Work Stoppage

On the Line Stacy Davis Gates Interview: https://www.laborontheline.org/p/episode-26-reconstructing-chicago Headlines this week from Norway, Panama, San Francisco, Chicago, Florida, and Colorado. A recent piece in Truthout spoke with Amazon workers in Italy, some of the few to actually force the company into a contract. Charter schools exist partly as an attack on teachers unions, but teachers at the Paul Cuffee Charter School in Providence, RI are unionizing to secure the conditions their students need. We also cover a roundup of the impacts of the billionaire agenda from the Trump Administration on the working class. The Louisville Courier-Journal recently investigated continued safety problems at Ford's BOSK battery plant workers have been pointing out for months. Finally, California mental health workers reached an agreement to end the nearly 9 month long strike at Kaiser Permanente.  Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

On the Line Jimmy Williams Interview: https://www.laborontheline.org/p/episode-25-jimmy-williams-jr-labors Happy May Day everyone! We start with headlines from Starbucks, Amazon, UPS, Duolingo, and the NHS. Next we discuss the sudden dissolution of the UAW's long standing reform caucus, the UAWD. A report from the American Prospect this week details the attacks on workers at the VA from inside testimony. Hotel workers in Buffalo are fighting back against illegal firings and racist retaliation in their struggle for a union. This week also saw May Day, and we discuss the history of International Workers Day and some of the many events held to commemorate it and continue the struggle around the world. Finally, public workers in LA organized with the SEIU held a massive two day strike this week in their fight to afford the soaring cost of living. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

This discussion delves into the alarming conditions faced by immigrant workers in the dairy industry, emphasizing recent arrests in Vermont. Attention is drawn to successful unionization efforts at PetSmart, highlighting the importance of worker rights. The talk shifts to the challenges and intimidation grocery workers face during negotiations at Kroger and Albertsons. Additionally, solidarity actions by Starbucks workers are showcased, as they demand fair contracts after years of struggle. Finally, the podcast underscores the critical need for unity against systemic exploitation in various labor sectors.

This week delves into the critical issues facing workers across various regions. Topics include the ongoing attacks on the NLRB and the fight for worker unity. The podcast spotlights emerging strikes in the gaming industry and the significant gains made by independent Mexican unions. It explores the intersections of labor and social justice, particularly regarding trans rights, while highlighting recent victories for public workers. Overall, it emphasizes the need for radical union organizing and collective action to combat systemic oppression.

Explore the fierce union-led protests against funding cuts impacting research and labor rights. Delve into recent discussions on how tariffs affect American workers and the UAW's policies. Highlights include Microsoft's controversial firings related to geopolitical issues and the ongoing fight against deportations. The episode critiques budget cuts threatening scientific integrity and essential services, emphasizing unity among workers facing oppressive political climates. It's a rallying cry for solidarity and action in the face of systemic challenges.

It was a major week of protest against the billionaire assault on the working class, but not without contradictions. We start with headlines from Detroit, Chicago, California, Oregon, and Chile. Next we discuss a recent piece by friend of the show Claudia Irizarry Aponte on the surge of exploitative payday loan apps in New York City and across the country. Next we discuss Trump's gigantic tariff announcement and how it's already hurting the working class both here in the US and abroad. Also this week, RFK Jr ramped up massive layoffs at HHS, threatening the health of everyone in the country. Finally, we discuss the intersection of the war on workers and the war on Palestine, as thousands marched on Washington both to demand an end to the genocide and to demand and end to attacks on social programs. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

Erik Baker, a Harvard lecturer and author of 'Make Your Own Job,' dives into the intense world of entrepreneurialism and its effects on the labor movement. He discusses how the ideology of self-made success has shaped societal narratives, especially during economic downturns. Baker explores the implications of the gig economy and labor classification, contrasting the struggles faced by workers. He also critiques self-help ideologies and their historical roots, urging solidarity across diverse working classes in the fight for fair labor practices.

Our episode this week is one big call to action. Trump and the billionaires are trying to shred the collective bargaining rights of every worker in America and it requires the labor movement to rise to the occasion. In addition to the attack on federal workers rights, we discuss the intertwined simultaneous assault on immigrant workers and students fighting genocide. We've also got another update from official NALC Correspondent Cea Moline on both the state of the NALC contract and the fight against privatization. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

For Labor, Caution is Fatal - https://inthesetimes.com/article/trump-musk-labor-take-risks The worker fightback grows stronger every week. We start our headlines with the fight for the right to protest genocide at Columbia, UCLA, and around the country. We've also got headlines at Northwestern University, REI, Hawaiian Airlines, Amazon, and Iowa egg producers. Mexican trolleybus workers are fighting to make the century old system a safe place to work. Tennessee gig drivers are fighting algorithmic attacks with collective action. The CWA have launched a new industrial union in video games for all to join. And of course we've got our weekly roundup of the attacks from the Trump-Musk administration.  Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

If you're not a patron, you can get full access to this episode by supporting us at patreon.com/workstoppage. We were very excited to be joined this week for a special interview episode by Dr. Erik Baker, lecturer at Harvard University and author of the great new book, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America. The book is a fascinating intellectual history of how the concept of "entrepreneurialism" came to dominate ruling class narratives about the economy. This ideology of the individual business owner charting their own course, being their own boss, and "making their own job" has also had deep impacts on the labor movement through mechanisms such as independent contracting. So it was wonderful to get a chance to discuss this history, how it has impacted the union struggle, and how we see it manifesting today! Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/