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This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week we explore how the folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) are building for the future in the midst of the crisis facing us now. They say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description: People across the country are resisting authoritarianism in creative and powerful ways, and this is just the start. The folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down. Building a brighter future requires a vision of economic and social justice — and lots of practice. Today on Laura Flanders & Friends, we look at some of those practical experiments and paths for radical change, and discuss why they're just as important as resistance. The members of PNLL, a multiracial, multiethnic consortium of six community-based organizations, are doing politics and economics differently in real places across the U.S. right now. Joining us are Edget Betru, an attorney, activist and Coordinator of the People's Network for Land & Liberation; David Cobb, PNLL staff person and Co-coordinator of the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network; and Blair Evans, Founder and Executive Director of Incite Focus, a production and training lab based in Idlewild, Michigan. Find out how to build for the future — even in the toughest circumstances. All that, plus a commentary from Laura on William Morris's News From Nowhere. “We've been colonized in our minds . . . Involving people in day-to-day produce, meeting their needs through a different way, through thinking, Hey, who in my neighborhood knows how to fix this? . . . It's really that shift in consciousness that needs to happen that's going to allow for this new economy to emerge.” - Edget Betru “My mama and my mamaw and my papa who raised me taught me a lesson as a little boy, and that is, there's enough to go around as long as we share. That made sense to me when I was five years old. It makes sense to me now when I'm 63 years old. There's enough to go around as long as we share. It's just as simple as that.” - David Cobb “We can make things that make things, we can design and build our own equipment that can then use locally sourced materials, hyper localizing the supply chain . . . We can stop feeding the monster that's consuming us and actually disconnect from that process and use what we have.” - Blair Evans Guests: • Edget Betru: Coordinator, People's Network for Land & Liberation; Board Member, Community Movement Builders • David Cobb: Staff, People's Network for Land & Liberation; Manager, Butterfly Impact Fund; Co-Coordinator, U.S. Solidarity Economy Network • Blair Evans: Coalition Member, People's Network for Land & Liberation; Founder & Executive Director, Incite Focus; Designer & Trainer, Fab Lab Watch on YouTube this episode that includes video clips referenced in this episode from Third World Newsreel; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show). Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit: "Solace" by Antibalas from their album Hourglass released on Daptone Records, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES: Full Episode Notes are located HERE. *Recommended book: “Beautiful Solutions: A Toolbox for Liberation”, Learn More Here* (*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: • Jackson Rising: Creating the Mondragon of the South: Watch • Resisting Trump & Authoritarianism: The “Beautiful Solutions” Toolbox: Watch / Listen • Community Wealth Building: An Economic Reset: Watch / Listen: Full Uncut Conversation and Episode Cut Related Articles and Resources: • Community Movement Builders' Community Sea Moss Cooperative • Tale of the Tape: An Expert Weighs In on the ‘Cop City' Bodycam Footage, by Madeline Thigpen, February 15, 2023, Capital B • Cooperation Jackson, The Build and Fight Educational Series • The Butterfly Effect Fund • Cooperation Vermont, Seeding the Alternatives for the Future • Cooperation Vermont Buys Former Rainbow Sweets Building, by Paul Fixx, February 4, 2025, The Hardwick Gazette • Incite Focus, where ideas and imagination meet inspiration and innovation • Wellspring Cooperative, building a just and sustainable economy, one co-op at a time • U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (US SEN) Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week we explore how the folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) are building for the future in the midst of the crisis facing us now. They say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description: People across the country are resisting authoritarianism in creative and powerful ways, and this is just the start. The folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down. Building a brighter future requires a vision of economic and social justice — and lots of practice. Today on Laura Flanders & Friends, we look at some of those practical experiments and paths for radical change, and discuss why they're just as important as resistance. The members of PNLL, a multiracial, multiethnic consortium of six community-based organizations, are doing politics and economics differently in real places across the U.S. right now. Joining us are Edget Betru, an attorney, activist and Coordinator of the People's Network for Land & Liberation; David Cobb, PNLL staff person and Co-coordinator of the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network; and Blair Evans, Founder and Executive Director of Incite Focus, a production and training lab based in Idlewild, Michigan. Find out how to build for the future — even in the toughest circumstances. All that, plus a commentary from Laura on William Morris's News From Nowhere. “We've been colonized in our minds . . . Involving people in day-to-day produce, meeting their needs through a different way, through thinking, Hey, who in my neighborhood knows how to fix this? . . . It's really that shift in consciousness that needs to happen that's going to allow for this new economy to emerge.” - Edget Betru “My mama and my mamaw and my papa who raised me taught me a lesson as a little boy, and that is, there's enough to go around as long as we share. That made sense to me when I was five years old. It makes sense to me now when I'm 63 years old. There's enough to go around as long as we share. It's just as simple as that.” - David Cobb “We can make things that make things, we can design and build our own equipment that can then use locally sourced materials, hyper localizing the supply chain . . . We can stop feeding the monster that's consuming us and actually disconnect from that process and use what we have.” - Blair Evans Guests: • Edget Betru: Coordinator, People's Network for Land & Liberation; Board Member, Community Movement Builders • David Cobb: Staff, People's Network for Land & Liberation; Manager, Butterfly Impact Fund; Co-Coordinator, U.S. Solidarity Economy Network • Blair Evans: Coalition Member, People's Network for Land & Liberation; Founder & Executive Director, Incite Focus; Designer & Trainer, Fab Lab Watch on YouTube this episode that includes video clips referenced in this episode from Third World Newsreel; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit: 'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES: Full Episode Notes are located HERE. *Recommended book: “Beautiful Solutions: A Toolbox for Liberation”, Learn More Here* (*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: • Jackson Rising: Creating the Mondragon of the South: Watch • Resisting Trump & Authoritarianism: The “Beautiful Solutions” Toolbox: Watch / Listen • Community Wealth Building: An Economic Reset: Watch / Listen: Full Uncut Conversation and Episode Cut Related Articles and Resources: • Community Movement Builders' Community Sea Moss Cooperative • Tale of the Tape: An Expert Weighs In on the ‘Cop City' Bodycam Footage, by Madeline Thigpen, February 15, 2023, Capital B • Cooperation Jackson, The Build and Fight Educational Series • The Butterfly Effect Fund • Cooperation Vermont, Seeding the Alternatives for the Future • Cooperation Vermont Buys Former Rainbow Sweets Building, by Paul Fixx, February 4, 2025, The Hardwick Gazette • Incite Focus, where ideas and imagination meet inspiration and innovation • Wellspring Cooperative, building a just and sustainable economy, one co-op at a time • U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (US SEN) Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week we explore how workers and their allies are confronting authoritarianism—and building power from the ground up. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate DESCRIPTION [Original Release Date July 9, 2025]: The United States is moving towards authoritarianism, but there is still a window of opportunity to reverse course. What could improve the chances of re-balancing power in the nation, and advancing towards that multiracial democracy that many still dream of? The answer is worker organizing, say Alex Han and Tarso Luís Ramos. "When we look at the history of U-turns from democratic backsliding to democratic revival, the success rate is about 50 percent," says Ramos. "Where there's active, vibrant union participation, the odds go up to about 80 percent." So what's holding Labor back? In early May of 2025, Laura sat down with Ramos and Han at a conference on “Labor in the Age of Authoritarian Politics”, held at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) in New York. Ramos is a leading expert on the U.S. Right Wing and former Executive Director of Political Research Associates. He now serves as Senior Advisor to Future Currents, a strategic planning group of social and economic justice leaders. Han has spent most of his adult life in the labor movement, as an organizer and elected president of a large Chicago local. In 2023, he became Executive Director of In These Times, the long-running Chicago-based progressive magazine. In the wake of mass layoffs and the abduction of Kilmar Abrego García, a union member wrongly exported to El Salvador and now held in Tennessee, can enough workers and their allies band together to make a difference? “I think of all of these times where I've shown up at a protest and I know every single person there. When that happens, I know we're not winning today.” - Alex Han “I think the coup that we did not prepare for was the force accelerator that most people experience as DOGE. It's the Musk and Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen set of actors . . . They're interested in ringing the profits out of the public sector, and they're interested in accelerating the demise of civilian governance altogether.” - Tarso Luís Ramos Guests: Alex Han: Executive Director, In These Times Tarso Luís Ramos: Senior Adviser, Political Research Associates; Senior Fellow, Future Currents RESOURCES: - Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel Sundays 11:30am ET, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode) and airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: •. Labor Movement v. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack [Special Report] Watch / Listen: Episode • Masha Gessen and Jason Stanley: Is It Doomsday for U.S. Democracy? - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are Ee Entering "End Times Fascism?" - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Bernie Sanders & AOC: "Fighting Oligarchy" with People Power [Special Report] - Watch / LISTEN: episode • Bernie Sanders "Fighting Oligarchy" LISTEN: Full Uncut Conversation • 'God & Country': Rob Reiner & Dan Partland on the Rise of Christian Nationalism in U.S. Politics - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation Related Articles and Resources: In These Times magazine Political Research Associates Future Currents Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week we explore how workers and their allies are confronting authoritarianism—and building power from the ground up. