Here We Go Again With Kal Penn Union Busting with Sara Nelson
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Dec 30, 2025 
Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants and a powerful labor leader, dives into the history and current state of union busting in America. She reveals how unions shaped the New Deal and how Reagan's actions devastated labor power. Nelson discusses the public's rising support for unions, despite low membership rates, and emphasizes the importance of workplace democracy. She outlines effective strategies for workers to reclaim their power and improve safety and wages, highlighting that unions uplift communities overall.
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Kal Penn Joins A Picket Line
- Kal Penn described joining a SAG-AFTRA picket during the 2023 actors' strike to support fellow union members.
- He emphasized unions seek rational conversations about protecting crafts from AI and industry changes.
How Unions Built The Modern Safety Net
- Unions won core social protections like Social Security and workplace safety during early 20th century struggles.
- Those victories created the shared prosperity that enabled the New Deal and stronger worker standards.
The PATCO Turning Point
- Reagan's firing of PATCO marked a turning point that normalized aggressive anti-union actions.
- That policy reduced federal strike power, accelerated wage stagnation, and weakened worker protections.