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Check your colour palette, get everything symmetrical, and put on your toque because Dungeon Punks are going aquatic! Join the crew of El Tigre del Mar as they head out on expedition to the Shirahama Offshore Comprehensive Experiment Tower and try to find the sea creature(s?) troubling the locals. Featured Music: "resort towns" by houseguest and "help myself" by Yawn Odyssey Aquatica (Old Dog Games) is a 1960s oceanographic adventure playset for the PARAGON system from the AGON roleplaying game. AGON is designed by John Harper and Sean Nittner. Dungeon Punks is recorded and produced by Kirk Hamilton. Super U is played using Masks: A New Generation. ——— Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/dungeonpunks Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Bluesky @dungeonpunks.bsky.social, Instagram/Threads @DungeonPunks or subscribe on YouTube Come hang out on our Discord channel! Find the Songs From Bands We Like on our Spotify and YouTube Music playlists. ——— ODYSSEY AQUATICA CAST: Stu Popp as The GM aka Everyone's Podcast Dad™ aka The Director Taylor Ramone as Mingus Fil Cieplak as Jacob Isaacs Kirk Hamilton as Max Tenta Leigh Eldridge as Jill Brody
Earlier today, Variety broke the news that distributor Cineverse (Terrifier 3) has signed a deal to distribute writer-director Macon Blair's The Toxic Avenger in theaters and streaming across North America in 2025. Filmed in 2021 in Bulgaria, the reimagining of the classic Troma film was first shown at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas in 2023 but then things went... silent. Word was that the film had trouble securing distribution. Legendary Pictures, who produced the film, remained mostly silent on its potential release until today's announcement. Host Zack Beins and Talkin' Troma correspondent Chaz Kangas break down the news and talk about a brighter, more Tromatic Tomorrow in this special report! NO SPOILERS! We also round up recent news about the upcoming Toxic Crusaders video game, the release of #ShakespearesShitstorm, TromaDance, and much more!Support the show! Make a donation at https://my.loudspeaker.orgMentioned in this episode:Announcement in VarietyThe Toxic Avenger Teaser TrailerToxic Crusaders Video Game UpdateThe TromArchive Collection - Refuse FilmsThe TromArchive Collection - Grindhouse Video (US)Hosted by Zack Beins and Chaz Kangas. Produced by Chris Lanphear for Loudspeaker Studios. Talkin' Troma Theme Music by J57 and Bald Halfwit.Featured Music:"Radetzky March" by Johann StraussConnect with Zack:https://twitter.com/legolarryhttps://www.instagram.com/legolarry/Connect with Talkin' Troma:https://www.talkintroma.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/talkintroma.bsky.socialhttps://twitter.com/talkintromahttps://www.youtube.com/@talkintromaConnect with Loudspeaker:https://twitter.com/heyloudspeakerhttps://www.facebook.com/heyloudspeakerhttps://www.instagram.com/heyloudspeakerTalkin' Troma is a listener-supported production of Loudspeaker Studios. Hear more great shows and commercial-free independent public radio at https://www.loudspeaker.org.
Episode Overview:In this captivating episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steven Roby sits down with South African guitarist and composer Derek Gripper to discuss his groundbreaking collaboration with Malian kora master Ballaké Sissoko. Known for his ability to translate the kora's 21 strings onto a six-string guitar, Derek shares the stories behind their self-titled album, recorded in just three hours, and the unique synergy that defines their performances. From his journey of blending classical guitar with African string traditions to his creative philosophy, Derek offers an intimate look into his world of music. Episode Highlights: The Magic of Collaboration: Derek shares how he and Ballaké Sissoko overcame language barriers to create music that transcends cultural and stylistic boundaries. Behind the Album: Insights into the creative process of their self-titled album, including the stories behind tracks like "Moss on the Mountain" and "Ninkoy." Improvisation and Minimalism: Derek reflects on the art of creating music with simplicity and how working with Ballaké influenced his solo playing. A Musical Bridge: How Derek's transcriptions of kora compositions and his Cape heritage shaped his unique approach to the guitar. Upcoming Performance: A preview of Derek and Ballaké's January 26 performance at the Raven Performing Arts Theater in Healdsburg. Featured Music in This Episode: "Daraka" "Moss on the Mountain" "Ninkoy" About the Guest:Derek Gripper is a South African guitarist known for his innovative West African kora music transcriptions. His collaborations with Ballaké Sissoko and his reinterpretation of classical and folk traditions have garnered international acclaim. Derek's music is a bridge between worlds, blending intricate African string music with classical guitar techniques. Upcoming Show Info: Date: January 26, 2025 Venue: Raven Performing Arts Theater, Healdsburg Doors Open: 6:30 PM Showtime: 7:30 PM Tickets: Purchase here Where to Find Derek Gripper:Explore Derek Gripper's music and tour schedule at derekgripper.com. Listen Now:Please tune in to hear Derek Gripper's full interview and dive into his world of strings, creativity, and musical transformation. Available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Tonight, host Zack Beins chats with writer/director Charles Kaufman (WHEN NATURE CALLS, JAKARTA) in front of a live crowd following a screening of his infamous 1980 horror-comedy classic, MOTHER'S DAY. Hear about the making of the film, relationships on set, working with siblings Lloyd and Susan Kaufman, what his mother thought of the finished product, shooting stunts in Indonesia, and even a little-known entry in his filmography called THE SECRET DREAMS OF MONA Q – all on Talkin' Troma! Produced in association with The Colorado Festival of Horror. Recorded live on May 17, 2024.Support the show! Make a donation at https://my.loudspeaker.orgMentioned in this episode:Mother's Day 4K UHDStream Mother's DayStream When Nature CallsBread & Cie in San Diego, CAThe Colorado Festival of HorrorThe Bug TheatreHosted by Zack Beins. Produced by Chris Lanphear for Loudspeaker Studios. Additional research by Chaz Kangas. Charles Kaufman photo courtesy of Bryan Bonner. Talkin' Troma Theme Music by J57 and Bald Halfwit. Special thanks to Dan Crosier and Bret Smith of The Colorado Festival of Horror and The Bug Theatre in Denver, CO.Featured Music:"Radetzky March" by Johann StraussConnect with Zack:https://twitter.com/legolarryhttps://www.instagram.com/legolarry/Connect with Talkin' Troma:https://www.talkintroma.comhttps://twitter.com/talkintromahttps://www.youtube.com/@talkintromaConnect with Loudspeaker:https://twitter.com/heyloudspeakerhttps://www.facebook.com/heyloudspeakerhttps://www.instagram.com/heyloudspeakerTalkin' Troma is a listener-supported production of Loudspeaker Studios. Hear more great shows and commercial-free independent public radio at https://www.loudspeaker.org.