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. DESCRIPTION [Original Release Date July 9, 2025]: The United States is moving towards authoritarianism, but there is still a window of opportunity to reverse course. What could improve the chances of re-balancing power in the nation, and advancing towards that multiracial democracy that many still dream of? The answer is worker organizing, say Alex Han and Tarso Luís Ramos. "When we look at the history of U-turns from democratic backsliding to democratic revival, the success rate is about 50 percent," says Ramos. "Where there's active, vibrant union participation, the odds go up to about 80 percent." So what's holding Labor back? In early May of 2025, Laura sat down with Ramos and Han at a conference on “Labor in the Age of Authoritarian Politics”, held at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) in New York. Ramos is a leading expert on the U.S. Right Wing and former Executive Director of Political Research Associates. He now serves as Senior Advisor to Future Currents, a strategic planning group of social and economic justice leaders. Han has spent most of his adult life in the labor movement, as an organizer and elected president of a large Chicago local. In 2023, he became Executive Director of In These Times, the long-running Chicago-based progressive magazine. In the wake of mass layoffs and the abduction of Kilmar Abrego García, a union member wrongly exported to El Salvador and now held in Tennessee, can enough workers and their allies band together to make a difference? “I think of all of these times where I've shown up at a protest and I know every single person there. When that happens, I know we're not winning today.” - Alex Han “I think the coup that we did not prepare for was the force accelerator that most people experience as DOGE. It's the Musk and Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen set of actors . . . They're interested in ringing the profits out of the public sector, and they're interested in accelerating the demise of civilian governance altogether.” - Tarso Luís Ramos Guests: Alex Han: Executive Director, In These Times Tarso Luís Ramos: Senior Adviser, Political Research Associates; Senior Fellow, Future Currents RESOURCES: - Watch the episode released on YouTube.; PBS World Channel Sundays 11:30am ET, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode) and airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: •. Labor Movement v. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack [Special Report] Watch / Listen: Episode • Masha Gessen and Jason Stanley: Is It Doomsday for U.S. Democracy? - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are Ee Entering "End Times Fascism?" - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Bernie Sanders & AOC: "Fighting Oligarchy" with People Power [Special Report] - Watch / LISTEN: episode • Bernie Sanders "Fighting Oligarchy" LISTEN: Full Uncut Conversation • 'God & Country': Rob Reiner & Dan Partland on the Rise of Christian Nationalism in U.S. Politics - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation Related Articles and Resources: In These Times magazine Political Research Associates Future Currents Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
What if the biggest culture war in America wasn't a grassroots revolution at all… but a system designed to keep ordinary people divided while the people at the top quietly consolidated more power than ever before? In this episode of Keeping It Real, Jillian dives into the hidden history behind modern DEI, identity politics, Cold War influence operations, and the institutional networks that shaped today's corporate and academic culture. From declassified CIA programs and Senate investigations to the Ford, Rockefeller, and Carnegie foundations, this is the hidden history of modern DEI. This episode follows the paper trail through the Cold War, the CIA's “Mighty Wurlitzer” propaganda network, McGeorge Bundy, the Ford Foundation, and the rise of the Black Panthers — whose free breakfast programs, health clinics, and cross-racial Rainbow Coalition threatened to unite working people around class and economic power. J Edgar Hoover and the FBI actually went after Fred Hampton because message wasn't Black vs. white. It was poor people vs. concentrated power. And according to Hoover that was more dangerous than riots and civil unrest. From the Congress for Cultural Freedom and foundation-funded activism to the rise of corporate HR culture and modern diversity bureaucracy, this episode explores how class-based populism may have been replaced by institutionalized identity management designed to absorb outrage without ever threatening the underlying power structure. You'll hear about: The CIA's “Mighty Wurlitzer” influence network Declassified Cold War psychological operations The Ford, Rockefeller, and Carnegie foundations connection to intelligence agencies How J Edgar Hoover's FBI went after the Black Panther Party and Fred Hampton's Rainbow Coalition Why cross-racial working-class solidarity terrified elites The Congress for Cultural Freedom and “managed dissent” How DEI became embedded in universities and corporations Why corporate activism exploded while inequality worsened The psychological mechanics of division and outrage politics How media, bureaucracy, and identity conflict distracts from corruption and economic power #DEI #CIA #FordFoundation 00:00 INTRO 00:48 DEI Was Started By The CIA 01:47 Ford Foundation & The CIA 02:51 The Mighty Wurlitzer: Engineering "Organic" Propaganda 03:56 Funding the "Housebroken" Left 06:06 Laundering Ideology Through Foundations (Ford, Rockefeller, Carnegie) 07:28 John J. McCloy and the CIA-Ford Foundation Merger 08:29 How Massive Endowments Provide Cover for Black Budgets 10:11 The "Long Leash": Seducing Intellectuals Over Defeating Them 12:38 Dummy Foundations 14:04 Thomas Braden: Controlling American Radicals 15:55 Case Study: Infiltrating the Labor Movement and Churches 17:02 The Hypocrisy of Institutional Leaders 18:47 McGeorge Bundy and the Strategy of Social Stability 20:06 Black Panters Fred Hampton and the Threat of the Rainbow Coalition 23:28 Unity is the Danger: Replacing Populism with Grants 26:34 Carnegie's Capture of Universities 29:44 Self-Reproducing Ideology in the Corporate Workplace 31:38 Interpersonal Conflict as a Substitute for Accountability 34:01 Divide, Conquer, and the Path to Solidarity Shopify: Launch your dream business with Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at https://Shopify.com/Jillian and start selling today! Superpower: Stop guessing about your health—get $20 off Superpower at https://superpower.com/JILLIAN with code JILLIAN Fox One: Sign up at https://fox.com to watch Keeping It Real and more on-demand with FOX One. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week, we turn our lens on the AI Data Center Revolt underway. Red and blue state's alike people across the country are feeling the strain of the huge energy-sucking data processing centers that AI requires and they're speaking out. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description: An AI revolution is underway, but so is the resistance. People across the country are feeling the strain of the huge energy-sucking data processing centers that AI requires, and telling their elected officials to slow down or stop new big tech projects for firms like OpenAI, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft. Data from a 2025 Pew study shows that only 17 percent of Americans think AI will have a positive impact over the next 20 years. But it's a David vs. Goliath battle. Today's guests say AI expansion is not a red or blue issue; it's about who gets to decide how human and natural resources are distributed, who controls the technology, and who stands to benefit. Faiz Shakir is the Founder and Executive Director of the labor-focused news platform More Perfect Union, and serves as a political advisor for Senator Bernie Sanders. John Cassidy, staff writer at the New Yorker, is the author of the recent book, “Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI”, in which he draws our attention back to the Luddites, the 18th century workers whose revolt deserves our closer attention. Plus, our correspondent's coverage of a shocking scene at a public comment meeting in Wisconsin when a local woman was arrested and dragged away. If AI is the new face of capitalism, what is the new alternative? “Luddites, when I was growing up, was a term of abuse. It was people who were sort of antediluvians and didn't understand the modern world. . . . They understood the modern world as it was in their times perfectly, and they saw it was moving against them, and they saw that the political system wasn't coming to their defense.” - John Cassidy “. . . There's more and more pushback, which hopefully portends the possibility that a lot of these communities can strike better deals if they are going to have data centers. There's no reason why we can't be asking that the teachers are well paid, that the electricity rates don't go up, that we have decent affordable housing in those communities. That is all possible because we're playing with incredible amounts of dollars and deep-pocketed people . . . ” - Faiz Shakir Guests: • John Cassidy: Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI • Faiz Shakir: Founder & Executive Director, More Perfect Union; Political Advisor & Former Campaign Manager, Senator Bernie Sanders Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit: 'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends m and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI” by John Cassidy: *Get the Book (*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Featured Clip Credit: America's Dataland? 1st Amendment Under Attack: There women arrested, produced by Johnathan Klett - Watch the full video Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: • Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are We Entering “End Times Fascism”?: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation • Donna Haraway on Cyborgs, “Oddkin” & Resisting the Monoculture of the Mind: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation • The Lucas Plan at 50: A Radical Investment in Society, Not the War Machine: Watch / Listen: Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversations- Brian Salisbury and Hilary Wainwright Related Articles and Resources: • Small Towns Are Rising Up Against AI Data Centers, “We don't want to be the next Data Center Alley,” by Joe Wilkins, May 4, 2025, Futurism • The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger, by Reece Rogers, June 28, 2025, WIRED • The Dangers of AI and Extreme Wealth Inequality, by David Atkins, January 5, 2026, Washington Monthly • At least four Wisconsin communities signed secrecy deals for billion-dollar data centers, by Tom Kertscher, January 26, 2026, Wisconsin Watch • Anti-data center protesters arrested during Port Washington meeting, by Claudia Levens, Jessie Opoien and Francesca Pica, December 3, 2025, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel • How Sam Altman Outfoxed Elon Musk to Become Trump's AI Buddy, by Keach Hagey, Dana Mattionili and Josh Dawsey, July 17, 2025, The Wall Street Journal • Curtis Yarvin's brave new world: we need a corporate dictatorship to replace a dying democracy' by Boris Munoz, August 19, 2005, El Pais Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week, we turn our lens on the AI Data Center Revolt underway. Red and blue state's alike people across the country are feeling the strain of the huge energy-sucking data processing centers that AI requires and they're speaking out. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description: An AI revolution is underway, but so is the resistance. People across the country are feeling the strain of the huge energy-sucking data processing centers that AI requires, and telling their elected officials to slow down or stop new big tech projects for firms like OpenAI, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft. Data from a 2025 Pew study shows that only 17 percent of Americans think AI will have a positive impact over the next 20 years. But it's a David vs. Goliath battle. Today's guests say AI expansion is not a red or blue issue; it's about who gets to decide how human and natural resources are distributed, who controls the technology, and who stands to benefit. Faiz Shakir is the Founder and Executive Director of the labor-focused news platform More Perfect Union, and serves as a political advisor for Senator Bernie Sanders. John Cassidy, staff writer at the New Yorker, is the author of the recent book, “Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI”, in which he draws our attention back to the Luddites, the 18th century workers whose revolt deserves our closer attention. Plus, our correspondent's coverage of a shocking scene at a public comment meeting in Wisconsin when a local woman was arrested and dragged away. If AI is the new face of capitalism, what is the new alternative? “Luddites, when I was growing up, was a term of abuse. It was people who were sort of antediluvians and didn't understand the modern world. . . . They understood the modern world as it was in their times perfectly, and they saw it was moving against them, and they saw that the political system wasn't coming to their defense.” - John Cassidy “. . . There's more and more pushback, which hopefully portends the possibility that a lot of these communities can strike better deals if they are going to have data centers. There's no reason why we can't be asking that the teachers are well paid, that the electricity rates don't go up, that we have decent affordable housing in those communities. That is all possible because we're playing with incredible amounts of dollars and deep-pocketed people . . . ” - Faiz Shakir Guests: • John Cassidy: Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI • Faiz Shakir: Founder & Executive Director, More Perfect Union; Political Advisor & Former Campaign Manager, Senator Bernie Sanders Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit: 'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week, get inspired by courageous activism! Learn from lifelong activists like 95-year-old Dolores Huerta on using narrative to break through fear and build movements. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description [original airdate October 24, 2025]: People are taking to the streets and calling out fascism in bold, unique ways, but we're not all there yet. If you need some encouragement, watch "The People, United" — a gripping short film about everyday Americans standing up to ICE and winning through nonviolent resistance. Created by Ellen Gavin and presented in collaboration with the Dolores Huerta Foundation and People for the American Way, the video is a powerful example of storytelling as an organizing tool. In this episode, lifelong activists and old friends Ellen Gavin and Dolores Huerta join Laura Flanders to explore how narratives help break through our silos and fears under this second Trump administration. Gavin's works as a writer, director and producer have brought millions of views to social justice storytelling; she is also founder of Gavin Creative Collab and founding artistic director of Brava! for Women in the Arts. Huerta is co-founder of the United Farm Workers with César Chávez and founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Still organizing at 95 years old, she is recognized as one of the most influential labor organizers of the twentieth century and coined the iconic rallying cry “Si Se Puede.” She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Find out how narratives shatter fear and build movements, plus a commentary from Laura. “. . . We want people to be on our team. We want people to be touched in a way that says, ‘I want to be that neighbor. I want to be that helper. I want to be that person who sees something and does something instead of reacts with fear.' When they say that fear is contagious, and then they say, courage is contagious.” - Ellen Gavin “. . . In the farm, we didn't respond with violence . . . César [Chávez] fasted for 25 days and then 36 days . . . The other side, they want us to respond with violence, and we can respond with non-violence because they would like to have martial law for the whole country. So we've really got to have a lot of discipline now.” - Dolores Huerta Guests: • Ellen Gavin: Writer, Director, Producer: The People, United; Founder, Gavin Creative Collab • Dolores Huerta: Co-founder of the United Farm Workers; Founder & President, The Dolores Huerta Foundation Watch the special report on YouTube; PBS World Channel Sundays 11:30am ET, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episodes air on community radio (check here to see if your station is airing the show) & available as a podcast. Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends Music Credit: "Steppin" by Podington Bear, "Funk 4 Peace" by Fort Knox Five featuring Mustafa Akbar from their album Radio Free DC courtesy of Fort Knox Recordings, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Additional Crew: Director of Photography: Brian Dentz, Fig Pie Media Sound Mixer: Alexander Marshall, Blowtorch Productions Credits: “The People, United” video short Writer, Director & Executive Producer: Ellen Gavin Producers: Alana Maiello, Natasha Estrada Director of Photography: Sevdije Kastrati Dill RESOURCES: Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: • Farm Workers to Farm Owners- Watch / Listen: Episode • These Films Keep People Out of Prison- Watch / Listen: Episode • Jacqueline Woodson & Catherine Gund: Breathing Through Chaos & the “Meanwhile”- Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Uncut Conversation • Mamdani, Black Farmers, USDA & ICE: The Stories BIPOC Journalists Uncover- Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Uncut Conversation Related Articles and Resources: • California City Residents Denounce Plan to Build State's Largest Immigrant Detention Center, by ACoM, August 4, 2025, American Community Media • Dolores Huerta Leads Protest Against California's Largest Planned ICE Detention Center, by Steve Virgen, CA Neighborhood Reporter, July 30, 2025, 23ABC News KERO • Forbes Power Women's Summit 2025: Building What's Next, September 25, 2025, Forbes • About el Teatro Campesino's Luis Valdez, Founding Artistic Director Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. 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This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week, get inspired by courageous activism! Learn from lifelong activists like 95-year-old Dolores Huerta on using narrative to break through fear and build movements. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description [Original Air Date - October 19, 2025]: People are taking to the streets and calling out fascism in bold, unique ways, but we're not all there yet. If you need some encouragement, watch "The People, United" — a gripping short film about everyday Americans standing up to ICE and winning through nonviolent resistance. Created by Ellen Gavin and presented in collaboration with the Dolores Huerta Foundation and People for the American Way, the video is a powerful example of storytelling as an organizing tool. In this episode, lifelong activists and old friends Ellen Gavin and Dolores Huerta join Laura Flanders to explore how narratives help break through our silos and fears under this second Trump administration. Gavin's works as a writer, director, producer have brought millions of views to social justice storytelling; she is also founder of Gavin Creative Collab and founding artistic director of Brava! for Women in the Arts. Huerta is co-founder of the United Farm Workers alongside César Chávez and founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Still organizing at 95 years old, she is recognized as one of the most influential labor organizers of the twentieth century and coined the iconic rallying cry “Si Se Puede.” She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Find out how narratives shatter fear and build movements, plus a commentary from Laura. “. . . We want people to be on our team. We want people to be touched in a way that says, ‘I want to be that neighbor. I want to be that helper. I want to be that person who sees something and does something instead of reacts with fear.' When they say that fear is contagious, and then they say, courage is contagious.” - Ellen Gavin “. . . In the farm, we didn't respond with violence . . . César [Chávez] fasted for 25 days and then 36 days . . . The other side, they want us to respond with violence, and we can respond with non-violence because they would like to have martial law for the whole country. So we've really got to have a lot of discipline now.” - Dolores Huerta Guests: • Ellen Gavin: Writer, Director, Producer: The People, United; Founder, Gavin Creative Collab • Dolores Huerta: Co-founder of the United Farm Workers; Founder & President, The Dolores Huerta Foundation Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Watch the special report on YouTube; PBS World Channel, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio, (check here to see if your station is airing the show) & available as a podcast. Additional Crew: Director of Photography: Brian Dentz, Fig Pie Media Sound Mixer: Alexander Marshall, Blowtorch Productions Credits: “The People, United” video short Writer, Director & Executive Producer: Ellen Gavin Producers: Alana Maiello, Natasha Estrada Director of Photography: Sevdije Kastrati Dill RESOURCES: Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: • Farm Workers to Farm Owners- Watch / Listen: Episode • These Films Keep People Out of Prison- Watch / Listen: Episode • Jacqueline Woodson & Catherine Gund: Breathing Through Chaos & the “Meanwhile”- Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Uncut Conversation • Mamdani, Black Farmers, USDA & ICE: The Stories BIPOC Journalists Uncover- Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Uncut Conversation Related Articles and Resources: • California City Residents Denounce Plan to Build State's Largest Immigrant Detention Center, by ACoM, August 4, 2025, American Community Media • Dolores Huerta Leads Protest Against California's Largest Planned ICE Detention Center, by Steve Virgen, CA Neighborhood Reporter, July 30, 2025, 23ABC News KERO • Forbes Power Women's Summit 2025: Building What's Next, September 25, 2025, Forbes • About el Teatro Campesino's Luis Valdez, Founding Artistic Director Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Music Credit: 'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
This is the full 4-26-2026 episode of the Labor Express Radio program. Labor historians Jeremy Brecher and Joseph McCartin, and labor organizer Stephen Lerner discuss how “Resisting Trumpism Can Revive the U.S. Labor Movement”. Plus, more details on plans for May Day in Chicago.Labor Express Radio is Chicago's oldest labor news and current affairs radio program. News for working people, by working people. Labor Express Radio airs every Sunday at 8:00 PM on WLPN in Chicago, 105.5 FM. For more information, see our Facebook page... laborexpress.organd our homepage on Archive.org at:http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadioLabor Express is a member of the Labor Radio / Podcast Network, Working People's Voices – Broadcasting Worldwide 24 Hours A Day. laborradionetwork.org #laborradionetwork #LaborRadioPod #1u #UnionStrong
Air Date: 4-1-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Ch. 1 - How to boycott better Ch. 2 - Why REI workers have voted to boycott the upcoming May sale and how you can help Ch. 3 - Why meatpacking workers are striking in Colorado Ch. 4 - Comparing the US labor movement with the Canadian labor movement Ch. 5 - Strengthening, and expanding the vision for, today's labor movement SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): How politics killed the once transformational National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Leave us a message on our new system! REFERENCES Your Individual Boycotts Aren't Helping - Jacobin REI Workers Threaten Boycott Ahead Of Retailer's Most Crucial Sale Of The Year - Huffington Post Thousands of Colorado Meatpacking Workers Are on Strike - Jacobin From Class to Special Interest - Jacobin (from 2016) Today's Labor Movement Needs a Bigger Vision - Labor Notes BACKSTAGE Requiem for the Wagner Act - The American Prospect EXTRAS: Best of the Left #1780 - Cynicism Is a Scab: Hope, Solidarity, and the Labor Fight That Never Stopped MayDayStrong.org - May 1st - No Work. No School. No Shopping. SOLVED! #36 - Bribery Jazz: Corruption is the Water We Swim In 'No Flock, No ICE': Student protest demands removal of Flock surveillance at UW Anti-ICE protests Friday at Berkeley schools and a Hilton hotel in the Southside neighborhood SUPPORT REI WORKERS: @REIUnion (Instagram) REI Co-Op Members: Vote to Boycott SUPPORT MEATPACKING WORKERS: Greeley Meatpacking Workers (UFCW Local 7R) Strike Fund UFCW Local 7R (Greeley Meatpacking Workers) Union Facebook page with updates TAKE ACTION: MayDayStrong.org - May 1st - No Work. No School. No Shopping. Stop Trump's Wars No Kings - What's Next?
In this episode Tom Hayes chats with Dave Kamper, author ofthe book “Who's Got the Power: The Resurgence of American Unions”. Dave writes extensively on labour relations and is currently a senior strategist at the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive-leaning US think tank. Tom opens by asking Dave why the US labour movement is a pale shadow of what it once was? currently a senior strategist at theEconomic Policy Institute, a progressive-leaning US think tank. In this episodeTom asks Dave why the US labour movement is a pale shadow of what it once was?
