"When We Fight": The Story of the 2019 LA Teachers Strike (G&R 255)

In Los Angeles, the second largest school district in the United States, 98% of teachers voted to authorize a strike. Filmmakers Yoni Golijov and Yael Bridge shadowed L.A. teachers for five months as they organize and strike, providing a unique first-hand account of collective democracy and labor action, and shedding light on the nationwide teacher strike upswell. Their film "When We Fight" documents one of the largest educator strikes in modern U.S. history in real-time, highlighting the stories and leadership of some of the women who led it, from union leaders to classroom teachers.

In our latest, we talk with Yoni and Yael, as well as LA teacher and labor leader Arlene Inouye about the 2019 and 2023 strikes, how they organized, the impacts they had on education and politics and how it fits in with the "Hot Labor Summer" we've been seeing this year.

Bio// Yoni Golijov is a nonfiction filmmaker; his producing work has been nominated for the Academy Award and the BAFTA and has won an Independent Spirit Award. Yael Bridge is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker. Her first feature, The Big Scary "S" Word, explores the history and resurgence of socialism in the United States. Arlene Inouye was the chair of the bargaining committee in 2019 and the last contract, 2023, and was integral to leading the strike that the film documents and the incredible solidarity strike that UTLA took this year with their SEIU school co-workers. ------------------------------------------------ Outro- "There is Power in a Union." by Utah Phillips Links// +"When We Fight": https://www.whenwefightmovie.com/ + New Day Films: "When We Fight" (https://bit.ly/3FFT6dJ) Follow Green and Red// +G&R Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast⁠ +Our rad website: ⁠https://greenandredpodcast.org/⁠ +We're part of the Labor Podcast Network: ⁠https://www.laborradionetwork.org/ Support the Green and Red Podcast// +Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast +Or make a one time donation here: ⁠https://bit.ly/DonateGandR⁠ This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.