It's summer break and Babe is back in town, so you know what that means? It's time for a beach episode! Join Collateral Damage on Norris Beach for some coconut drinks, beach volleyball, and big umbrellas (that last one is for Artemis). Featured Music: "Haunted Beach" by Night Chill and "Anything Can Happen On the Holiest of Days" by The Zolas Dungeon Punks is recorded and produced by Kirk Hamilton. Super U is played using Masks: A New Generation. ——— Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/dungeonpunks Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Twitter: @DungeonPunksPod or Instagram/Threads @DungeonPunks Come hang out on our Discord channel Find the Songs From Bands We Like on our Spotify and YouTube Music playlists. ——— SEASON 3 CAST: Stu Popp as The GM aka Everyone's Podcast Dad™ Fil Cieplak as Jason Evans aka Thrasher Leigh Eldridge as Artemis Archer aka The Bandit Mel Shim as Barbara “Babe” Lacey aka Terra Firma Taylor Ramone as Jackie Hyde aka Cambion AND Kirk Hamilton as Kevin Dance aka Cadence
A discussion with Ramdino Ramdino Roaming the Trails https://www.youtube.com/c/RamdinoRoamingtheTrails Know Adventure, No Adversity, Hike it Forward Psalm 18:32-36 Featured Music by Scott Holmes Scott Holmes “Driven to Success” Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International http://scottholmesmusic.com Join the Trail Maintainers Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/372892616593849/
Two years ago, the US was on the cusp of seeing its first national rail strike in decades. Then, President Joe Biden, at the urging of the rail companies, and with the help of both parties in Congress, preemptively blocked railroad workers from striking in December of 2022. Workers were forced to accept a contract that did not address the vast majority of issues that have been putting them, our communities, and our supply chain at hazard. How has this all shaped railroad workers' attitudes and approaches to the upcoming elections? In this urgent panel discussion, we pose this question directly to three veteran railroaders, and we have an honest discussion about how working people should act strategically within and outside the electoral system to advance their interests. Panelists include: Hugh Sawyer, a veteran locomotive engineer with 36 years of experience, a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 316, and a founding member and acting treasurer of Railroad Workers United; Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 of experience, who has served as co-chair and organizer for Railroad Workers United, where he still edits RWU's quarterly newsletter “The Highball”; Ron Kaminkow, a recently retired former brakeman, conductor, and engineer who worked for many years in freight rail before working 20 years as a passenger engineer at Amtrak, a founding member of RWU and delegate in the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council. Additional links/info below… Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers speak out after Congress and Biden block rail strike” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Why do railroad workers keep dying on the job?” Maximillian Alvarez & Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Labor militancy can't be stopped: Palestine and Labor Notes 2024” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “US freight workers say it's time to nationalize the railroads” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "“This was preventable”: Railroad workers explain how Wall St caused the East Palestine derailment" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Corporate billionaires are wrecking the supply chain. Just look at the railroads” Adam Johnson, Nima Shirazi, Maximillian Alvarez, & Mel Buer, Citations Needed / The Real News Network, “Biden and Congressional Dems partner with GOP and corporate media to discipline railroad workers” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers are being ground to dust. Who will help them?” 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
Last year, we summoned all the Alvarez siblings from the ether to record our annual Halloween episode. Sadly, we were not able to record a new Halloween episode in 2024, but to celebrate the holiday and give listeners a break from all the heavy news, we are publicly releasing last year's spooky special. Jesse, Zak, Max, and MacKenna break down THE defining horror movie of our childhood, the movie that scarred us all: John Carpenter's The Thing. From the whole Alvarez family, we're wishing everyone out there a Happy Halloween! Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song
Peace IPR fam, the season's starting to wind down as we move into October with two more artists. Chicagoland's @khariennui sits with host Cey Sinceŕray (@215imgs) as they focus more on the topic of transformative relationships and their role in our lives as creators and entrepreneurs. Artist Bio — @khariennui I'm from the Chicagoland Area. As a black artist with an eclectic upbringing, I create my music to reflect the wide array of experiences, influences, hardships, and lessons I've been exposed to in my young life. I like to think of my music as my public journal entries, so I hope it gives you a sense of catharsis, validation, and clarity as we grow through these shared experiences together. Music available on Apple Music and Spotify. Main Website: https://msha.ke/khari.ennui/#khari-ennui This episode was recorded in an in-person interview at Soho House in Chicago, IL in September of 2024. IMPORTANT: *INVISIBLE Podcast Radio DOES NOT OWN the rights to the music played in this episode.* Featured Music by @khariennui Song Title: " Seeing Eye" featuring enama
Featured in Benkoela The Ghost of Snacking Past - by Tim Boiteau The Day I Met the Kangaroo Man - by John Davis - narrated by Chuck McKenzie Who's Missing? - by JS O'Keefe Our Audio License AntipodeanSF Radio Show by Ion Newcombe is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Featured Music snack bar by Don Trust is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. Twisting Kangaroo (ID 491) - Remastered by Lobo Loco is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Missing by Scott Holmes Music is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Intro & Outro Music Celestial Navigation by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License
Dateline: D-Day! Captain Universe is punching Nazis through Europe as the Allies beat back the forces of evil! But look out, the deadly duck of danger is speeding his way! Can our universe-hopping heroes stop her before she puts the Captain in an early grave? Only TIME will tell! Featured Music: "Beuys Oh Beuys" by WUT and "Ballad of a Trapeze Artist" by Checkout Queens Dungeon Punks is recorded and produced by Kirk Hamilton. Super U is played using Masks: A New Generation. ——— Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/dungeonpunks Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Twitter: @DungeonPunksPod or Instagram/Threads @DungeonPunks Come hang out on our Discord channel Find the Songs From Bands We Like on our Spotify and YouTube Music playlists. ——— SEASON 3 CAST: Stu Popp as The GM aka Everyone's Podcast Dad™ Fil Cieplak as Jason Evans aka Thrasher Leigh Eldridge as Artemis Archer aka The Bandit Mel Shim as Barbara “Babe” Lacey aka Terra Firma Taylor Ramone as Jackie Hyde aka Cambion AND Kirk Hamilton as Kevin Dance aka Cadence
While Max was inside the Labor Notes conference this past April, attending panels and sharing space with intelligent, hard working organizers, Mel was wandering the conference grounds outside, meeting folks and talking about the joy of being a member of the working class as they sat in the grass and ate their lunches and talked with friends, old and new. There's something to be said about the people you meet when you're sharing cigarettes outside a conference center–one such person was today's guest, adorned in UFCW buttons and sharing his poetry with Mel while they smoked together on a bench near the conference. On this week's episode of Working People, Mel sat down with labor poet and union grocer George Fish, a wonderful man full of stories about his life and work, his experiences growing up and ultimately leaving the Catholic Church, his politics–honed through decades of life experience–and his relationship to his writing and poetry. Additional links/info below… To hear more about our time at LN 2024 - check out our Dispatches from Labor Notes episode Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
The conversation of what transformative relationships (as creatives and entrepreneurs) continue. On this episode, we share space with Chicago's @heartbreak-homie-312. This episode was recorded in an in-person interview at Soho House in Chicago, IL on August of 2024. IMPORTANT: *INVISIBLE Podcast Radio DOES NOT OWN the rights to the music played in this episode.* Featured Music by @heartbreak-homie-312 Song #1: "Butterfly" ft. Tarxan Fenix Song #2: "Wait Until"
In 2024, Working People officially crossed the 300 episode mark! Since we published our first episode back in 2018, the show has grown in ways we never could have imagined, and the world itself has changed in radical, hopeful, terrifying ways, the labor movement has undergone incredible changes, and we've done our best to document that change and this moment in history through the conversations we've had with workers across industries, from all walks of life, about their lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles. Over the past seven seasons of the show, we've interviewed working people, young, old, and middle-aged, union and non-union, worker-owners at worker cooperatives, workers who were just laid off, workers on strike, workers unionizing, families of workers who were killed by their jobs, Indigenous workers living on reservations, workers whose children were murdered in a school shooting, sex workers, academic workers, manufacturing workers, railroad and airline workers, educators, yoga instructors and professional massage therapists, social workers, baristas, journalists, healthcare workers, service workers, construction workers, coal miners, lumberjacks, Amazon workers. We've spoken with working people in Cuba, Canada, Brazil, Slovenia, Turkey, Myanmar, the UK, France, and more. In this special episode commemorating 300 episodes of Working People, Max and new cohost Mel Buer reflect on how far the show has come and where we're going next. To all of our listeners and supporters, to those who have been with us since the beginning and to those who found the show at some point over the past 7 seasons, to everyone who has ever listened to the show, shared our episodes, donated to our Patreon, to everyone who ever reached out to remind us that someone was listening and encouraged us to keep going, to everyone who has supported us , THANK YOU. We love you, and we wouldn't be here without you. We hope to keep making you and all our fellow workers proud with this show, and it's an honor to be in this struggle with you. Additional links/info below… Maximillian Alvarez, Current Affairs, "Can the Working Class Speak?" Working People, "Jesus Alvarez" (the first episode) Mel Buer's TRNN Author Page and Twitter/X profile Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
Featured on Bellona: New Employee Welcome - by Bob Gielow Advance Austraya, Where - by Michael Barry - narrated by Charlie Adler Restive - by J.S. O'Keefe - narrated by Fin Babcock Maya - by Mehreen Ahmed Our Audio License AntipodeanSF Radio Show by Ion Newcombe is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Featured Music auspicious-flutes-master by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. mars-colony-master by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. English Pastry by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Theta Waves | Tech Noir Action Soundtrack Music by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Intro & Outro Music Celestial Navigation by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License
From East Palestine, Ohio, to South Baltimore and beyond, we've been connecting you with residents living in the toxic wastelands left by private and government-run industry—ordinary working people who have been thrust into extraordinary fights for their lives. In the latest installment of our ongoing Sacrificed series, we go to Toledo, Ohio, a city that, in 2014, lost access to its water supply for three days straight due to a massive, toxic algal bloom caused by runoff from industrial animal farming. We speak with filmmaker Mike Balonek and welcome back Chris Albright, a resident of East Palestine, to discuss the connections between the Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster and the Toledo Water Crisis. We also talk about an upcoming conference in Toledo on Saturday, August 3, hosted by the Justice for East Palestine Residents & Workers coalition: “Is your community a sacrifice zone? A conference on corporate-caused disasters.” The conference will focus on the Toledo Water Crisis, the derailment in East Palestine and the need for better railroad safety, and the radioactive poisoning of residents living near the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Pike County, Ohio. The conference will also feature the world premiere of filmmaker Mike Balonek's new documentary The Big Problem In The Great Lakes, a film about the Toledo Water Crisis of 2014. Additional links/info below… Toledo conference details: Saturday, Aug. 3, 9:30AM Mike Balonek, The Big Problem In The Great Lakes WTOL 11, "Timeline | Looking back at the 2014 Toledo water crisis" Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino, & Hannah Faris, The Real News Network, "Factory farms pose an 'existential threat' for rural Wisconsin communities" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Before East Palestine, there was Portsmouth" Stephanie Elverd, The Pakersburg News & Sentinel, "East Palestine residents express frustration with settlement from train derailment" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