Julia and Eliza finally confront the question: is Ronald Reagan responsible for all the world's evils? To investigate, the girlies delve into Reaganomics, the groundbreaking idea to give rich people more money, and trace how its legacy has trickled down into the capitalist swamp we all wade through today. The girlies also examine Reagan's abysmal impact on human life including his murderously indifferent AIDS response, his systematic defunding of welfare, his IDGAF environmental policies, and many other evils. Digressions include Eliza's upcoming consultation with a pet psychic, Australians getting mad at vowels, and a callback to Nancy the throat goat. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette. ADDITIONAL READINGS Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion How a Historian Uncovered Ronald Reagan's Racist Remarks to Richard Nixon Killing Asylum: How Decades of U.S. Policy Ravaged Central America Ronald Reagan Made Central America a Killing Field The Cold War 's Last Battlefield: Reagan, the Soviets and Central America THE IRAN-CONTRA REPORT: Chronology; After 13 Years of Hide-and-Seek, a Bitter Chapter of U.S. History Ends The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander The war on drugs, explained When Oliver North avoided prison time for his role in the Iran-contra scandal You're Wrong About Podcast: Iran-Contra SOURCES A Timeline of HIV and AIDS A troublesome legacy: The Reagan Administration's conservation and renewable energy policy A Snapshot of Federal Student Loan Debt Actor's Illness Helped Reagan To Grasp AIDS, Doctor Says Aid To Dependent Children: The Legal History Conservative Transition in American Social Policy Decades of Distortion: The Right's 30-year Assault on Welfare FAIRNESS OF REAGAN'S CUTOFFS OF DISABILITY AID QUESTIONED How Ronald Reagan's Time at General Electric Pushed Him to Conservatism How Ronald Reagan Tried to Shrink Government Spending Looking Back On When President Reagan Fired The Air Traffic Controllers Presidential Approval Ratings — Gallup Historical Statistics and Trends Proposed cuts to public housing threaten a repeat of the 1980s' housing crisis Reaganomics and the Welfare State Reagan Administration's Chilling Response to the AIDS Crisis Ronald Reagan and the Commitment of the Mentally Ill REAGAN DEFENDS FINANCING FOR AIDS Reagan, Deregulation and America's Exceptional Rise in Health Care Costs Reagan Order Defines Drug Trade as Security Threat, Widens Military Role Reagan Was a Disaster for the Labor Movement. A Second Trump Term Could Be Worse. Republicans view Reagan, Trump as best recent presidents Ronald Reagan and the Politics of Declining Union Organization Ronald Reagan From the People's Perspective: A Gallup Poll Review Ronald Reagan Has Shaped U.S. Labor Law for Decades Ronald Reagan's Legacy: The Rise of Student Loan Debt in America Ronald Reagan: Life Before the Presidency Ronald Reagan on economics and political parties, 1962 Ronald Reagan's shameful legacy: Violence, the homeless, mental illness The ideas in Project 2025? Reagan tried them, and the nation suffered The Origin of Student Debt: Reagan Adviser Warned Free College Would Create a Dangerous "Educated Proletariat" The Reagan Administration's Budget Cuts: Their Impact on the Poor 'The Reagans': TV Review. The Shadow of Ronald Reagan Is Costing Us Dearly The Welfare Queen Who Is Receiving Social Safety Net Benefits? Will History Repeat Itself? Like Reagan's Repeal of Carter's Achievements in Advancing Solar Energy, Will Trump Kill Biden's?. Why Are Workers Struggling? Because Labor Law Is Broken
Air Date: 3/27/2026 Today we examine the relationship between labor education, moral ambition, and the possibility of a better world. We'll hear about IWW members building a "Philosophy 101" for organizers, a historian's argument that humanity is fundamentally cooperative rather than selfish, and why getting labor history into public schools may be one of the most important organizing projects of our time. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: A Case for Human Decency (by Rutger Bregman) Part 1 - Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso - Air Date 10-25-20 KP 2: 73 Ben Fletcher, Part 1 - Working Class History - Air Date 6-5-23 KP 3: Striking At Kings Part 1 - Labor Heritage Power Hour - Air Date 2-12-26 KP 4: The Unsung Women of the Labor Movement with Jenny Kaplan Part 1 - The Bright Side - Air Date 9-2-24 KP 5: Climate Justice Through Collective Liberation Mikaela Loach Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 8-6-25 KP 6: Are We Trapped In Meaningless Jobs (With Rutger Bregman) Part 1 - Lever Time - Air Date 12-18-25 (00:49:56) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Solidarity Isn't a Feeling — It's a Structure (And Bosses Know It) Requiem for the Wagner Act DEEPER DIVES (01:01:40) SECTION A: HISTORY A1: Restoration, Revolution and English Enlightenment - The History of England - Air Date 11-9-25 A2: 73 Ben Fletcher, Part 1 Part 2 - Working Class History - Air Date 6-5-23 A3: UNLOCKED Overtime Episode 43 - The General Strike in US History Pt 3 - Work Stoppage - Air Date 1-23-26 A4: The Unsung Women of the Labor Movement with Jenny Kaplan Part 2 - The Bright Side - Air Date 9-2-24 A5: UNLOCKED Overtime Episode 43 - The General Strike in US History Pt 3 Part 2 - Work Stoppage - Air Date 1-23-26 (01:40:45) SECTION B: ORGANIZING B1: Eugene Debs' Winning a World Speech, 1904 - Bucckeyye Historin - Air Date 9-28-24 B2: What Does It Mean To Be Member Run Part 1 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 6-6-21 B3: Revisiting the Legacy of the Fight for $15 (with Yannet Lathrop and Dr. T. William Lester) Part 1 - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 8-27-24 B4: What Does It Mean To Be Member Run Part 2 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 6-6-21 B5: Are We Trapped In Meaningless Jobs (With Rutger Bregman) Part 2 - Lever Time - Air Date 12-18-25 (02:24:47) SECTION C: EDUCATION C1: IWW Education and Organizing in Higher Ed Part 1 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 1-17-26 C2: Striking At Kings Part 2 - Labor Heritage Power Hour - Air Date 2-12-26 C3: Revisiting the Legacy of the Fight for $15 (with Yannet Lathrop and Dr. T. William Lester) Part 2 - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 8-27-24 C4: IWW Education and Organizing in Higher Ed Part 2 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 1-17-26 (02:55:10) SECTION D: VISION D1: A Case for Human Decency (by Rutger Bregman) Part 2 - Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso - Air Date 10-25-20 D2: Cornel West Hope Is Spiritual Armor Against Modern Society's Spiritual Warfare - Big Think - Air Date 7-27-17 D3: The Importance Of Revolutionary Optimism - Second Thought - Air Date 10-8-21 D4: Climate Justice Through Collective Liberation Mikaela Loach Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 8-6-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a worker at a Fight for $15 rally calling into a megaphone while the crowd behind her holds protest signs. Credit: "Fast food workers on strike for higher minimum wage and better benefits" by Fibonacci Blue, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) President Melissa Cropper joins the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the legislative "power plays" targeting public education, the pushback against classroom mandates, and the latest union organizing victories across the state. Host Ed "Flash" Ferenc welcomes Melissa Cropper back to the show for a deep dive into the 2026 legislative landscape in Columbus. As Ohio lawmakers propose new ways to centralize control over K-12 and higher education, Cropper explains why these moves threaten the very foundation of local public schools. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: The Funding Penalty (HB 671): Why a new proposal to withhold funds from districts that challenge the state in court is being viewed as an attack on local control. Higher Ed Under Pressure: A look at how colleges are being forced into "compliance certification" or risking their state support. The "Success Sequence" (SB 156): Why the OFT is opposing state-directed classroom messages that oversimplify the root causes of poverty. Organizing Momentum: Celebrating the first-contract victory for Delaware Public Library workers and an update on the resilient fight for workers' rights at KIPP and Menlo charter schools. The Labor Perspective: Why real student success requires fully funded schools, family-sustaining wages and a seat at the table for educators. Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement. From the statehouse to the schoolhouse, hear how activists are fighting for a stronger future. Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily interviews with the leaders building worker power across America.
Ironworkers Local 63 member Paul Goodrich joins the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the specialized role of architectural ironworkers, the importance of labor history in apprenticeship, and the growing movement to support recovery and mental health in the trades. On today's episode, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc sits down with Paul Goodrich, a member of Ironworkers Local 63 in Chicago. With experience as an ironworker, foreman, and teacher, Goodrich offers a deep dive into a trade that literally provides the "final look" of the Chicago skyline. In this episode, we discuss: The Art of the Finish: How Local 63 specializes in architectural and ornamental ironwork, from curtain wall systems to glass installations. Adapting to Innovation: How technology is changing man-hours on the job and why unions must organize aggressively around new construction methods. Teaching the Movement: Why Goodrich believes every apprentice needs to understand Chicago's labor history—from the Haymarket era to modern collective action. Recovery and Resilience: A personal look at how union health benefits and peer support are helping trades workers navigate substance use and mental health challenges. The Union Foundation: Why the path to dignity, respect, and economic stability still runs through a union contract. Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement. Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.
