ILUW Local 5 in Portland OR. Listed here are the Les Leopold books they carry for sale. Wall Streets War On Workers: How Mass Layoffs and Greed are Destroying The Working Class and What To Do About It. Runaway Inequality: An Activists Guide to Economic Justice The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor The Life and Times of Tony Mazzochi How To Make A Million Dollars An Hour: Why Hedge Funds Get Away With Siphoning Off America's Wealth The Looting Of America: How Wall Street's Game of Fantasy Finance Destroyed Our Jobs, Pensions, and Prosperity-And What We Can Do About It. Defiant German, Defiant Jew: A Holocost Memoir from Inside the Third Reich  Special thank you to our supporters at CWA-Unions.org The Communications Workers of America. You want information about organizing your workplace? Follow this link to check in with a CWA Organizer.  Special thank you to UAW Local 2209 for their support of My Labor Radio. You can find out more about the work they do in the community and for their over 4,000 members in NE Indiana. Check out the link at UAWLocal2209.org  Thanks for listening, you can find us in all the socials listed below or visit MyLaborRadio.org On Twitter we are @mgevaart On Instagram we are @My_Labor_Radio On Facebook we are @MyLaborRadio On TikTok we are @MyLaborRadio  

[EU S14 E20] Roots of a Surging US Labor Movement In this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the reasons why the official United States unemployment rate is currently low in comparison to historic rates; We also highlight why U.S. restaurants are losing business. We then turn to the hypocrisy of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the face of repression of growing American protest movement against Israeli policy in Gaza. In addition, we discuss Gabriel Zuckman's report on the economic impact of the dramatic cuts in taxes on billionaires vs rising taxes on the poorer half of the U.S. Finally, we Interview union activist Steve Early on rising labor militancy and unionization: its roots, momentum, and future. For last 50 years, Steve Early has been a labor organizer, lawyer, free-lance journalist, or union representative. For three decades he was a Boston-based staff member of the Communications Workers of America. The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info

Meet author, organizer and activist Ken Grossinger His first book Art Works talks about the melding of Art and Movements. This is an easy and quick read and brings together the ideas of joining Arts and Culture. It is all around us and growing as we win with the power of Art joining Movements in this world. Learn more about the Art Works publisher and Fearless Reading by visiting their website The New Press. We talk for about 40 minutes and cover several campaigns and the genesis for writing this book. Follow the link here to immerse yourself in the Spotify Art Works music. This playlist is a companion to the book. On Twitter you can find Ken and his book @ArtWorksBook  The book is detailed at his website ArtWorksBook.com  As always we have a link to  Powell's Books in OR. You can purchase the book from a Union Shop, represented by ILWU Local 5. The link is here Art Works Book at Powell's Books  Special thanks to CWA-Union.org for their support of My Labor Radio You have questions about organizing your workplace? contact an organizer at the Communications Workers of America to find out the steps you can take to Be Wise and Organize.  Special thanks to the membership of UAW Local 2209.org for their support of My Labor Radio Thanks for listening, You can find us at My Labor Radio.org  - All our shows are in a directory you can easily roll through, @MyLaborRadio  On Twitter we are @mgevaart On Facebook we are @MyLaborRadio On Insta we are @My_Labor_Radio On TikTok we are @MyLaborRadio

This episode we talk with APFA Government Affairs team member Allie Malis We talk about the importance of passenger support in their quest to get a contract done. Five years without a raise. It is outrageous the fight they are in. It is our fight too. They need our help and support. Learn more by visiting the APFA.org website and follow them on all the socials too.  Allie and I talk for about forty minutes and you will learn more about why they do NOT have a simple operation and can just withold their labor like so many can. They fall under the Railway Labor Act which is an interesting thing to learn about too. It only benefits the company in all cases, ask the Railrod Union members.  Here is a link to the the Julie Hedrick video on Twitter Allie and I speak about. Here is a link to the APFA TikTok we made while in Chicago on 4/18/24 prior to Labor Notes. Here is a link to the AFA-CWA who also represent Flight Attendants. Thanks to CWA for their support of My Labor Radio - You want to organize a Union in your workplace? talk to a CWA Organizer to find out more. Thanks to The Communications Workers of America. Thanks also to UAW2209 for the support we recieve Go to UAW 2209.org to learn more about the 4,000 members working in NE Indiana.  Thanks for listening, find us at My Labor Radio.org or on all the socials search @MyLaborRadio