On Monday, July 15, on Day 1 of the Republican National Convention, Sean O'Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, became the first Teamsters president ever to address the RNC. Invited by former president Trump, who is now officially the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, O'Brien's speech was no ordinary RNC filler. And to anyone watching, or anyone paying attention to the political reality in this country, this was no ordinary RNC either. O'brien's very presence on the RNC stage, and the contents of his speech, which lasted for 17 minutes, have sparked a firestorm of intense reactions and furious debates within the labor movement and the Republican and Democratic parties alike. Everyone is talking about this speech and what it all means for workers, but workers themselves need to be driving that conversation. In this special episode, cohosted by Max and Mel Buer, we bring together a diverse panel of Teamster members from across the country to have a spirited, fair, and productive discussion about O'Brien's speech, the 2024 elections, and the future of the labor movement. Speakers include: Amber Mathwig, a UPS warehouse worker and member of Teamsters Local 638 in Minnesota; Tony, a UPS worker, member of Teamsters Local 174 in Seattle, and a member of Teamsters Mobilize; Chantelle, a part-time UPS worker and member of Teamsters Local 177 in New Jersey; Rick Smith, a 35-year Teamster working in the freight industry and host of The Rick Smith Show; Zoey Moretti Niebuhr, a UPS worker, third-generation Teamster, member of Teamsters Local 391 in North Carolina, and president of Pride at Work—North Carolina; Jess Leigh, a UPS worker, shop steward for Teamsters Local 728 in Atlanta, and a member of the Teamsters LBGTQ Caucus and Teamsters Mobilize; Kat, a part-time UPS worker and shop steward for Teamsters Local 70 in Oakland; and Robert Conklin, a third-generation Teamster and member of Teamsters Local 665 in San Francisco. Additional links/info below… PBS NewsHour, "WATCH: Teamsters President Sean O'Brien speaks at Republican National Convention | 2024 RNC Night 1" Sean O'Brien post on X about Sen. Josh Hawley Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone, "Union Twitter account goes rogue after president speaks at RNC" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Everybody hates Sean" The Rick Smith Show website, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Instagram Teamsters Mobilize website, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Instagram Teamsters LGBTQ Caucus website Pride at Work—North Carolina Instagram Maximillian Alvarez & Teddy Ostrow, The Real News Network, "UPS and Teamsters reach tentative agreement, but is a strike still possible?" Teddy Ostrow, The Upsurge / The Real News Network, "The UPS Teamsters contract has been ratified. What now?" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
Two months ago, from April 17-21, workers and labor organizers of all stripes convened in Chicago for the bi-annual Labor Notes conference, which overlapped with the Railroad Workers United convention. As the registration website rightly noted, “Labor Notes Conferences are the biggest gatherings of grassroots labor activists, union reformers, and all-around troublemakers out there." This is not a buttoned up convention of union officials; this is a real grassroots gathering of people on the frontlines of struggle, talking openly, honestly, and strategically about their struggles, victories, and defeats, about what we can all learn from one another as fellow workers and fighters, and about how we can all contribute to growing the labor movement as fellow members of that movement. In this on-the-ground episode, cohosted by Max and Mel Buer, we speak with attendees at the RWU convention, Labor Notes, and participants in the Labor for Palestine protest that took place outside of Labor Notes on April 19. Speakers include: Johnny Walker, a railroad worker and member of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers—Transportation Division (SMART-TD) Local 610 in Baltimore; Matt Weaver, who has worked on the railroad since 1994, is a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED-IBT) Local 2624, where he also serves as legislative director for his state; Marcie Pedraza, an electrician at Ford Chicago Assembly Plant and member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 551; Jacob Morrison, a member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), president of the North Alabama Labor Council, and cohost of The Valley Labor Report; Leticia Zavala, legendary farm labor organizer working with farm workers in Mexico and the United States, and a member of El Futuro Es Nuestro (It's Our Future), a farmworker caucus within the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC, AFL-CIO); Colin Smalley, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 777 in Chicago; Berenice Navarrete-Perez, vice president of the Association of Legislative Employees (ALE); Annie Shields, former journalist and union organizer with the NewsGuild of New York; and Axel Persson, a locomotive engineer in France and general secretary of the Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) Railway Workers Union in Trappes. Additional links/info below… Labor Notes website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X page Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page El Futuro Es Nuestro – It's Our Future website and Facebook page Labor for Palestine website The Valley Labor Report YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Patreon Duncan Freeman, The Chief Leader: "At Labor Notes conference, a sense of mission and solidarity" Axel Persson, ML Today, "CGT leader speaks to Labor Notes conference" Martha Grevatt, Workers World, "Militant pro-Palestine demonstration during Labor Notes conference takes the street" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
Featured in Behrens We're Killing This Planet - by Edwina Harvey - narrated by Zaqary Fekete Non-Urgent Repairs - by Bethany Tatman - narrated by Emily Eversun AI and Other Stupid Things - by Rodney Sykes - narrated by Daniel Raven Our Audio License AntipodeanSF Radio Show by Ion Newcombe is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Featured Music planet blender by Kevin Bryce is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. Haunted by Jamie Evans is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. Another beek beep beer please by Rolemusic is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Drink Beer (Till The Day That I Die) by Dazie Mae is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Intro & Outro Music Celestial Navigation by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License
On the morning of Thursday, June 20, unionized nurses at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore held a rally outside the hospital to raise awareness of their efforts to secure a first contract and to show management that they're not backing down from their core demands for safe staffing and an operational model that puts patients and patient care first. "St. Agnes nurses are calling on Ascension to accept their proposals to improve safe staffing and, subsequently, nurse retention," a press release from National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) stated. "Nearly 20 percent of nurses at St. Agnes began employment at the hospital after January 1 of this year. Meanwhile, just over a third of nurses have more than four years of experience at the hospital... The Catholic hospital system is one of the largest in the country with 140 hospitals in 19 states and also one of the wealthiest, with cash reserves, an investment company, and a private equity operation worth billions of dollars—and, because of its nonprofit status, is exempt from paying federal taxes." In this on-the-ground episode, we take you to the NNOC/NNU picket line and speak with Nicki Horvat, an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit at Ascension St. Agnes and member of the bargaining team, about what she and her coworkers are fighting for. Additional links/info below… National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United website, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Instagram NNOC/NNU Press Release: "Ascension Saint Agnes nurses demand hospital accept ‘Patients First,' staffing enforcement policies" Angela Roberts, The Baltimore Sun, "Saint Agnes nurses rally for better pay, more patient protections" Gino Canella, The Real News Network, "An oral history of the 10-month St. Vincent Hospital strike" Gino Canella, The Real News Network, "Striking nurses hold the line against investor-owned healthcare giant" Robert Glatter, Peter Papadakos, & Yash Shah, Time Magazine, "American health care faces a staffing crisis and it's affecting care" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Kaiser workers win big after largest healthcare strike in US history" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
“Southern Brazil is facing its worst climate tragedy ever," Latin-America-based journalist Mike Fox wrote from Brazil for the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) in early May. "Unprecedented floods have impacted 1.4 million people and forced more than 160,000 people from their homes... The images are shocking. Downtown Porto Alegre, the capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, is underwater... On May 2, a dam collapsed, unleashing an over 6-foot-high wave and worsening flooding in the area... Although the tragedy is a natural disaster, experts have pointed out that the lack of preparedness on the part of state and local officials may have contributed to the devastation. According to one report, Porto Alegre slashed funds for flooding prevention over the last three years and didn't spend a cent on it in 2023.” In this episode, we talk with Mike about his reporting trip to Southern Brazil, the devastation he witnessed firsthand, and the conversations he had with poor and working-class people who have borne the worst impacts of the floods and who continue to bear the greatest costs of man-made climate chaos. Additional links/info below… Michael Fox, The Real News Network/NACLA, Under the Shadow (podcast series) Michael Fox Patreon page Michael Fox, NACLA, "“They're making it up as they go”: Inside the response to Brazil's deadly floods" Michael Fox, Al Jazeera, "‘The future is dark': Brazilian businesses shattered by floods" Michael Fox, Truthout, "Climate refugees are occupying abandoned buildings in Southern Brazil" Bianca Graulau, The Real News Network, "The Puerto Ricans illegally occupying land to resist displacement" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "‘CSX has got to go!' Industrially polluted South Baltimore residents want rail giant out of their community" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "South Baltimore residents on the toxic reality of living in a ‘sacrifice zone'" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
On June 10, in the working-class community of Curtis Bay in South Baltimore, over 50 residents, activists, and supporters from around the city marched through the streets of Curtis Bay to hold CSX Transportation accountable for polluting their community, homes, and bodies with toxic coal dust. Even after an expansive scientific study co-sponsored by the Community of Curtis Bay Association, the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Environment confirmed the presence of coal dust in the air of the South Baltimore community of Curtis Bay, CSX has denied culpability and called the study “materially flawed.” Residents say they're fed up with the company refusing to take responsibility for the coal dust, and with the city government for ignoring their cries for help for years, and they're not going to stay quiet. “We got to stand together for Curtis Bay, for South Baltimore,” one resident and youth leader, Carlos Sanchez, told the crowd. “We have to remove CSX for the health of our communities.” With other locals watching from their porches, sidewalks, and storefronts, the crowd marched from the Curtis Bay Rec Center all the way up to the gates of the CSX terminal. There, they signed and delivered a giant “Eviction Notice” to CSX, a company that recorded over $10 billion in gross profits last year. In this on-the-ground edition of Working People, Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Curtis Bay residents on the day of the march and takes you to the heart of the action. Speakers in this episode (in order of appearance) include: Shashawnda Campbell of Baltimore Community Land Trust; David Jones, a resident who has lived in Curtis Bay for over 35 years; Angie Shaneyfelt, a resident who has lived in Curtis Bay for 17 years; Angela Smothers, a lifelong resident of Mt. Winans in South Baltimore; Carlos Sanchez, a youth leader born and raised in Lakeland, South Baltimore; Roma Gutierrez, a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, South Baltimore, and an environmental organizer and youth leader with South Baltimore Community Land Trust; an unnamed representative of Malaya Movement Baltimore; and Maria Urbina, a South Baltimore resident. Additional links/info below… Coal-Free Curtis Bay Facebook page and Instagram South Baltimore Community Land Trust website, Twitter/X page, Facebook page, and Instagram Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "South Baltimore residents on the toxic reality of living in a 'sacrifice zone'" Aman Azhar, InsideClimate News, “South Baltimore communities press city, state regulators for stricter pollution controls on coal export operations” Nicole Fabricant, University of California Press, Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore Nicole Fabricant, The Real News Network, “Opinion | CSX explosion in Curtis Bay should alarm Baltimore City and accelerate real change” Michael Middleton & Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Maryland Matters, “Commentary: Maryland deserves a better environmental justice bill” Chloe Ahmann, Baltimore Sun, “Curtis Bay residents deserve a coal-free future” Christine Condon & Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, “Curtis Bay residents ask state to shut down South Baltimore CSX facility after study documents toll of coal dust” Maryland Department of Environment, "New scientific study confirms airborne coal dust in Curtis Bay community" Adam Willis, The Baltimore Banner, "A state-backed report found coal dust across Curtis Bay. CSX isn't convinced" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
Chuck and Big John talk about how some in Congress are trying to re-criminalize THC, which would deal a massive blow to the CBD/Hemp industry, destroy jobs, and harm people who rely on them. Then, we talk with West Virginia-native singer-songwriter Huey Mack about his initial success in hip hop, his evolution as an artist over the years to a more Americana sound, and how West Virginia always stays with him in his music. Featured Music and Huey Mack's links:Opening song: “Dear West Virginia" by Huey Mack (ft. Brad Paisley and the WVU Choir)Interview intro song: “How did I get here” by Huey MackOutro song: “Pocket Dial” by Huey Mack”Find all of his links and music here: https://shor.by/hueymackBeef Rap — Credit goes to Mr. Awful (Instagram @mrawful304)-----------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:26 — Intro and bio on our guest 01:47 — The political attack on hemp, CBD, and THC in Congress24:58 — Pre-interview info27:55— Interview with Huey Mack01:04:20 — Beef with the Appodlachians-----------------------------------------------HELP SUPPORT APPODLACHIA!Join our Patreon, for as little as $1/month, and access live events, weekly exclusives, bonus series, and more http://www.patreon.com/appodlachi-----------------------------------------------Check out our fantastic sponsors!Red Rooster Coffee! Use our promo code “DOLLY” for free shipping!https://www.redroostercoffee.com/CBD and THC gummies & more: (use code “BANJO” for 25% off) http://www.cornbreadhemp.com/ DISCLAIMER: None of the views expressed in this show represent the views of either Chuck or John's employers, and they never will. Just Access PodcastYour go-to listen for fascinating interviews and discussions about human rights todayListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the Show.