Worker Centered: Allyship & Action in the Contemporary Labor Movement (Oxford UP, 2024) is a close-to-the-ground, ethnographic narrative of a workplace organizing campaign at a company whose workforce was primarily low wage and immigrant. The book details the overall strategy of the campaign and its ultimate failure to win its core demands. The organization used an innovative strategic model and insisted on the importance of worker leadership. And yet allies and staff participated in a campaign that, although continually framed as such, was decidedly not led by workers. Ultimately, Worker Centered challenges conventional notions of political representation, inviting reflection on the complexities of organizing the marginalized and speaking on their behalf. Our guest Biko Koenig is an Assistant Professor in the Government and Public Policy programs at Franklin & Marshall college in Lancaster, PA. He is also co-founder of Research Action, a worker-owned research and organizing firm that performs research and analysis for unions, solidarity economy organizations, community groups and social justice campaigns. Trained as an ethnographer and qualitative specialist at the New School for Social Research, Koenig's research investigates questions of political behavior and mobilization that centers the experiences of everyday actors as they seek to challenge status-quo power relationships. My co-host today is Joe Zerilli, and MA student in the Communication program at Oakland University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Worker Centered: Allyship & Action in the Contemporary Labor Movement (Oxford UP, 2024) is a close-to-the-ground, ethnographic narrative of a workplace organizing campaign at a company whose workforce was primarily low wage and immigrant. The book details the overall strategy of the campaign and its ultimate failure to win its core demands. The organization used an innovative strategic model and insisted on the importance of worker leadership. And yet allies and staff participated in a campaign that, although continually framed as such, was decidedly not led by workers. Ultimately, Worker Centered challenges conventional notions of political representation, inviting reflection on the complexities of organizing the marginalized and speaking on their behalf. Our guest Biko Koenig is an Assistant Professor in the Government and Public Policy programs at Franklin & Marshall college in Lancaster, PA. He is also co-founder of Research Action, a worker-owned research and organizing firm that performs research and analysis for unions, solidarity economy organizations, community groups and social justice campaigns. Trained as an ethnographer and qualitative specialist at the New School for Social Research, Koenig's research investigates questions of political behavior and mobilization that centers the experiences of everyday actors as they seek to challenge status-quo power relationships. My co-host today is Joe Zerilli, and MA student in the Communication program at Oakland University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology
Worker Centered: Allyship & Action in the Contemporary Labor Movement (Oxford UP, 2024) is a close-to-the-ground, ethnographic narrative of a workplace organizing campaign at a company whose workforce was primarily low wage and immigrant. The book details the overall strategy of the campaign and its ultimate failure to win its core demands. The organization used an innovative strategic model and insisted on the importance of worker leadership. And yet allies and staff participated in a campaign that, although continually framed as such, was decidedly not led by workers. Ultimately, Worker Centered challenges conventional notions of political representation, inviting reflection on the complexities of organizing the marginalized and speaking on their behalf. Our guest Biko Koenig is an Assistant Professor in the Government and Public Policy programs at Franklin & Marshall college in Lancaster, PA. He is also co-founder of Research Action, a worker-owned research and organizing firm that performs research and analysis for unions, solidarity economy organizations, community groups and social justice campaigns. Trained as an ethnographer and qualitative specialist at the New School for Social Research, Koenig's research investigates questions of political behavior and mobilization that centers the experiences of everyday actors as they seek to challenge status-quo power relationships. My co-host today is Joe Zerilli, and MA student in the Communication program at Oakland University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology
Worker Centered: Allyship & Action in the Contemporary Labor Movement (Oxford UP, 2024) is a close-to-the-ground, ethnographic narrative of a workplace organizing campaign at a company whose workforce was primarily low wage and immigrant. The book details the overall strategy of the campaign and its ultimate failure to win its core demands. The organization used an innovative strategic model and insisted on the importance of worker leadership. And yet allies and staff participated in a campaign that, although continually framed as such, was decidedly not led by workers. Ultimately, Worker Centered challenges conventional notions of political representation, inviting reflection on the complexities of organizing the marginalized and speaking on their behalf. Our guest Biko Koenig is an Assistant Professor in the Government and Public Policy programs at Franklin & Marshall college in Lancaster, PA. He is also co-founder of Research Action, a worker-owned research and organizing firm that performs research and analysis for unions, solidarity economy organizations, community groups and social justice campaigns. Trained as an ethnographer and qualitative specialist at the New School for Social Research, Koenig's research investigates questions of political behavior and mobilization that centers the experiences of everyday actors as they seek to challenge status-quo power relationships. My co-host today is Joe Zerilli, and MA student in the Communication program at Oakland University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy
The labor movement is shifting from a defensive crouch to a bold offensive strategy. On today's episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast, we welcome two major voices in the labor movement to discuss the data behind the union resurgence and the legislative fight for worker safety. Segment 1: The Resurgence of American Unions Dave Kamper, Senior Strategist for the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), joins the show to discuss his new book, Who's Got the Power? The Resurgence of American Unions. Kamper explains how the pandemic served as a catalyst for worker demands and why Gen Z is leading the charge in organizing. Key Topics: Why EPI research is critical for labor's moral and economic case, the rise of "Solidarity Standards," and how Central Labor Councils are coordinating resource-heavy wins. Segment 2: Securing the Skies and the Streets Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, outlines a three-front legislative agenda focused on safety as infrastructure. Key Topics: The ROTOR Act and preventing aviation collisions, the RIDER Safety Act to combat rising assaults on transit workers, and the urgent need for federal safety standards for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) to protect both public safety and American jobs. Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement. Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. From the shop floor to the statehouse, hear how activists are fighting for better wages, safer conditions, and a stronger future. Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast to get the latest interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.
Leslie is joined by Jody Calemine, Director of Advocacy for the 63 Unions and 15 million members of the AFL-CIO. The two review President Trump's first year of his second term, and how it's been filled with relentless attacks on workers during his pursuit of 'Project 2025.' However, they also discuss how the labor movement is fighting back, and winning! The administration: committed the single biggest-act of union-busting in history, launched a brutal assault on immigrants and communities across the country, ripped health care from millions, made billionaires richer and corporations more powerful, moved to unleash untested AI technology, And dismantled government agencies that provide essential services. President Trump promised to “make America affordable again,” but instead, he spent a year driving up costs, holding down wages and letting jobs disappear—including jobs that would keep energy bills from skyrocketing. But in the face of relentless attacks on our livelihoods and freedoms, workers are turning to unions to fight back. And we're winning. In December we saw the first sprouts of victory when a bipartisan group of lawmakers canceled votes on the SCORE Act, succumbing to pressure after months of organizing from the labor movement. Then before the year ended, a group of bipartisan lawmakers passed a discharge petition advancing one of labor's top priorities: restoring federal workers collective bargaining rights. At the beginning of 2026, we saw lawmakers in the house rally around an extension of the ACA tax credits and a band of Republicans come together to sink a series of anti-worker labor bills. The website for the AFL-CIO is AFLCIO.org and their handle on Blue Sky is @AFLCIO.org. Their handle on Facebook, Instagram and X is @AFLCIO. Jody's handle on Blue Sky is @guerino.bsky.social.
Leslie is joined by Jody Calemine, Director of Advocacy for the 63 Unions and 15 million members of the AFL-CIO. The two review President Trump's first year of his second term, and how it's been filled with relentless attacks on workers during his pursuit of 'Project 2025.' However, they also discuss how the labor movement is fighting back, and winning! The administration: - committed the single biggest-act of union-busting in history, - launched a brutal assault on immigrants and communities across the country, - ripped health care from millions, - made billionaires richer and corporations more powerful, - moved to unleash untested AI technology, - And dismantled government agencies that provide essential services. President Trump promised to “make America affordable again,” but instead, he spent a year driving up costs, holding down wages and letting jobs disappear—including jobs that would keep energy bills from skyrocketing. But in the face of relentless attacks on our livelihoods and freedoms, workers are turning to unions to fight back. And we're winning. In December we saw the first sprouts of victory when a bipartisan group of lawmakers canceled votes on the SCORE Act, succumbing to pressure after months of organizing from the labor movement. Then before the year ended, a group of bipartisan lawmakers passed a discharge petition advancing one of labor's top priorities: restoring federal workers collective bargaining rights. At the beginning of 2026, we saw lawmakers in the house rally around an extension of the ACA tax credits and a band of Republicans come together to sink a series of anti-worker labor bills. The website for the AFL-CIO is AFLCIO.org and their handle on Blue Sky is @AFLCIO.org. Their handle on Facebook, Instagram and X is @AFLCIO. Jody's handle on Blue Sky is @guerino.bsky.social.
The struggle for labor across the color line has often been credited to white activists. However, as sociologist Cedric de Leon argues, the black labor movement, independently organized outside of the official union movement, propelled such efforts. He discusses the black labor movement's divisions, including in the face of the state's attempt to destroy it. Cedric de Leon, Freedom Train: Black Politics and the Story of Interracial Labor Solidarity UC Press, 2025 The post The Black Labor Movement appeared first on KPFA.
It's episode 224 and time for us to talk about History books! We discuss queer history, local history, spies, roads, colonialism, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray
UMAW (the United Musicians and Allied Workers) is a labor organization that 'Aims to organize music workers to fight for a more just music industry and to join with other workers in the struggle for a better society.' Their campaigns include Fair Pay at SXSW, #MyMerch (raising awareness of venues taking an unfair cut), Justice at Spotify, and probably most prominently, The Living Wage For Musicians Act sponsored by Rep Rashida Tlaib in the US Congress currently. We talk with a representative from UMAW - Damon Krukowski (a working musician, and a founder of late 80's indie rocker band Galaxie 500) about who UMAW is, what they are fighting for, and how we can all join the fight.Get more access and support this show by subscribing to our Patreon, right here.Links:UMAWGalaxie 500‘Why Sound Matters'Ep 126 - Yancey StricklerAFMSAG-AFTRALiving Wage for Musicians ActClick here to watch this conversation on YouTube.Social Media:The Other 22 Hours InstagramThe Other 22 Hours TikTokMichaela Anne InstagramAaron Shafer-Haiss InstagramAll music written, performed, and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Become a subscribing member on our Patreon to gain more inside access including exclusive content, workshops, the chance to have your questions answered by our upcoming guests, and more.
Union organizing in Cleveland has been gaining ground, and it's not just taking on large corporations. Driven by workers seeking fair wages, safer working conditions, and a voice at the table, local unionization has repeatedly made headlines here in Cleveland. One thing is clear: This isn't your grandparents' labor movement. Multiple sectors, including small businesses and nonprofits, are joining a growing effort to unionize as they face a rising cost of living, inflation, and a challenging political climate. What new strategies are needed to support workers, build solidarity, and create a more equitable workplace?rnrnPanelists: Tim Francisco, Director, The Center for Working Class Studies; Professor of English, Youngstown State University; Grace Heffernan, Executive Director, Northeast Ohio Worker Center; and Brian Pearson, Executive Secretary, North Shore AFL-CIO. Moderated by City Club Director of Programming Cynthia Connolly.
