The public perception of unionization and of the labor movement in general has changed quite a lot. I wonder is that just attributable to the pandemic and forcing us all to look at society in a big different way or is it a force that's existed before the pandemic as well? It has certainly been amplified by the pandemic if anything, brought the public's attention to a whole set of workers they weren't paying any attention to before those we are now calling essential workers.
We don't know about you, but we are fans of weekends. And social security. And health insurance. And the end of child labor! And all of these workplace protections exist because of the advocacy of labor unions. In this episode, American political scientist Margaret Levi shares the long history of organizing labor, and explains how unions create equality and protect worker rights. Margaret also discusses her optimism about today’s young workforce and why she believes that an equitable future requires a revival of the labor movement.