“South Baltimore is a sacrifice zone,” Michael Middleton and Dr. Sacoby Wilson wrote in a guest commentary published in Maryland Matters this February. “The six communities that make up South Baltimore—Cherry Hill, Westport, Mt. Winans, Lakeland, Brooklyn, and Curtis Bay—rank in the top 3% of the state for environmental burden using a Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) screening tool. Curtis Bay, the highest in the state, is Maryland's poster child for environmental injustice. Industrial areas near Curtis Bay house oil tanks, a wastewater treatment plant, chemical plants, landfills, the country's largest medical waste incinerator, and more. Heavy diesel trucks frequent residential streets. The Wagner's Point and Fairfield communities that were once Curtis Bay's neighbors to the east are gone. Those residents accepted buyouts to leave between the 1980s and 2011 after a series of chemical spills and accidents.” In this episode, we continue our “Sacrificed” series by focusing on communities in South Baltimore and a story that quite literally hits close to home, less than half an hour from where Max lives. We speak with a panel of residents of South Baltimore about how they have seen their communities change over the years, what it feels like to be “sacrificed” by industry and their government, how they and their neighbors are fighting for change, fighting for justice, and what others in Baltimore and beyond can do to help. Panelists include: David Jones, who has lived in Curtis Bay for over 35 years; Angela Smothers, a lifelong resident of Mt. Winans; Carlos Sanchez, a youth leader born and raised in Lakeland; and Tiffany Thompson, who was born and raised in Cherry Hill and has lived in Curtis Bay for the past three years. Additional links/info below… Coal-Free Curtis Bay Facebook page Nicole Fabricant, University of California Press, Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore Nicole Fabricant, The Real News Network, “Opinion | CSX explosion in Curtis Bay should alarm Baltimore City and accelerate real change” Michael Middleton & Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Maryland Matters, “Commentary: Maryland deserves a better environmental justice bill” Chloe Ahmann, Baltimore Sun, “Curtis Bay residents deserve a coal-free future” Christine Condon & Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, “Curtis Bay residents ask state to shut down South Baltimore CSX facility after study documents toll of coal dust” Aman Azhar, InsideClimate News, “On a ‘Toxic Tour' of Curtis Bay in South Baltimore, Visiting Academics and Activists See a Hidden Part of the City” Christian Olaniran, Adam Thompson, Caroline Foreback, CBS News, “Residents meet after air quality study reveals presence of coal dust in Curtis Bay” Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
On March 23, 2024, a coalition of around 80 people convened at the East Palestine Country Club at the first gathering called by the newly formed Justice for East Palestine Residents & Workers Coalition. Those in attendance included: East Palestine residents; railroad workers; residents of other “sacrifice zones" in Ohio, Maryland, California, and West Virginia; concerned citizens living near other rail lines; labor activists and labor union representatives; representatives of environmental justice organizations; (striking) journalists; socialists, Trump voters, non-voters, etc.; and more. As journalist Steve Mellon reported, "The newly formed coalition, dubbed Justice for East Palestine Residents & Workers, determined they will travel to Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8 to further their demand that the federal government step in and make sure those affected by the derailment are provided with fully funded health care. They plan to involve union members, including those who represent workers at railroad companies, as well as environmentalists and members of other communities damaged by chemical contamination. The coalition also determined to schedule a second conference in Iowa — the cause has been embraced by union organizers there; several traveled by bus to East Palestine to attend Saturday's event — and to seek a meeting with the president of the AFL-CIO. Organizers want the federation of unions representing more than 12 million workers to support the coalition's demand.” In this extended episode, you will hear a compilation of speakers from the March 23 conference in East Palestine. Speakers include: Lauri Harmon, East Palestine resident; Chris Albright, East Palestine resident; Jami Rae Wallace, East Palestine resident, president of East Palestine Unity Council; Christina Siceloff, East Palestine resident; Rob Two-Hawks, East Palestine resident; Daren Gamble, East Palestine resident; John Palmer, longtime organizer and officer with the Teamsters, but not speaking on behalf of the Teamsters; Andrew Sandberg, International Association of Machinists (IAM); George Waksmunski, United Electrical Workers (UE); Chris Silvera, Teamsters Local 808 Executive Secretary; Steve Mellon, journalist for the Pittsburgh Union Progress, on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for 18 months; Vina Colley, Portsmouth-Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety & Security; Steve Zeltzer, WorkWeek; David Pfister, Food & Water Watch; Nicole Fabricant, activist, academic, and author of Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore; Hilary Flint, Clean Air Action; Penny Logsdon, Lee County, Iowa, Labor Chapter; Jeff Kurtz, Lee County, Iowa, Labor Chapter; Carrie Duncan, Lee County, Iowa, Labor Chapter; Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network; Mike Stout, Musician. Additional links/info below… Justice for East Palestine Residents & Workers website Mike Stout, "Stand Up for East Palestine" music video Steve Zeltzer, The Labor Video Project YouTube channel Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Union Progress, "‘If I don't talk no one's going to know': Stories of pain from East Palestine move coalition members to action" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 Jules Taylor, "E.P. Theme for W.P."