We get an update from a Minneapolis educator about how they won a new contract after a credible strike threat. We also talk to Dave Kamper about his new book - Who's Got the Power?✦ ABOUT ✦The Valley Labor Report is the only union talk radio show in Alabama, elevating struggles for justice and fairness on the job, educating folks about how they can do the same, and bringing relevant news to workers in Alabama and beyond.Our single largest source of revenue *is our listeners* so your support really matters and helps us stay on the air!Make a one time donation or become a monthly donor on our website or patreon:TVLR.FMPatreon.com/thevalleylaborreportVisit our official website for more info on the show, membership, our sponsors, merch, and more: https://www.tvlr.fmFollow TVLR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheValleyLab...Follow TVLR on Twitter: @LaborReportersFollow Jacob on Twitter: @JacobM_ALFollow TVLR Co-Creator David Story on Twitter: @RadiclUnionist✦ CONTACT US ✦Our phone number is 844-899-TVLR (8857), call or text us live on air, or leave us a voicemail and we might play it during the show!✦ OUR ADVERTISERS KEEP US ON THE AIR! ✦Support them if you can.The attorneys at MAPLES, TUCKER, AND JACOB fight for working people. Let them represent you in your workplace injury claim. Mtandj.com; (855) 617-9333The MACHINISTS UNION represents workers in several industries including healthcare, the defense industry, woodworking, and more. iamaw44.org (256) 286-3704 / organize@iamaw44.orgDo you need good union laborers on your construction site, or do you want a union construction job? Reach out to the IRONWORKERS LOCAL 477. Ironworkers477.org 256-383-3334 (Jeb Miles) / local477@bellsouth.netThe NORTH ALABAMA DSA is looking for folks to work for a better North Alabama, fighting for liberty and justice for all. Contact / Join: DSANorthAlabama@gmail.comIBEW LOCAL 136 is a group of over 900 electricians and electrical workers providing our area with the finest workforce in the construction industry. You belong here. ibew136.org Contact: (205) 833-0909IFPTE - We are engineers, scientists, nonprofit employees, technicians, lawyers, and many other professions who have joined together to have a greater voice in our careers. With over 80,000 members spread across the U.S. and Canada, we invite you and your colleagues to consider the benefits of engaging in collective bargaining. IFPTE.org Contact: (202) 239-4880THE HUNTSVILLE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD is a union open to any and all working people. Call or email them today to begin organizing your workplace - wherever it is. On the Web: https://hsviww.org/ Contact: (256) 651-6707 / organize@hsviww.orgENERGY ALABAMA is accelerating Alabama's transition to sustainable energy. We are a nonprofit membership-based organization that has advocated for clean energy in Alabama since 2014. Our work is based on three pillars: education, advocacy, and technical assistance. Energy Alabama on the Web: https://alcse.org/ Contact: (256) 812-1431 / dtait@energyalabama.orgThe Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union represents in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to retail, grocery stores, poultry processing, dairy processing, cereal processing, soda bottlers, bakeries, health care, hotels, manufacturing, public sector workers like crossing guards, sanitation, and highway workers, warehouses, building services, and distribution. Learn more at RWDSU.infoThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union proudly representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas. Learn more at AFGE.orgAre you looking for a better future, a career that can have you set for life, and to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself? Consider a skilled trades apprenticeship with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Learn more at IUPAT.orgUnionly is a union-focused company created specifically to support organized labor. We believe that providing online payments should be simple, safe, and secure. Visit https://unionly.io/ to learn more.Hometown Action envisions inclusive, revitalized, and sustainable communities built through multiracial working class organizing and leadership development at the local and state level to create opportunities for all people to thrive. Learn more at hometownaction.orgMembers of IBEW have some of the best wages and benefits in North Alabama. Find out more and join their team at ibew558.org ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
On this episode, FWs Daric, Luca, and Adi talk about the book 'Solidarity Unionism: Rebuilding the Labor Movement from Below' by Staughton Lynd. Record in FW Jasons kitchen, so pardon the various audio quarks. So listen in and if you want to be a part of that future and join the one big union, or just have questions for us about organizing your workplace, reach out at ypsilanti@iww.com and remember, an injury to one is an injury to all. Enjoy!
9 months ago I made a video about how Mike rowe was a net negative for the working class and organized labor. 1 week ago Mr. rowe had a boomer Facebook crashout and called me out.I'm doubling down.--------------------------------------------------This podcast and related works take a lot of effort and time to produce! Please support us wherever you can!WE NOW HAVE MERCH! = https://my-store-8932760.creator-spri...Please, if you have a moment, take a second to rate and review on Apple! It's the single best way you can help us grow aside from word of mouth!Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Fa69IACheck out all of our links at our LinkTree!https://linktr.ee/TribunusPlebisMediaTribunus Plebis Media is a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network! Please check out the network all the other shows in it at the link below!https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
The call for a general strike was the most concrete demand coming from the massive no kings day protests. And labor and pro-Palestine advocates are picking up the baton, demanding that unions in the U.S. shut it down and end US weapons and shipments to the apartheid state of Israel. And, after a border patrol agent shoots at man in DC during a routine traffic stop, a coalition of African American and Latinx activists demand that attacks in DC by ice and federal police end immediately. Plus Headlines, Federal workers line up for food aid, and more... The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people's voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you! “On the Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation's Capital” gives a voice to the voiceless 99 percent at the heart of American empire. The award-winning, weekly hour, produced and hosted by Esther Iverem, covers social justice activism about local, national and international issues, with a special emphasis on militarization and war, the police state, the corporate state, environmental justice and the left edge of culture and media. The show is heard on three dozen stations across the United States, on podcast, and is archived on the world wide web at https://onthegroundshow.org/ Please support us on Patreon or Paypal. Links for all ways to support are on our website or at Esther Iverem's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/esther_iverem
After nearly two weeks on the picket line, St. Albans dairy processors have signed a new contract with their employer, Dairy Farmers of America, based in Kansas. The St. Albans plant processes Vermont milk for vendors like Ben and Jerry's, Cabot, and Kate's Butter. We speak with Curtis Clough, president of Vermont Teamsters Local 597 union, tells us about the negotiations, strike and return to work.About one in ten workers in the United States is part of a union. That's not a lot, if you're comparing it to the height of union membership in the 1950s. One third of the American workforce used to be unionized. In the northeast, the most prominent unions have changed along with the economy. Labor organizers from three different sectors — public school teaching, mental health work, and farm labor — join Vermont Edition to discuss the state of today's labor movement. Nolan Rampy is a clinician at the Baird School, part of the Howard Center in Burlington, and the vice president of AFSCME 1674, a union representing mental healthcare workers. Will Lambek is an organizer with Migrant Justice, which supports immigrant farm workers in Vermont. And Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver is a Winooski High School teacher and a member of the Winooski Education Association, an affiliate of the Vermont-NEA. She was named Vermont's 2025 Teacher of the Year.
We talk about the retaliation against last week's guest, who was fired for whistle blowing. We also react to an article written by a former Teamster who thinks that union reform efforts should be abandoned. And we'll take your calls at 844-899-TVLR✦ ABOUT ✦The Valley Labor Report is the only union talk radio show in Alabama, elevating struggles for justice and fairness on the job, educating folks about how they can do the same, and bringing relevant news to workers in Alabama and beyond.Our single largest source of revenue *is our listeners* so your support really matters and helps us stay on the air!Make a one time donation or become a monthly donor on our website or patreon:TVLR.FMPatreon.com/thevalleylaborreportVisit our official website for more info on the show, membership, our sponsors, merch, and more: https://www.tvlr.fmFollow TVLR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheValleyLab...Follow TVLR on Twitter: @LaborReportersFollow Jacob on Twitter: @JacobM_ALFollow TVLR Co-Creator David Story on Twitter: @RadiclUnionist✦ CONTACT US ✦Our phone number is 844-899-TVLR (8857), call or text us live on air, or leave us a voicemail and we might play it during the show!✦ OUR ADVERTISERS KEEP US ON THE AIR! ✦Support them if you can.The attorneys at MAPLES, TUCKER, AND JACOB fight for working people. Let them represent you in your workplace injury claim. Mtandj.com; (855) 617-9333The MACHINISTS UNION represents workers in several industries including healthcare, the defense industry, woodworking, and more. iamaw44.org (256) 286-3704 / organize@iamaw44.orgDo you need good union laborers on your construction site, or do you want a union construction job? Reach out to the IRONWORKERS LOCAL 477. Ironworkers477.org 256-383-3334 (Jeb Miles) / local477@bellsouth.netThe NORTH ALABAMA DSA is looking for folks to work for a better North Alabama, fighting for liberty and justice for all. Contact / Join: DSANorthAlabama@gmail.comIBEW LOCAL 136 is a group of over 900 electricians and electrical workers providing our area with the finest workforce in the construction industry. You belong here. ibew136.org Contact: (205) 833-0909IFPTE - We are engineers, scientists, nonprofit employees, technicians, lawyers, and many other professions who have joined together to have a greater voice in our careers. With over 80,000 members spread across the U.S. and Canada, we invite you and your colleagues to consider the benefits of engaging in collective bargaining. IFPTE.org Contact: (202) 239-4880THE HUNTSVILLE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD is a union open to any and all working people. Call or email them today to begin organizing your workplace - wherever it is. On the Web: https://hsviww.org/ Contact: (256) 651-6707 / organize@hsviww.orgENERGY ALABAMA is accelerating Alabama's transition to sustainable energy. We are a nonprofit membership-based organization that has advocated for clean energy in Alabama since 2014. Our work is based on three pillars: education, advocacy, and technical assistance. Energy Alabama on the Web: https://alcse.org/ Contact: (256) 812-1431 / dtait@energyalabama.orgThe Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union represents in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to retail, grocery stores, poultry processing, dairy processing, cereal processing, soda bottlers, bakeries, health care, hotels, manufacturing, public sector workers like crossing guards, sanitation, and highway workers, warehouses, building services, and distribution. Learn more at RWDSU.infoThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union proudly representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas. Learn more at AFGE.orgAre you looking for a better future, a career that can have you set for life, and to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself? Consider a skilled trades apprenticeship with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Learn more at IUPAT.orgUnionly is a union-focused company created specifically to support organized labor. We believe that providing online payments should be simple, safe, and secure. Visit https://unionly.io/ to learn more.Hometown Action envisions inclusive, revitalized, and sustainable communities built through multiracial working class organizing and leadership development at the local and state level to create opportunities for all people to thrive. Learn more at hometownaction.orgMembers of IBEW have some of the best wages and benefits in North Alabama. Find out more and join their team at ibew558.org ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Ever wonder why official economic reports don't match your experience? We'll talk to economist Heather Long about how the rich are doing so well that it skews the overall economic data. Then, a century ago Arturo Giovannitti was nearly executed for speaking since union organizers were not permitted free speech rights. We'll talk to Marcella Bencivenni about this working-class hero who helped win us all our rights. Our feature is Labor Song of the Month with Mark Galus.