Interviews from Chicago in April. Labor Notes 2024. On Saturday of the weekend we spoke with UAW Region 9 director Daniel Vicente about his election and what he had experianced so far in Labor Notes 2024. Director Vicente has a page dedicated to his story here Dan Vicente Dir. UAW Region 9 - Dan is a member of the UAW reform caucus UAWD - Uniting All Workers for Democracy. His details as a member of Members United are here. We also have interviews from rank and file participants from Labor Notes 2024. We have some links below that get you to some great information and other Podcasts on the Network.  The Labor Radio Podcast Network can be found at LaborRadioNetwork.org To find out more about UAW Region 9 visit Region9.uaw.org  Follow Lynn Fields, her Podcast is Resolved Labor Pocdcast on Spotify    Find Harold Phillips and his show Labor Week on Spotify at this link Follow the link here to find out more about Labor Notes. A group of like minded Union members that has been advocating for all workers since 1979.  Special Thank You to UAW 2209 for their support of this programing. Special Thank You to the Communications Workers of America they are at CWA_Union.org Find out how they can help you organize you workplace CWA-Union/Organize  Thanks for listening we can be found at My Labor Radio.org On Instagram we are @My_Labor_Radio In Facebook we are My Labor Radio On TikTok we are MyLaborRadio On Twitter we are @mgevaart                         

This episode we talk with Kiley Adolf who is one of the two people running for the open seat in Indiana's Third Congressional District. The winner of the May 7, 2024 Indiana primary, will be on the ballot to face a Republican challenger in November 2024. We spent about an hour talking on a number of important issues and her birth as a candidate from the support of friends and family. You can find more about her on the website KileyforCongress.org and you can also follow her on the socials as well. Her web address is KileyForCongress.org  On Instagram she is @KileyIndiana On Facebook she is KileyAdolfForCongress  On Twitter she is @KileyMAdolf  Thanks to the Communications Workers of America CWA-Union.org for their continued support of My Labor radio. When you are ready to organize in your workplace, contact an organizer here CWA Union/Organize  Also thank you to UAW 2209 for their support of the work we do. They are an amalgamated Union in NE Indiana with over 4,000 members working and making a difference in the tri state area.  Thanks for listening, visit our website for more on us and links to some things too.  MyLaborRadio.org     

Seán McDonagh, General Secretary, Communications Workers' Union, outlines significant new pay deals for eir and An Post employees.