24 hours after Max returned to Baltimore from East Palestine, Ohio, the shipping vessel Dali slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing it into the Patapsco River. The catastrophic collision and collapse of the bridge claimed the lives of six immigrant, non-union construction workers who were working the night shift at the time, filling potholes on the bridge. In this interview on The Valley Labor Report, Alabama's only weekly union talk show, hosts Jacob Morrison and Adam Keller speak with Max about The Real News Network's coverage of the bridge collapse, the connections between Baltimore and East Palestine, and about the conspiracists and "anti-woke" grifters who are trying to capitalize on this tragedy for their own gain. Additional links/info below… Baltimore Immigrant Community Fund Key Bridge Emergency Response The Valley Labor Report YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Patreon The Valley Labor Report, "The Toll of Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore on Working People - TVLR 3/30/24" Democracy Now!, "Baltimore Key Bridge Collapses, Killing Six Immigrant Workers Who Had No Access to Emergency Warnings" America's Workforce Radio, "Union Solidarity Is the Key to Getting East Palestine Residents Help" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Missing, Presumed Dead Workers from Key Bridge Weren't Informed of Mayday Call" Maximillian Alvarez, The Nation, "Echoes of East Palestine in the Key Bridge Collapse" Breaking Points, "Construction Workers ABANDONED in Baltimore Bridge Collapse" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 Jules Taylor, "TVLR Theme Song / Florence Reece Remix"
This Saturday, March 23, unionists and labor leaders, environmental justice groups, community organizers, community members from other “sacrifice zones,” and supporters from around the country are coming to East Palestine to join residents as part of the newly formed Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers coalition. The coalition has come together in recent months and mobilized around the core objective of pressuring President Biden to invoke the Stafford Act and issue a major disaster declaration for East Palestine. If Biden does this, organizers say, it will immediately unlock a whole suite of federal resources that residents desperately need and have been demanding for a year, and it will also immediately guarantee every resident emergency healthcare. For residents like Chris Albright—a former pipeline worker and LIUNA member who has been disabled by the toxic fallout from the derailment, is now experiencing severe heart failure, can't work, and has subsequently lost his health benefits—this is a matter of life and death, and we are racing against the clock. This episode is a compilation of voices from across the growing Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers coalition. Speeches in the first half are from a panel cohosted by Steve Zeltzer and Penny Logsdon and recorded by the Labor Video Project on Feb. 3, 2024, the one-year anniversary of the derailment; speeches in the second half are from another panel cohosted by Steve Zeltzer and Penny Logsdon and recorded by the Labor Video Project on March 9, 2024. Speakers include: Steve Zeltzer (Labortech); Penny Logsdon (Lee County Labor Chapter); Chris Albright (East Palestine resident, LIUNA member); Jami Wallace (East Palestine Unity Council); Steve Mellon (Pittsburgh Union Progress); Jeff Kurtz (Lee County Labor Chapter); Maximillian Alvarez (The Real News Network); Mike Stout (protest musician); Charlie Wishman (Iowa AFL-CIO); John Palmer (Teamsters, San Antonio); Bob Anspach (BLET-IBT 391); Vina Colley (Portsmouth Pikeston Residents for Environmental Justice). From the Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers organizing committee: "We will be hosting a National Conference for the people of East Palestine along with supporters in Ohio and throughout the country to build this campaign for healthcare on Saturday, March 23, 2024, where we will bring community members, labor, environmentalist and allies together in our urgent campaign. This Conference will be held from 12-5pm ET at the East Palestine Park. To contact the Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers organizing committee, reach out to Steve Zeltzer: labormedia[at]gmail[dot]com Penny Logsdon: onecent7921[at]gmail[dot]com In solidarity." Additional links/info below… Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Union Progress, "‘Where are you, President Biden?' Union organizers, residents demand health care for East Palestine" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "East Palestine DEMANDS Biden Visit More Than 'PHOTO OP'" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
Brett Cross is a small-town kid who grew up in Western Texas, among the oil fields, near Odessa. He worked in the oil fields, worked his way up to doing pipeline work, eventually moving to green energy work. He even became a foreman, working hard to provide for his family. And Brett was at work when he got the call from his wife Nikki that changed their lives forever. It was May 24, 2022, Nikki was at their sons' school, Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, Texas. “This is not a fucking joke,” she said, “there's a shooter at the boys' school.” We talk to Brett about his life before, about living in a small town, working and making your own fun, we talk about some of the family memories he cherishes most. We remember Brett and Nikki's son Uziyah "Uzi" Garcia, we talk about the day Uzi was taken from them, along with 18 of his classmates and two of his teachers, and we talk about the unimaginable fight for justice and real change that Brett and Nikki have been fighting ever since. C/W: This episode discusses school shootings and the murdering of children. Additional links/info below… Brett's Twitter/X page Sneha Dey, Erin Douglas, Andrew Zhang, Brooke Park, & Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune / ProPublica, "21 Lives Lost: Uvalde Victims Were a Cross-Section of a Small, Mostly Latino Town in South Texas" Edgar Sandoval, The New York Times, "A Year After the Uvalde Massacre: Did Anything Change?" Gus Bova, Texas Observer, "The Uvalde Parents Won't Back Down" Elissa Jorgensen, American Statesman, "'There Are no Good Days': Uziyah's Family Won't Stop Fighting Until Gun Laws Change" Danielle Campoamor, Today, "A Father's Fury: Uvalde Dad Brett Cross Is Mad as Hell and Wants You to Know It" Kayla Padilla, Texas Public Radio, "Arrested Uvalde Father Says Police More Upset With Him Using Expletive Than Children Dying" Yvette Benavides, David Martin Davies, & Julián Aguilar, Texas Public Radio, "'We Did It!' — Uvalde's Entire School Police Department Suspended Following Activism from Families" Lomi Kriel, Alejandro Serrano, & Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune / ProPublica, "'Cascading Failures': Justice Department Blasts Law Enforcement's Botched Response to Uvalde School Shooting" John Woodrow Cox, Steven Rich, Linda Chong, Lucas Trevor, John Muyskens, & Monica Ulmanu, The Washington Post, "More Than 360,000 Students Have Experienced Gun Violence at School Since Columbine" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox Remix" Follow Jules on Twitter and Facebook
One year ago, graduate student-workers at Johns Hopkins University overwhelmingly voted to unionize under the banner of Teachers and Researchers United (TRU-UE), which is affiliated with United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers. While workers had much to celebrate with their historic union election victory, bargaining a first contract with the university administration has been another story. On February 20, fed up with what workers say have been disrespectful and insufficient offers from the university administration, TRU-UE members held practice pickets on campus to show the administration what's in store if more progress is not made at the bargaining table soon. In this on-the-ground episode, we take you straight to the picket line to hear from worker-organizers about what they're fighting for and what they're asking supporters to do to help. Additional links/info below… Teachers and Researchers United (TRU-UE) website, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Instagram Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Now or never: Grad Student-Workers at Johns Hopkins Mobilize Ahead of Union Election" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "These Workers Are Making Baltimore a Union Town Again" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Johns Hopkins University Graduate Students Are Organizing for a Living Wage" Ryan Quinn, Inside Higher Ed, "Johns Hopkins Grad Students Successfully Unionize" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox Remix"
Collateral Damage gets antsy in the hours leading up to the big exam. Tensions are high, nerves are frayed, and drinks are mayo'd. Featured Music: "a little life" by la lune and "Late Bloomer" by The Arbuckles Dungeon Punks is recorded and produced by Kirk Hamilton. Super U is being played on Masks: A New Generation. ——— Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/dungeonpunks Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Twitter: @DungeonPunksPod or Instagram/Threads @DungeonPunks Come hang out on our Discord channel Find the Songs From Bands We Like on our Spotify and YouTube Music playlists. ——— SEASON 3 CAST: Stu Popp as The GM aka Everyone's Podcast Dad(TM) Fil Cieplak as Jason Evans aka Thrasher Leigh Eldridge as Artemis Archer aka The Bandit Mel Shim as Barbara “Babe” Lacey aka Terra Firma Taylor Ramone as Jackie Hyde aka Cambion AND Kirk Hamilton as Kevin Dance aka Cadence
Baltimore has become what many consider to be ground zero in the emerging “solidarity economy” and the formation of worker-owned, cooperatively run businesses. There's something important going on here, and there's a lot that we can all learn from our fellow workers who are in the cooperative space—people who are living, breathing proof that there's another way to run a business, that there's another way to run our economy, and that there are other ways we can treat work and workers. At a recent event hosted by the Baltimore Museum of Industry titled "Work Matters: Building a Worker-Owned Co-op," Max moderated a panel including workers and representatives from Common Ground Bakery Café, Taharka Bros Ice Cream, A Few Cool Hardware Stores, and the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy (BRED). He talked to them about how they came to work at these different co-ops, how their businesses transitioned to more cooperative models, and they dig into the nitty gritty of what working at a co-op looks like, what it takes for workers to democratically run a business, and the real challenges, limitations, and rewards that come with this kind of work. Panelists include: Vince Green (Taharka Bros Ice Cream); David Evans (A Few Cool Hardware Stores); Craig Smith (A Few Cool Hardware Stores); Sierra Allen (Common Ground Bakery Café); Christa Daring (BRED). Additional links/info below… Baltimore Museum of Industry website, Facebook page, and Instagram Jaisal Noor, The Real News Network, "Worker Co-ops vs. COVID" Jaisal Noor, The Real News Network, "Taharka Bros: Ice Cream with a Side of Worker Ownership" Working People, "Your Job Doesn't Have to Suck (w/ Jaisal Noor)" Lisa Elaine Held, The Washington Post, "Amid Food-Industry Upheaval, Baltimore Businesses Are Handing Workers the Keys" Rebekah Kirkman, The Real News Network, "After Beloved Baltimore Coffee Shop Abruptly Closed, Workers Reopen as Co-op" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 Jules Taylor, "Working People Live Show" Theme Song Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox I Live On Remix" Follow Jules Taylor on Twitter and Facebook
For a link to a PDF transcript of this episode, click HERE.To go to this episode's home page, click HERE :)~ ~ ~ ~ ~The year is 1844...two dentists are perched on the verge of one of the greatest medical discoveries of modern times...will the world be ready?...how will The Universe respond when recognition and fortune are the pursued prizes?Spoilers: it doesn't end well!~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Join Dave and Ellen as they unpack the true history behind one of the most famous quotations in modern medicine: "Gentlemen: This is no humbug!"This episode's prologue, “The Price of Humbug” is adapted from an essay published in Dave's Notes (the official blog of Empowered Sleep Apnea), original e-publication date 6/22/22.To read Dr. Ellen Stothard's camping study that's mentioned in this episode, click HERE, and to get a glimpse of how the world reacted, read this piece in Sci-News.Featured Music on today's program! The legendary St. Louis musician & performer Billy Barnett. Tracks featured on today's show:Late Night FM (from the 2018 album: This is Our City by The Billy Barnett Project)User Friendly (from the 1992 album: Mr. Hyde by Billy's first band, Streetcorner)more info: www.BillyBarnett.com Our Website: https://www.empoweredsleepapnea.comOfficial Blog: "Dave's Notes" : https://www.empoweredsleepapnea.com/daves-notesTo go to the BookBaby bookstore and view the BOOK, click HERE!
With their first semester coming to a close and finals approaching, Collateral Damage takes some to prepare. Jason lets off some steam, Babe & Jackie (attempt to) study, and Artemis schemes, while Kevin has some surprises up his sleeve. Featured Music: pretty (ugly version) by Worrywart and Worst Day Ever by Danger Box Dungeon Punks is recorded and produced by Kirk Hamilton. Super U is being played on Masks: A New Generation. ——— Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/dungeonpunks Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Twitter: @DungeonPunksPod or Instagram/Threads @DungeonPunks Come hang out on our Discord channel Find the Songs From Bands We Like on our Spotify and YouTube Music playlists. ——— SEASON 3 CAST: Stu Popp as The GM aka Everyone's Podcast Dad(TM) Fil Cieplak as Jason Evans aka Thrasher Leigh Eldridge as Artemis Archer aka The Bandit Mel Shim as Barbara “Babe” Lacey aka Terra Firma Taylor Ramone as Jackie Hyde aka Cambion AND Kirk Hamilton as Kevin Dance aka Cadence
Feb. 3, 2024, marks the one-year anniversary of the Norfolk Southern train derailment that changed life forever for the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, and the surrounding area. The derailment of 38 rail cars and the subsequent “controlled release” and burnoff of toxic vinyl chloride was one of the most catastrophic industrial accidents in our country's history—and a catastrophe of equal or greater proportion could happen again tomorrow, because we have done little to substantively address the issues that caused it. While the media and most of the country have forgotten about them, for the people still living in and around East Palestine, life will never be what it was on Feb 2, 2023. "At the one year mark," warns Christa, a resident who has lived in the area her whole life, "I want everybody across the country and across the world to know that this could happen to you... We were an invisible town, an invisible region, and we liked it that way. None of us ever wanted to be on the news... We were very happy being invisible, and then they poisoned our town, and it has changed everything forever." To commemorate the anniversary of the East Palestine disaster, we begin Season 7 of Working People with this special compilation episode featuring firsthand testimonies of five East Palestine residents: Christa, Chris Albright, Jessica Albright, Stella Gamble, and Daren Gamble. Additional links/info below… Jami Wallace, The Inquirer, "One Year Ago, a Train Derailment Upended My Town. I'll Spend the Rest of My Life Worrying" Last Week Tonight, "Freight Trains: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)" Emily Baumgaertner, The New York Times, "One Family's Toxic Train Wreck Ordeal: Illness, Exile and Debt" Working People, "12-HR LIVESTREAM: Let's help East Palestine families have a good Christmas!" Savage Joy Marie Mann, "EAST PALESTINE OHIO MUTUAL AID FUNDRAISER" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "They Were Just Another East Palestine Family—Until Norfolk Southern Set Off a Bomb in Their Lives" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "The US Government Has Abandoned East Palestine" Maximillian Alvarez, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally" Savage Joy Marie Mann, "My Full Recording of Meeting with Mark Durno of the East Palestine EPA" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, 100 Days Later" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Have Been Left Behind—and They're Running Out of Water" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "'This Was Preventable': Railroad Workers Explain How Wall St. Caused the East Palestine Derailment" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "Rail Worker EXPOSES Ohio Disaster COVERUP" Mike L., The Real News Network, "A Carman's Perspective on the East Palestine Derailment and the Railroad Industry as a Whole" Al Jazeera English, "What's Behind Train Derailments in the US? | Fault Lines Documentary" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 Dark and Synthy music for this episode also by Jules Taylor
From October 4-6 of this year, the US experienced the largest healthcare worker strike in our history, when over 75,000 workers with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions went on a three-day strike against the healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente. Then, on October 13, after warning that more strikes could be coming if a deal wasn't reached at the bargaining table, healthcare workers scored a major victory and reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser, which the union membership, accounting for over 85,000 Kaiser Permanente workers across the country, voted to ratify in early November. As the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions stated in a press release upon the contract ratification, “In a historic victory for frontline healthcare workers, more than 85,000 Kaiser Permanente workers have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract that will bolster patient safety, make critical investments in the healthcare workforce, and set a higher standard for the healthcare industry nationwide. Approved by a margin of 98.5%, the four-year contract is in effect from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2027, at hundreds of Kaiser facilities across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.” In this mini-cast, we speak with Meg Niemi, President of SEIU Local 49, and Audrey Cardenas, a benefits support specialist at a Kaiser dental office in Oregon, about how Kaiser healthcare workers took on the bosses and won this new contract, and what that is going to mean for workers and patients alike moving forward. Additional links/info below… SEIU Local 49 website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X page SEIU United Healthcare Workers West website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X page Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions website and Twitter/X page Meg's Twitter/X page SEIU-UHW Press Release: "More than 85,000 Kaiser Permanente Workers Ratify Landmark New Contract" Michael Sainato, The Guardian, "Kaiser Permanente and Unions Reach Deal after Healthcare Workers' Strike" Reuters, "Kaiser Healthcare Workers Ratify New Contract" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "35,000 Kaiser Permanente Workers Are Set to Strike, and the Future of US Healthcare Is at Stake (from 2021)" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
Brazil's Radical Plan to Fight Slave-Like Working Conditions (w/ Marcos, John, & Vitor Filgueiras) In this special international episode, we get the chance to talk to folks in Brazil about the farmworkers who are being trapped in slave-like conditions, and about a truly radical new government program that is trying to break the cycle of enslavement and exploitation. As Vitor Filgueiras, Professor of Economics at the Federal University of Bahia, writes, “Between 1995 and mid-2020, more than 55,000 workers were removed from conditions analogous to slavery by the Brazilian State, without any indication that there has been a reduction in this type of criminal exploitation of labour in the country. On the contrary, many workers are repeated victims of extreme exploitation.” As we discuss with Filgueiras himself in the second half of this episode, there have been numerous past efforts to liberate farmworkers from these slave-like conditions, but if workers don't have other means or opportunities to economically sustain themselves, they are at high risk of falling right back into this exploitative system to make ends meet. And that is why the project “Vida Pós Resgate” (Life After Rescue) was created in 2017 through a partnership between the Federal University of Bahia's Faculty of Economics and the Federal Labor Prosecution Office for the 23rd Region. The program is designed to take the fines that employers are forced to pay for violating workers rights and use that money to buy land, tools, seed, and other necessities for rescued farmworkers to develop self-sufficient farms that they own and operate themselves. While the program is still in its early stages, if it is successful, it could have wide-ranging implications for working people in Brazil and beyond. In the first half of this episode, with Vitor Filgueiras translating, we speak with Marcos and John, two farmworkers who were rescued from slave-like conditions and are now among the Life After Rescue program's first participants. In the second half, we speak with Filgueiras about where this policy came from, what it will take to make it work, and about the fight to return the land and the means of production to the people. Special thanks to Mike Fox for editing assistance. Additional links/info below… Vitor's Twitter/X profile Vitor Filgueiras, Delta 8.7, "Slave-Like Labour in Brazil and the Vida Pós Resgate Project"Reuters, "Brazil Rescues Hundreds Held in Modern-Day Slave Conditions"Dom Phillips, The Guardian, "'Fewer People Will Be Freed': Brazil Accused of Easing Anti-Slavery Rules"Matt Sandy, Al Jazeera, "Heartache and Suffering: Slavery in Brazil" Working People YouTube channel Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
It's been nearly 10 months since the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train and the subsequent “controlled release” and burnoff of toxic vinyl chloride changed life forever for the residents of East Palestine, Ohio. While the media, politicians, and the public have largely moved on, people living in and around East Palestine have been abandoned by Norfolk Southern, by their state and federal governments, and left to rot in the toxic fallout. We cannot forget about them. In September of this year, Max was invited to the Harvard Law School to participate in an all-day event titled "Storytelling for Justice—East Palestine," where he conducted a live Working People interview with Chris and Jessica Albright, two residents of East Palestine whose lives have been turned upside down by the derailment. After recording and publishing that live show, we've kept in touch with the Albrights as they and their family continue to do whatever they can to pick up the pieces after Norfolk Southern shattered the life they knew before Feb. 3. In this episode, we talk once again with Chris and Jessica about their lives before the derailment, and about the hell they've been living through ever since. Additional links/info below… GoFundMe: Help Albright Family Recover from Train Disaster Emily Baumgaertner, The New York Times, "One Family's Toxic Train Wreck Ordeal: Illness, Exile and Debt" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "The US Government Has Abandoned East Palestine" Maximillian Alvarez, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally" Savage Joy Marie Mann, "My Full Recording of Meeting with Mark Durno of the East Palestine EPA" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, 100 Days Later" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Have Been Left Behind—and They're Running Out of Water" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "'This Was Preventable': Railroad Workers Explain How Wall St. Caused the East Palestine Derailment" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "Rail Worker EXPOSES Ohio Disaster COVERUP" Mike L., The Real News Network, "A Carman's Perspective on the East Palestine Derailment and the Railroad Industry as a Whole" Al Jazeera English, "What's Behind Train Derailments in the US? | Fault Lines Documentary" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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
With each passing day, more Israeli bombs are falling on Gaza, more bodies are being blown apart and buried under the rubble, over a million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. Over the past month and a half, the world has borne witness to a genocidal military campaign to clear out Gaza once and for all, and every day, every hour, it feels like the chance to stop one of humanity's most inhumane crimes is slipping through our fingers, and the powers that be have shown no interest whatsoever in listening to the thundering calls for a ceasefire coming from governments and mass demonstrations around the world, particularly the Biden administration in the US, the increasingly fascistic Netanyahu government in Israel, and the arms manufacturers and war profiteers who are raking in billions from manufacturing mass death. This is prompting people of conscience around the world, including unions and worker-led groups, to speak out and take action to try to stop the slaughter. One of those unions is the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 (ALAA), whose members include legal aid workers at over 25 organizations, including the Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service, and the Legal Aid Society of New York City. Last week, ALAA members were preparing to hold a vote on whether or not to approve the union publicly issuing a "Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers' Political Speech." In the lead-up to the vote, union members at different legal aid offices reported strong opposition from management. “These statements call for the elimination of the state of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people,” Twyla Carter, Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Aid Society, reportedly told staff, expressing concern that certain donors would pull funding from the Legal Aid Society if the union passed the resolution. Then, on Thursday, Nov 16, as Akela Lacy reports at The Intercept, "attorneys at the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County sued in New York State Supreme Court to stop the vote, saying it posed an ethical dilemma for attorneys that would make it “impossible for them to properly do their job as Public Defenders.” Those four attorneys were ALAA bargaining unit members. "On Friday," Lacy continues, "the court granted a temporary restraining order enjoining the vote. Voting had gotten underway at 9 a.m. and only 15 minutes were left on the clock when the injunction was issued. The tally never got underway." In this urgent mini-cast, we speak about this unprecedented attack on union democracy and workers' free speech rights with three ALAA members: Allie Goodman, an attorney in the Family Defense Practice at Bronx Defenders; Michael Letwin, a former public defender at Legal Aid in Brooklyn for 37 years who also served as president of ALAA – UAW Local 2325 for 13 years; and Dany Greene, who has worked as a public defender for six years, four of which were spent at Bronx Defenders, where they helped found and organize the BXD Union, and who now works at an appellate office focusing on criminal appeals. Additional links/info below… Labor for Palestine website and Twitter/X page Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, United Auto Workers Local 2325, "Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers' Political Speech" Akela Lacy, The Intercept, "Public Defenders Get Restraining Order to Block Their Own Union from Voting on Gaza Statement" Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, "Bar Association Urged to Fight Censorship of Pro-Palestinian Voices" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
Back in August of 2022, we spoke with Matt Littrell, a picker at the Amazon warehouse in Campbellsville, Kentucky, and one of the lead organizers in an effort to unionize Amazon facilities in Kentucky. When we spoke with Matt, Amazon had just fired him in suspected retaliation for his organizing activities, citing "performance" issues. Since then, Matt has been dragged through a Kafka-esque legal process to hold Amazon, the second largest private employer in the US, accountable for violating workers' rights. In this mini-cast, we check back in with Matt and discuss recent developments in that process, including reaching a settlement with Amazon, which the National Labor Relations Board is now challenging, leaving Matt in legal limbo. Additional links/info below… Matt's Twitter/X page and LinkTree Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network / Working People, "Amazon Fires Another Organizer to Allegedly Stop Kentucky Facilities Unionizing" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
On the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 8, members of the Teamsters union led a picket line march outside of Amazon's BWI5 warehouse in Baltimore. Dozens of other union workers and members of the Baltimore community joined the demonstration, which was an extension of the ongoing Unfair Labor Practice strike by unionized Amazon drivers and dispatchers at the DAX8 delivery station in Palmdale, CA. “In April, the 84 workers in Palmdale organized with the Teamsters, becoming the first union of Amazon drivers in the country,” the Teamsters stated in a press release. “As members of Local 396, they bargained a contract with Amazon's Delivery Service Partner (DSP), Battle-Tested Strategies (BTS). Despite the absolute control it wields over BTS and workers' terms and conditions of employment, Amazon refuses to recognize and honor the union contract. Instead, Amazon has engaged in dozens of unfair labor practices in violation of federal labor law, including terminating the entire unit of newly organized workers…. The Amazon drivers and dispatchers began their unfair labor practice strike on June 24. They have picketed over 20 Amazon warehouses around the country, including warehouses in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.” Max was on the ground at the Amazon picket on Nov. 8 and spoke to: Deion Anthony Steppes, one of the striking Amazon drivers from Palmdale, CA, and a member of Teamsters Local 396; Cristina Duncan Evans, a Baltimore City educator and member of the Baltimore Teachers Union; Taylor Boren, an art teacher for Baltimore Public Schools and a member of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County; and Mike McGuire, a plumber and community member in Baltimore. Additional links/info below… Amazon Teamsters website and Twitter/X page Donate to the Amazon Driver Worker Solidarity Fund! International Brotherhood of Teamsters website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Teamsters, "Amazon Teamsters Strike Spreads to Two Baltimore Warehouses" Dave Jamieson, HuffPost, "Amazon Delivery Drivers In California Join Teamsters" Wes Davis, The Verge, "Amazon Insists Striking Delivery Drivers Don't Really Work for Amazon" Luis Feliz Leon, Labor Notes, "Amazon Teamsters' Rolling Pickets Hit Facilities Nationwide" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza in the past month, including thousands of women, children, and elderly, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The real number is likely much higher… we don't know how many people, dead and alive, are under the rubble right now. But we do know that the bombs continue to fall, every day, at rates unseen in this century. This is an absolute nightmare. For the past month, we have been trying every single day to make contact with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, to get their stories on the show so people could hear directly from them. But, for obvious reasons, that has proven to be extremely difficult. Every single time we connected with someone and set up an interview, something would happen, we'd lose touch with them, their phone would stop working, and we'd have no idea if they safe, if they were alive. One of those people was Mohamed el Saife. Mohamed is an independent video journalist in Gaza, and the last message he sent us on October 15 said, “I am now on the ground, between life and death.” After that, we lost touch with Mohamed for over two weeks, and we feared the worst. Then, on November 9, we got another message. With the tiny amount of internet he was able to use, Mohamed sent us a three-minute voice message from Gaza. Additional links/info below… Mohamed's PayPal account Mohamed's Twitter/X page and YouTube channel Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Reuters, "Gaza Death Toll Tops 10,000; UN Calls It a Children's Graveyard" Rob Picheta, Kareem Khadder, Teele Rebane, & Zohair Zabadne, CNN, "Gaza Hospital ‘Surrounded by Tanks' as Other Healthcare Facilities Say They've Been Damaged by Israeli Strikes" Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, "Chris Hedges: Israel's Endgame Is ‘Destruction of the Idea of Palestine'" Bethank McKernan, The Guardian, "‘A New Nakba': Settler Violence Forces Palestinians Out of West Bank Villages" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Livestream: UK Workers Demand Ceasefire & an End to Israel's Occupation of Palestine" Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, "‘The American Government Is the Only One That Can Stop This': Ending the Genocide in Gaza" Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, "‘Something Is Different This Time' Israel's War in Gaza Continues" Chris Hedges, The Real News Network, "‘No Sanctuary': Israel's Long War on Gaza" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
Every day the Palestinian civilian death toll is rising dramatically as Israel continues with its genocidal bombing and ground invasion of Gaza, and as settler and military violence towards Palestinians in the West Bank intensifies. "It's a closure, it's a curfew, in many places in the West Bank," Issa Amro says. "It's not normal life these days. Soldiers are everywhere, settlers are everywhere, people are afraid to leave their homes, they don't go to work, they don't go to school, they don't go to universities." After losing touch with Issa during the day because he was escaping from settlers who were chasing him in Hebron, we managed to reconnect over the phone and record a nine minute conversation about the hell working people in Palestine are going through right now and what their fellow workers in the US and Canada can do to stop the slaughter. Issa Amro is a Palestinian human rights defender living in Hebron, in the Occupied West Bank. He is the co-founder and former coordinator of the grassroots group Youth Against Settlements. Days prior to this recording, Issa was evicted from his home in Hebron and tortured by Israeli troops. A note about the audio: After hours of silence and failed phone calls, Issa contacted Max to inform him that he was temporarily safe and had 10 minutes to speak over the phone. Dropping everything he was doing, Max quickly opened his computer, began a QuickTime recording, and called Issa on speakerphone. We apologize for the sub-par audio quality. Additional links/info below… Issa's Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Instagram Youth Against Settlements website, Facebook page, Twitter/X page, and Instagram Danya Al-Saleh, Mondoweiss, "We Are Millions, We Are Billions, We are all Palestinians: Stand with Palestine in DC on November 4th" Amy Teibel, AP, "Palestinian Activist Is Expelled by Israeli Forces from His Home in a Volatile West Bank City" Wafaa Shurafa, Jack Jeffery, & Lee Keath, AP, "Israeli Troops Advance Toward Gaza City as the Palestinian Death Toll Rises Above 9,000" Bethank McKernan, The Guardian, "‘A New Nakba': Settler Violence Forces Palestinians Out of West Bank Villages" Taj Ali, Tribune, "Organising Against Apartheid: Why Union Solidarity With Palestine Matters" Ahmad Al-Bazz, Nadia Péridot, & Ross Domoney, The Real News Network, "Israel's West Bank Checkpoints, from the Eyes of Palestinian Workers" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Livestream: UK Workers Demand Ceasefire & an End to Israel's Occupation of Palestine" Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, "‘The American Government Is the Only One That Can Stop This': Ending the Genocide in Gaza" Marc Steiner, The Real News Network, "‘Something Is Different This Time' Israel's War in Gaza Continues" Chris Hedges, The Real News Network, "‘No Sanctuary': Israel's Long War on Gaza" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
Editor's Note (10/30/23): This conversation was recorded on Oct. 16. Since then, UAW negotiators and all three of the Big 3 automakers (Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis) have reached tentative agreements, bringing the historic Stand Up Strike to an end, at least for now. UAW members will return to work this week while the union reviews the tentative agreements and the membership votes on whether or not to accept them as the terms for a new contract. Over the past month and a half, United Auto Workers have continued to ramp up their strike at the Big 3 auto companies, calling workers at more plants to hit the picket line. As of today, Oct. 30, the UAW has reached tentative agreements with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, and the historic Stand Up Strike has been put on pause while the union membership votes on whether or not to accept the TAs as the terms for a new contract. While we have been waiting every day for more updates on the UAW strike as it unfolds in real time, it's important to remember that the issues within the auto industry—and the economy writ large—that led to this historic moment of struggle have been brewing for decades. In this episode, we talk with Sherry Cothren, who worked for 30 years at Ford Motor Company and retired just before her plant in Toledo, Ohio, closed in 2007. We also speak with Sherry's son, Jeremiah, an architect turned visual journalist and producer whose primary focus captures vivid histories of human rights, social justice and migration.Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive:freemusicarchive.org)Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme SongPost-Production: Jules TaylorAdditional links/info: https://workingpeople.libsyn.com/sherry-cothren-w-jeremiah-cothrenHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer:Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
Over the past month, United Auto Workers have continued to ramp up their strike at the Big 3 auto companies, calling workers at more plants to hit the picket line. As Keith Brower Brown recently reported at Labor Notes, “Every Friday for the past four weeks, Big 3 CEOs have waited fearfully for UAW President Shawn Fain to announce which plants will strike next. But without warning on Wednesday [October 11], the union threw a haymaker: within 10 minutes the UAW would be shutting down the vast Kentucky Truck Plant. This plant, on 500 acres outside Louisville, is one of Ford's most profitable—cranking out full-size SUVs and the Superduty line of commercial trucks… These 8,700 strikers join the 25,000 already walking the lines at assembly plants and parts distribution centers across the country in the union's escalating Stand-Up Strike.” While we are waiting every day for more updates on the UAW strike as it unfolds in real time, it's important to remember that the issues within the auto industry—and the economy writ large—that led this historic moment of struggle have been brewing for decades. In this episode, we talk with Sherry Cothren, who worked for 30 years at Ford Motor Company and retired just before her plant in Toledo, Ohio, closed in 2007. We also speak with Sherry's son, Jeremiah, an architect turned visual journalist and producer whose primary focus captures vivid histories of human rights, social justice and migration. Additional links/info below… United Auto Workers website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) Facebook page, Twitter page, and Instagram Keith Brower Brown, Labor Notes, "Auto Workers Escalate: Surprise Strike at Massive Kentucky Ford Truck Plant" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "‘We're All Workers': Striking UAW and SAG-AFTRA Members Won't Be Pitted Against Each Other" Teddy Ostrow & Ruby Walsh, The Upsurge / The Real News Network, "With Concessions Already Won, the UAW Strike Escalates" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
The derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train in East Palestine , Ohio, on Feb. 3 of this year, and the subsequent “controlled release” and burnoff of toxic vinyl chloride, is one of the most catastrophic and devastating industrial accidents in our country's history, and a catastrophe of equal or greater proportion could literally happen again tomorrow. Why? Because no serious steps have been taken on the industry or the government side to substantively address the issues that led to the derailment and its toxic fallout. Meanwhile, for the people still living in and around East Palestine, there is no going back to normal… life will go on, but it will never be the same, it will never again be what it was on Feb. 2. We cannot forget about East Palestine, and we cannot give up on the people there, who have been largely abandoned by their government, by Norfolk Southern, and by the media. As part of a new series of Systemic Justice Teach Ins hosted by the Harvard Law School, Max was invited to Harvard on Sept. 23 to participate in an all-day event titled "Storytelling for Justice—East Palestine," where he conducted a live Working People interview with Chris and Jessica Albright, two residents of East Palestine whose lives have been turned upside down by the derailment. With permission from the organizers, we are sharing the audio of this interview with our audience. Special thanks to Professor Jon Hanson, Simone Unwalla, Haley Florsheim, Samantha Perri, Jessenia Class, Chris Albright, and Jessica Albright. Additional links/info below… GoFundMe: Help Albright Family Recover from Train Disaster Systemic Justice Teach Ins 2023 website Emily Baumgaertner, The New York Times, "One Family's Toxic Train Wreck Ordeal: Illness, Exile and Debt" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, 100 Days Later" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Have Been Left Behind—and They're Running Out of Water" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "'This Was Preventable': Railroad Workers Explain How Wall St. Caused the East Palestine Derailment" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "Rail Worker EXPOSES Ohio Disaster COVERUP" Mike L., The Real News Network, "A Carman's Perspective on the East Palestine Derailment and the Railroad Industry as a Whole" Al Jazeera English, "What's Behind Train Derailments in the US? | Fault Lines Documentary" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
The decade from 2010 to 2020 was one that saw more people around the world participating in protests than at any other point in human history. And yet, looking back, the results of so many of these mass protests, the societal changes that followed, were the opposite of what protestors were demanding. In his new book, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution, award-winning journalist and foreign correspondent Vincent Bevins asks: Why? In this special episode, recorded at The Real News Network studio in Baltimore, we talk to Bevins about his new book and about his own working life as a journalist covering people's uprisings around the world. Additional links/info below... Vincent's website and Twitter/X page Vincent Bevins, Public Affairs, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution Vincent Bevins, Public Affairs, The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song
It is looking increasingly likely that Congressional Republicans will bring the federal government to a shutdown starting this weekend. "U.S. government services would be disrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal workers would be furloughed without pay if Congress fails to provide funding for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1," Reuters reports. "Workers deemed essential would remain on the job, but without pay." Among the many agencies that will be furloughing workers in the event of a shutdown is the National Labor Relations Board. Not only will unionized staff workers at the NLRB itself be hurt by the government shutdown—after years of enduring chronic and politically motivated underfunding and understaffing—but so, too, will working people around the country who depend on the NLRB to enforce labor law, investigate Unfair Labor Practice charges, manage union elections, etc. In this urgent mini-cast, we talk with Michael Bilik and Colton Puckett, legislative co-chairs of the National Labor Relations Board Union and full-time NLRB staff workers, about the daily work NLRB staff do, the role that work plays in the broader labor movement, and what it will mean for workers if the government shuts down and nearly all of NLRB staff are furloughed. Additional links/info below… National Labor Relations Board Union website, Twitter/X page, and Instagram Jacob Bogage, Marianna Sotomayor, & Jeff Stein, The Washington Post, "Shutdown Looks More Likely, as House GOP Leaders reject Senate Plan" Reuters, "US Government Shutdown: What Is It and Who Would Be Affected?" Gay Semel, Labor Notes, "Viewpoint: The NLRB is Underfunded and Understaffed—And That's a Big Threat to the Current Organizing Wave" Li Zhou, Vox, "The Republican vs. Republican Feud behind the Government Shutdown Fight, Explained" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Congressional Staffers Are Demanding the Senate Let Them Unionize" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
At the federal level today, the subminimum wage for tipped workers is still just $2.13 an hour. That is, frankly, a disgrace. "A direct legacy of slavery," the One Fair Wage campaign notes, "the subminimum wage affects a workforce of nearly 5 million tipped workers that is 70 percent women and 43 percent people of color." In this mini-cast, we talk about the fight to end the subminimum wage with Tabina Gipson, a tipped worker in Chicago who's worked in the food industry for over 10 years, a mother of five, and an organizer with One Fair Wage. One Fair Wage is a national organization of nearly 300,000 service workers, over 2000 restaurant employers, and dozens of organizations nationwide all working together to end all subminimum wages in the United States and improve wages and working conditions in the service sector in particular. One Fair Wage policy would require all employers to pay the full minimum wage with fair, non-discriminatory tips on top, thus lifting millions of tipped and subminimum wage workers nationally out of poverty. Additional links/info below… One Fair Wage's website, Facebook page, and Twitter page One Fair Wage Factsheet: The Key to Saving the Restaurant Industry Post-COVID-19 David A. Fahrenthold & Talmon Joseph Smith, The New York Times, "How Restaurant Workers Help Pay for Lobbying to Keep Their Wages Low" Kim Kelly, Teen Vogue, "The Subminimum Wage for Workers With Disabilities Is a Disgrace" Bryce Covert, The New Republic, "Restaurant Workers Who Love Tips Are Learning to Love the Minimum Wage Too" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
Within the past two years, South Korea has seen major labor actions, including a general strike in October of 2021, and major crackdowns on organized labor, including the national intelligence agency raiding the offices of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in January of this year. In that same time, military and geopolitical tensions in the region have been rapidly intensifying. What is going on? What is the state of organized labor in South Korea, and how have imperialist and capitalist pressures, especially from the US, shaped the terrain upon which working people across the Korean Peninsula are struggling to live and work with dignity? We talk about all of this and more with Ju-Hyun Park, author, organizer, and Engagement Editor at The Real News Network. Additional links/info below... Ju-Hyun's Twitter page Nodutdol Twitter page Jia Hong & Ju-Hyun Park, Truthout / The Real News Network, "Half a Million South Korean Workers Walk Off Jobs in General Strike" Dongmin Yang, The Real News Network, “'The President Forced Our Comrade to Die'—South Korea's Workers Confront Yoon Seok Yeol's Labor Crackdown" Joonseok, Left Voice, "South Korea: Building a Powerful General Strike Is Urgent to Fight Against the Right-Wing Government's Attacks" Tim Shorrock, The Shorrock Files / The Real News Network, " South Korea's Yoon Launches Vicious Attack on Unions, Peace Groups" Ju-Hyun Park, The Real News Network, "Biden Needs to Accept That the US Can't Intimidate North Korea" Kap Seol, Labor Notes, "South Korea: Intelligence Agency Raids Top Union Confederation" Sam Yang, The Real News Network, "Squid Game and the Long Shadow of American Empire" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page 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 (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song