Episode: 1451 Inventing the free public lending library: socialism in books. Today, we invent the library.
Get access to The Backroom (75+ exclusive episodes) and support 1Dime Radio: https://www.patreon.com/OneDimeIn this episode of 1Dime Radio, I am joined by Dr. Jane Hayward, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the Lao China Institute at King's College. Dr. Hayward specializes in explaining China's political economy and misconceptions surrounding it. We discuss the specifics of how China's political system works, its mix of meritocracy, democracy, technocracy, & dictatorship, and the very different systems of competing provinces, like Guangdong and Chongqing. She also explains the inner workings of the Chinese Communist Party-state and its political economy. In The Backroom on Patreon, the Trump Tariffs, Jane's experience living in China, the prospects for China's future, and much more. Become a Patron at Patreon.com/OneDime if you haven't already.In The Backroom on Patreon, we discuss Trump's new tariffs, Jane's firsthand experience living in China, where the model is headed, and more.Timestamps00:00 The Backroom Preview02:38 1Dime Radio Introduction03:52 China's Decentralized Political System08:12 Local vs Provincial Governments16:43 Democracy in China?20:00 Party Membership, Hierarchy, and Controlled Opposition34:20 Barriers to Entry and Party Membership39:30 Technocracy and Meritocracy49:44 Chongqing vs. Guangdong: Experiments in Socialist vs Capitalist Governance01:06:39 The Labor Movement in China01:17:34 The Gender Divide in China01:30:15 Conclusion and The Backroom TransitionGUEST: Dr. Jane Hayward's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@janehaywardchina/videosFOLLOW Me:1Dime:• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee.Outro Music by Karl CaseyIf you learned something, leave a like, comment, 5-Star Rating, and share it with a friend.
Trump despises the average worker and has spent the past several months doing everything he can to demolish the labor protections that Americans of previous generations fought and died to win. We're at an inflection point for the future of American labor, with our very livelihoods in the balance. Julie Su has been a civil rights attorney, California's Labor Commissioner, and then acting Secretary of Labor in the last Biden Administration. Few people in America are better equipped to describe the unique challenges the labor movement faces in this moment and how exactly we can roll up our sleeves to fight back. This week, Adam sits with Julie to get real about what the average American needs to be doing to protect our rights as workers. --SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/adamconoverSEE ADAM ON TOUR: https://www.adamconover.net/tourdates/SUBSCRIBE to and RATE Factually! on:» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/factually-with-adam-conover/id1463460577» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0fK8WJw4ffMc2NWydBlDyJAbout Headgum: Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com.» SUBSCRIBE to Headgum: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadGum?sub_confirmation=1» FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/headgum» FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/headgum/» FOLLOW us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headgum» Advertise on Factually! via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Hours and 42 MinutesPG-13Darryl Cooper and Thomas777 joined Pete for his Sunday livestream to have a discussion about the spawning and growth of the 19th century labor movement in the United States.The Martyr Made PodcastThe Martyr Made SubstackThe Unraveling PodcastThomas' SubstackRadio Free Chicago - T777 and J BurdenThomas777 MerchandiseThomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 1"Thomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 2"Thomas on TwitterThomas' CashApp - $7homas777Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's SubstackPete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on Twitter
Dave Megenhardt, Executive Director of the United Labor Agency, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about the upcoming launch of a union job board and the annual Unsung Heroes of the Labor Movement dinner. This edition of Labor 131, presented by the National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, features Justine Modica, Assistant Professor at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, who joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the history of childcare as a labor issue, unionization efforts in the industry and potential solutions to the current childcare crisis.
Clearing the FOG with co-hosts Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese
For Labor Day, Clearing the FOG speaks with labor organizer Jaz Brisack. Jaz was on the frontlines of organizing the first labor union in a Starbuck's shop and creating the Inside Organizer School in 2018. They are the author of Get on the Job and Organize published by Atria/One Signal Publishers in April of this year. Jaz speaks about their experiences growing up in the South, discovering the history of the labor movement in the United States and getting involved in labor campaigns during college. They also speak about the tactics used and challenges overcome in building Starbucks Workers United, as well as the youth contingent of the labor movement today and the importance of unifying the labor movement across types of work and around broader social demands. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.
“Incarcerated workers are a part of the working class,” award-winning journalist Kim Kelly says. And we are “not telling the real history of labor in this country if [we're] not focusing on the organizing efforts and the labor of people who are in prison.”Kelly recently joined Mansa Musa on an episode of Rattling the Bars exploring the history of labor exploitation and labor organizing in America's prison system. To commemorate Labor Day 2025, TRNN is sharing Musa's full, unaired interview with Kelly. Credits:Producer / Videographer / Post-Production: Cameron GranadinoHelp us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 35! In today's episode, we confront the stereotype that Asian Pacific Islanders are docile or apolitical—and replace it with powerful stories of immigrant women sewing their way into labor history. We shine a spotlight on the garment industry's deepest struggles—from the grueling piecework and unsafe conditions to the solidarity that transformed sweatshops into symbols of resistance. Featured stories include: The 1982 Chinatown Garment Workers' Strike in New York City, where over 20,000 Chinese immigrant women led a historic walkout—and won. The 1995 El Monte sweatshop case in Los Angeles, which exposed modern-day slavery and elevated lawyer Julie Su to national leadership. Immigrant women organizing in 1970s–1980s Vancouver, rewriting Canadian labor organizing through multilingual outreach and coalition building. We also highlight key API leaders such as Katie Quan, Julie Su, and Avtar Singh Dhillon, exploring their backgrounds and enduring impact on labor justice. In our recurring segment, we talk about an organization to support, and feature the Garment Worker Center of Los Angeles who continue to do great work in support of garment workers. You can visit the Garment Worker Center of Los Angeles website to learn more and support their work. Considering a donation? Support their mission directly through their Donate Now page. If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com. Segments 00:25 Intro on Labor Day 02:25 The History of API Garment Workers and the Labor Movement… Stitching Resistance 12:07 Organizations to Support… Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles, CA
In this special Labor Day pop-up episode of the GovNavigators Show, Adam and Robert reflect on the importance of the labor movement, tease some big news for the Navigators family, and preview what's ahead as Congress returns to town. With the fiscal year's end approaching, expect debates over rescissions, reconciliation, the NDAA, and the President's Management Agenda—plus the looming possibility of a government shutdown.
Every single one of us who considers ourselves part of the labor movement has some real deep, serious, and urgent soul searching to do this Labor Day. After already falling to historically low levels of union density, public and private-sector unions are facing an extinction-level event under the new Trump administration. That is not hyperbole; that is a fact. So the real question is: What the hell are workers, unions, and the labor movement doing to fight back? These are the essential questions at the center of both of the interviews we are sharing in this special Labor Day episode, which were recorded at the Netroots conference in New Orleans, LA, in early August. In the first interview, Max speaks with Everett Kelley, national President of the American Federation of Government Employees, about the Trump administration's elimination of collective bargaining rights for federal unions. In the second interview, his first public interview since he was arrested by federal agents observing an ICE raid in Los Angeles in June, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union – United Service Workers (West), speaks with Max about the status of his case and about the roles unions must play in the fight against fascism. Speakers: Everett Kelley is the national President of the American Federation of Government Employees, which is the largest union representing federal and DC government employees. He began his first term of service as national President in February 2020, was elected to another term during the 42nd National Convention in June 2022, and was reelected during the 43rd National Convention in August 2024. Kelley has been a member of AFGE since 1981. He worked at Anniston Army Depot and retired from there after 30 years of service. David Huerta is a longtime labor leader, born and raised in Los Angeles County, CA, who currently serves as president of the Service Employees International Union – United Service Workers (West) (SEIU-USWW). Additional links/info: American Federation of Government Employees website, Facebook page, and Instagram Hamilton Nolan, How Things Work, “Fragile movements crumble” Michael Sainato, The Guardian, “White House cancels union contracts for hundreds of thousands of federal workers” SEIU, “STATEMENT: SEIU President April Verrett on David Huerta's release from federal custody” Luis Feliz Leon, In These Times, “Trump has put a target on SEIU, and the labor movement is fighting back” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “EXCLUSIVE: Union leader beaten & arrested at ICE raid SPEAKS OUT” (Video version of interview with David Huerta) Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Unions face extinction under Trump. Is labor fighting back?” (Video version of interview with Everett Kelley) Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song
Railroad workers are sounding the alarm about the potentially catastrophic consequences of the proposed mega-merger of two of the nation's Class 1 freight rail companies. “Union Pacific said it would buy smaller rival Norfolk Southern in an $85-billion deal to create the country's first coast-to-coast freight rail operator,” Reuters reported in July. “If approved, the deal would be the largest-ever buyout in the sector.” If this giant merger goes through, what will it mean for railroad workers, customers, and for the general public? In this episode of Working People, we speak with a panel of six veteran railroaders and members of Railroad Workers United to get a workers' eye view of the proposed mega-merger and what it will mean for rail labor, the US supply chain, and for the public writ large. Speakers: Ron Kaminkow is a member of Railroad Workers United, currently serving as a trustee, and he is also a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), Division 51 in Reno, Nevada. Kaminkow recently retired from Amtrak; prior to working in passenger rail, he worked on the freight rail system for Norfolk Southern and Conrail. Jeff Kurtz was a railroad engineer and union member for 40 years and is a member of Railroad Workers United. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. Derek Masters is a member of Railroad Workers United and works as a conductor for a major Class 1 railroad, primarily in the Northeast. He is a member of SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD). Matt Parker is a member of Railroad Workers United who works as a rank-and-file locomotive engineer, based in Nevada, with over 20 years of experience. Matt Weaver is a founding member of Railroad Workers United and has been a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (Teamsters) for 30 years. He serves as the BMWED legislative director for the state of Ohio. Nick Wurst currently serves as general secretary of Railroad Workers United who works as a freight conductor and locomotive engineer, based in Massachusetts. Wurst started working for the railroad in 2019 as an intermodal worker and member of the Transportation Communication Union (TCU/IAM) and is currently a member of SMART-TD. Additional links/info: Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and X page Railroad Workers United press release: “Railroad worker group opposes Class One rail mergers” Michael Sainato, The Guardian, “Greater risk of toxic derailments if $85bn railroad merger is approved, warn unions” Sabrina Valle, Shivansh Tiwary, & David French, Reuters, “Union Pacific to reshape US freight rail with $85 billion deal for Norfolk” CNBC, “Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena & Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George on merger: Deal is 'great for America'” Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Credits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor
00:08 — Toby Higbie is Professor of History and Labor Studies at the UCLA and the Director of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. 00:33 — Mouin Rabbani is a nonresident fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, previously principal political affairs officer with the Office of the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria. The post The State of California's Labor Movement; Plus, Will Israel Stop Killing Journalists and End the War on Gaza? appeared first on KPFA.
On Sunday, July 20, 2025, Working People host and TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez delivered the keynote speech at the national convention of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320. “I am here to report back to you from the front lines of struggle, without hesitation or hyperbole, that we are at risk of losing everything,” Alvarez told the crowd of union members. “And so I am here not to extol the virtues of your union or the value of unions in general, but to ask you bluntly: What good is a union in Hell? How much can an organization of the dawned do in a future no one wants to live in? What good does a collective bargaining agreement serve when the world as we know it is dying?” Additional links/info: NOLSW-UAW Local 2320 website, X page, Facebook page, and Instagram Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Credits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor
Dennis is joined via Zoom by actor-director-producer Ellen Geer who is the Producing Artistic Director of one of Dennis's favorite spots in Los Angeles, The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topange Canyon. Dennis has been going to see plays at the outdoor amphitheater since the early 90's and has seen Ellen perform in scores of shows there as well as seeing just as many that she directed and produced. This season, she co-directed the play Strife by Nobel Prize-winning writer John Galsworthy. The show, about a labor strike in rural Pennsylvania, was written in the early 1900's but feels like it could have been written in 2025. The wealthy board of directors feel like the today's financially insatiable oligarchs and the workers are dealing with the same type of injustices that workers face today. Ellen talks about why she chose Strife for this "Season of Resilience," her own history as an activist and the pleasure of co-directing with her daughter Willow Geer. She also discusses the rich history of her family and the property, which was acquired by her parents in the 1950's when her father, the actor Will Geer, was blacklisted during the McCarthy Era and the entire family was ostracized from Hollywood and their Santa Monica community. In the 1950's-60's, the Botanicum property became a safe place for blacklisted artists to seek refuge and practice their craft. In the 1970's, after Will Geer found fame as Grandpa Walton on The Waltons, the place officially opened to the public as The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Ellen talks about her favorite spot on the property, her encounters with animals like bears, deer, mountain lions and rattlesnakes and the challenges of doing theater in such a unique outdoor place. Other topics include: why her father loved plants, losing all her friends as a child because of the blacklist, Jimmy Stewart being sweet to her on The Jimmy Stewart Show, how the current resistance movement could use some good folk songs, and that time her father taught her that reading Shakespeare could be just as enlightening as going to therapy. www.theatricum.com
Synopsis: US Labour Leader Sounds Alarm on Government Attacks. Sara Nelson's urgent call to action for cross-industry worker solidarity and general strikes as a powerful countermeasure against the Trump administration's plans to gut government agencies ending federal contracts is both timely and crucial. The uncut conversation includes the entire rich and inspiring discussion ringing in at 50minutes.This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donateFull Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters.Description: Sara Nelson knows how to leverage worker power — and so do the 55,000 flight attendants she represents. A union member since 1996, she's been the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO since 2014. You may remember her integral role in threatening a strike, which helped pressure the Trump administration to end the 2019 government shutdown. But under the second Trump term, the administration plans to gut many government agencies and has canceled one million contracts for federal workers so far. “We have to understand that if one group is under attack, we're next,” she tells Laura Flanders in this exclusive interview. “So we have to rush to each other's sides.” In this episode, Nelson and Flanders explore labor movement tactics and strategies, wins and losses, and why general strikes and cross-industry worker solidarity are critical in this moment. What is her message and her mission for 2025? All that, plus a commentary from Laura on floods and profits.“We have to understand that if one group is under attack, we're next. So we have to rush to each other's sides. But we can also turn this around and not just be on defense. . . We are in a crisis. Yeah. Our world is burning. We can actually set the agenda and make things better.”Guest: Sara Nelson: International President of the Association of Flight Attendants- (AFA-CWA) (representing 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines) Watch the episode released on YouTube July 18th 5pm ET; PBS World Channel July 20th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast July 23rd.Full Episode Notes are located HERE. CHAPTERS:2:44 thoughts on today, forward on your mind: 911, lay-offs, bankruptcy & crisis capitalism, fighting back, immigration issues facing colleagues5:29 How safe is flying today? Safety: air traffic controllers, pilots, flight attendants. Attacks on the industry. Dismantling of departments that help aviation including national weather service, USAID intersecting with rising pandemics.8:27 What is coming in this moment and the cuts to agencies and a move to privatize the national weather service or air traffic controllers. An opportunity for the labor movement in this moment.11:22 Sara's origin story and the importance of unions and putting a check on unchecked capitalism.14:00 Union fights for flight attendants including no smoking, weight restrictions, sexism, high heels. Fighting for ‘rest rules (10 hours of rest)', health care, pay and pensions. Cross-Union solidarity. Win for the labor movement, FAA Reauthorization bill.19:06 When we fight we win. Power mapping then and now in the industry. Labor movement strategy.21:40. The plight of Air Traffic Controllers in the Reagan years then informing the labor movement now.23:14 The New Deal and union power to the decline of unions. Imbalance of power. The power of organizing on many levels. Call to action, ‘what you can do'. Building labor solidarity.29:40 Union's in the Trump era. Now is the moment to lean in, organize and pushing back.Your not going to win if you don't fight. Mother Jones and the Colorado miners fight.33:56 Communities rising to the occasion. Democratic candidate, Zohran Mamdani's run for Mayor of New York City. Working class agenda and the spirit of solidarity.37:30 General strikes. History lessons including Iceland's Women's day off. The need for more women and young people to participate in union organizing.41:29 Are there potential allies perhaps like some ICE workers who are expressing moral concerns? Systems are the problem, not the majority of workers. 44:45 What do you think the future will tell of this moment?49:00 Bonus RESOURCES:*Recommended book:“The Work of Living: Working People Talk about Their Lives and the Year the World Broke” by Maximillian Alvarez, Get the Book*(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:• Labor Safety, Project 2025, & the Far Right's Plot Against Workers: What You Need to Know: Watch / Listen: Episode• Labor Movement v. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack: Watch / Listen: Episode• UAW President Shawn Fain: "Workers are still up against the same billionaires": Watch• Special Report- Bernie Sanders & AOC: “Fighting Oligarchy” with People Power Watch / Listen: Special Report, Uncut Interview- Bernie Sanders• Watch: Episode, Bernie Sanders' Speech at the Fight Oligarchy rally, Kenosha, WI• Special Report- Labor Movement v. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack. Watch / Listen Related Articles and Resources:• Is America Pissed Off Enough at Trump and Musk for a General Strike? By Susan Miligan, April 24, 2025, The New Republic• In Chicago, a Coalition of Unions, Community Organizers, and Riders Have Forced Uber to Come to the Table, by Will Tanzman and Lori Simmons, July 16, 2025, The Nation• US aviation agency reinstating fired employees after court order, union says, by David Shepardson, March 17, 2025, Reuters• Unions sue to stop Trump from ending collective bargaining rights for many federal employees, by Tami Luhby, April 4, 2025, CNN• The Sleeping Giant That could Stop Trump's Agenda in Its Tracks, by Mary Harris, April 25, 2025, SLATE• The Call Is Out for Mass, Simultaneous Strikes in 4 Years, by Sarah Lazare, October 14, 2024, The Nation• How Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson became America's most powerful voice for labor, by Morgan Clendaniel, September 9, 2024, Fast Company Magazine• Sara Nelson: Let's Show Bosses They're Lucky to Have Our Work, by Sara Nelson, February 13, 2024, Jacobin Magazine Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders, along with Sabrina Artel, Jeremiah Cothren, Veronica Delgado, Janet Hernandez, Jeannie Hopper, Gina Kim, Sarah Miller, Nat Needham, David Neuman, and Rory O'Conner. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
Air Date 6/18/2025 Critics of capitalism like us often advocate for the system to come to an end and be replaced with another that aligns better with human needs and continued existence. Well, it's possible that the system is close to having run its course and will be making way for something different. Unfortunately, the natural course of capitalism is to concentrate wealth and, by extension, power so that's what's happened and we're now getting close to basically reinventing feudalism. So, wrong direction. Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The End of Capitalism: What comes next is worse. Part 1 - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 4-18-25 KP 2: People vs. Neoliberalism: Race, Gold, IQ, & the Capitalism of the Far Right (w Quinn Slobodian) - Bad Faith - Air Date 5-15-25 KP 3: Musk vs. Trump Quinn Slobodian on the Risks of Billionaire Rule - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-6-25 KP 4: Why Do Workers Need Welfare: How Billionaires TRICKED Us into Keeping Wages Low & the Poor Desperate - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-3-25 KP 5: Capitalism's Critics w/ John Cassidy - Behind the News - Air Date 6-5-25 KP 6: Democrats Hate Their Own Party. The People Can Take It Back. - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 6-6-25 KP 7: Labor Movement v. Fascism Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack - Laura Flanders and Friends - Air Date 5-4-25 KP 8: Shawn Fain's Radical Plan For 2028 - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-20-25 (01:00:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR DEEPER DIVES (01:10:12) SECTION A: NEO-LIBERALISM (02:06:40) SECTION B: CORPORATE DEMOCRATS (02:57:58) SECTION C: LABOR AND RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a handmade protest sign held in the air that says “CAPITALISM IS KILLING US” Credit: “ClimateStrike-210924-4-1140371” by Mark Dixon, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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