Ralph is joined by Tim Judson from the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (N.I.R.S.) to discuss the growing support for nuclear power in Congress, and the persistent myths that fuel nuclear advocates' false hopes for a nuclear future. Then, Ralph pays tribute to Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who died unexpectedly this week in the middle of giving his deposition for a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against Boeing. Plus, Ralph answers some of your audience feedback from last week's interview with Barbara McQuade. Tim Judson is Executive Director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (N.I.R.S.). Mr. Judson leads N.I.R.S.' work on nuclear reactor and climate change issues, and has written a series of reports on nuclear bailouts and sustainable energy. He is Chair of the Board of Citizens Awareness Network, one of the lead organizations in the successful campaign to close the Vermont Yankee reactor, and co-founder of Alliance for a Green Economy in New York.Listeners should know that this very complex system called the nuclear fuel cycle—that starts with uranium mines out west piling up radioactive tailings, which have exposed people downwind to radioactive hazards…And then they have to enrich the uranium—and that is often done by burning coal, which pollutes the air and contributes to climate disruption. And then they have to fabricate the fuel rods and build the nuclear plants. And then they have to make sure that these nuclear plants are secure against sabotage. And then you have the problem of transporting—by trucks or rail—radioactive waste to some depositories that don't exist. And they have to go through towns, cities, and villages. And what is all this for? It's to boil water. Ralph NaderIn 2021 and 2022, when the big infrastructure bills— the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act—were being passed by Congress, the utility industry spent $192 million on federal lobbying in those two years. That's more than the oil industry spent in those two years on lobbying. These are the utility companies that are present in every community around the country. And their business is actually less in selling electricity and natural gas, and more in lobbying state and federal governments to get their rates approved…The utility industry (and the nuclear industry as a subset of that) have been lobbying Congress relentlessly for years to protect what they've got.Tim JudsonFusion is one of these technologies that's always been 30 years away. Whenever there's an announcement about an advancement in fusion research, it's still “going to be 30 years before we get a reactor going.” Now there's a lot more hype, and these tech investors are putting money into fusion with the promise that they're going to have a reactor online in a few years. But there's no track record to suggest that that's going to happen. It keeps the dream of nuclear alive— “We could have infinite amounts of clean energy for the future.” It sounds too good to be true. It's always proven to be too good to be true.Tim JudsonOne of the lines that they're using to promote theAtomic Energy Advancement Act and all of these investments in nuclear… is that we can't let Russia and China be the ones that are expanding nuclear energy worldwide. It's got to be the US that does it.Tim JudsonIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 3/12/241. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, has released a report claiming that “employees released into Gaza from Israeli detention [were] pressured by Israeli authorities into falsely stating that the agency has Hamas links and that staff took part in the October 7 attacks,” per the Times of Israel. These supposed admissions of guilt led to the United States and many European countries cutting off or delaying aid to the agency. The unpublished report alleges that UNRWA staffers were “detained by the Israeli army, and…experienced…severe physical beatings, waterboarding, and threats of harm to family members.” The report goes on to say “In addition to the alleged abuse endured by UNRWA staff members, Palestinian detainees more broadly described allegations of abuse, including beatings, humiliation, threats, dog attacks, sexual violence, and deaths of detainees denied medical treatment.”2. Continuing the genocidal assault on Gaza, Israel has been bombing the densely populated city of Rafah in the South. Domestically, this seems to be too far for even Biden's closest allies, with the AP reporting just before the assault that “[Senator Chris] Coons…of Delaware, called for the U.S. to cut military aid to Israel if Netanyahu goes ahead with a threatened offensive on the southern city of Rafah without significant provisions to protect the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there. [And Senator] Jack Reed, head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, appealed to Biden to deploy the U.S. Navy to get humanitarian aid to Gaza. Biden ally Sen. Tim Kaine challenged the U.S. strikes on the Houthis as unlikely to stop the Red Sea attacks. And the most senior Democrat in the Senate [Patty Murray of Washington] called for Israel to ‘change course.'” Hewing to these voices within his party, President Biden declared that an invasion of Rafah would be a “red line.” Yet POLTICO reports that Israeli PM Netanyahu “says he intends to press ahead with an invasion.” POLTICO now reports that Biden is threatening to condition military aid to Israel in response to Netanyahu's defiance, but it remains to be seen whether the president will follow through on this threat.3. POLITICO also reports that CIA Director Bill Burns is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying “The reality is that there are children who are starving…They're malnourished as a result of the fact that humanitarian assistance can't get to them. It's very difficult to distribute humanitarian assistance effectively unless you have a ceasefire.” This is obviously correct, and illustrates how out of touch the Democratic Party is that they are getting outflanked on peace issues by the literal director of the CIA.4. Whether unwilling – or unable – to change course on Gaza, President Biden is paying the electoral price. In last week's Super Tuesday primaries, the Nation reports “Uncommitted” won 19 percent of the vote and 11 delegates in Minnesota, 29 percent and seven delegates in Hawaii, and 12.7 percent in North Carolina. This week, the New York Times reports Uncommitted took 7.5% – nearly 50,000 votes – in Washington State. Biden also lost the caucus in American Samoa, making him the first incumbent president since Carter to lose a nominating contest, per Newsweek.5. In yet another manifestation of opposition to the genocide in Gaza, Jewish director Jonathan Glazer used his Oscar acceptance speech to “[denounce] the bloodshed in the Middle East and [ask] the audience to consider how it could ‘resist…dehumanization,'” per NBC. Glazer's award winning film “The Zone of Interest” examines how “[a] Nazi commandant…and his family…attempt to build an idyllic life right outside the walls of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland during the Holocaust.” Glazer said “All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present — not to say, 'Look what we did then,' rather, 'Look what we do now.' Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst…Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many people." Glazer was the most forthright in his criticism of the Israeli campaign, but NBC notes “Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef wore red pins on the Oscars red carpet symbolizing calls for a cease-fire.”6. Aware that they are losing the public relations battle, pro-Israel lobbying groups like the UJA-Federation and the Jewish Community Relations Council have enlisted Right-wing messaging guru Frank Luntz to help with their Hasbara PR, the Grayzone reports. Leaked talking points from his presentation run the gamut from playing up unsubstantiated claims of systematic sexual violence committed by Hamas to acknowledging that “'The most potent' tactic in mobilizing opposition to Israel's assault…‘is the visual destruction of Gaza and the human toll'… [because] ‘It ‘looks like a genocide'.”7. Turning from Palestine to East Palestine, Ohio Cleveland.com reports that during a recent Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, National Transportation Safety Board  Chair Jennifer L. Homendy told Ohio's junior Senator JD Vance that “The deliberate burn of rail cars carrying hazardous chemicals after last year's crash…wasn't needed to avoid an explosion because the rail cars were cooling off before they were set on fire.” In a statement, Ohio's senior Senator, progressive Democrat Sherrod Brown, called the testimony “outrageous,” and said “This explosion – which devastated so many – was unnecessary…The people of East Palestine are still living with the consequences of this toxic burn. This is more proof that Norfolk Southern put profits over safety & cannot be trusted.”8. In positive labor news, Bloomberg reports that “About 600 video game testers at Microsoft…'s Activision Blizzard studios have unionized, more than doubling the size of labor's foothold at the software giant, according to the Communications Workers of America.” This brings the unionized workforce at Microsoft to approximately 1,000. To the company's credit, Microsoft has been friendly towards unionization, a marked difference from other technology companies – namely Amazon and Tesla – which have gone to extreme lengths to prevent worker organizing.9. In not so positive labor news, Matt Bruenig's NLRB Edge reports “The ACLU Is Trying to Destroy the Biden NLRB.” In a narrow sense, this story is about the ACLU fighting its workers to preserve its internal mandatory arbitration process. More broadly however, Bruenig illustrates how the ACLU is seeking to oust Biden's NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo – arguing her appointment was unconstitutional – which “could potentially invalidate everything the Biden Board has done.” This is yet another example of the non-profit industrial complex run amok, doing damage to progressive values and opting to possibly inflict economic harm on workers nationwide rather than treat their own workers fairly.10. Finally, according to the Corporate Crime Reporter, “Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck at a hotel in Charleston, South Carolina after a break in depositions in a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit.” Barnett's lawyer Brian Knowles told the paper “They found him in his truck dead from an ‘alleged' self-inflicted gunshot.” Barnett had gone on record saying “[Boeing] started pressuring us to not document defects, to work outside the procedures, to allow defective material to be installed without being corrected. They started bypassing procedures and not maintaining configurement control of airplanes, not maintaining control of non conforming parts –  they just wanted to get the planes pushed out the door and make the cash register ring.” The timing and circumstances of Barnett's death raise disturbing questions; we hope an exhaustive investigation turns up some answers.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Mary Kay Henry is the president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 2 million people in unions across the US and Canada.In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Mary Kay discuss the current surge in the labor movement and what it means for American companies and workers. Mary Kay breaks down some recent developments, including Microsoft's agreement with the Communications Workers of America around unions for game developers.  The conversation also delves into political dynamics, exploring the evolving relationship between Republicans and labor, with Mary Kay providing nuanced insights into why some newly elected figures in the Republican party seem to be evolving on labor issues. They also discuss the effects of immigration on the country's labor market over the last 50 years, and where the labor movement stands on immigration today. The episode concludes with Mary Kay sharing advice for CEOs, discussing term limits, and even delving into a conspiracy theory she finds intriguing. The conversation offers a unique glimpse into Mary Kay's leadership philosophy, advocating for a culture of agility and a proactive approach to challenges within the labor movement.World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Mary Kay Henry on X at @MaryKayHenry.

On December 12, Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicare call center workers at Maximus, the federal government's largest call center contractor, traveled from across the country to rally and protest outside of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. Workers demanded that HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Biden Administration require livable wages of $25 per hour on federal call center contracts, ensure workers have access to affordable health care, and to investigate Maximus's low road employment practices.After the rally, the workers, members of the Communications Workers of America Union (CWA), were rebuffed when they tried to deliver a petition to the HHS main entrance. Rev. Mark Thompson joined the workers in nonviolent disobedience and arrest on Independence Avenue, in front of HHS.Rally speakers included:CWA President Claude CummingsRep, Bennie Thompson (D-MS)Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay HenryACA and Medicare Call Center Worker Katherine CharlesRep. Greg Casar (D-TX)Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)Rep, Cori Bush (D-MO)ACA and Medicare Call Center Worker Adriana LewisAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy