Labor Express Radio

Labor Express Radio Interview:  Marianela D'Aprile, member of the National Political Committee of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), discusses the “Bernie bump”.  Both in 2016 and now again, in 2020, the DSA has seen massive increases in membership.  As a result, the DSA has become the closest thing to a mass socialist party we have seen in the United States in at least 70 years.  At the same time, the organization has worked to avoid the limitations that come with electoralism.  Embracing a “class struggle election work” strategy that privileges movement building as much as winning elections.  The DSA has also launched new partnerships at the national and local level with several unions.  All these topics are discussed in the interview. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio Labor Express Radio is non-partisan and does not endorse any candidates or political parties.  We make editorial decisions about political developments to cover as they relate to the labor movement and the concerns of working people locally, nationally and internationally.  This coverage should not be construed as an endorsement.

Interview:  This is the full, unedited interview with transit worker Eric Basir.  Excerpts were aired on the 4/19/2020 and the 5/3/2020 episodes of Labor Express Radio. Eric Basir, train motorman and member of ATU Local 308 discusses Transit Workers Unite's petition calling for workers action in the face of COVID-19 and the job action of the CTA train cleaners who were forced to work in unsafe conditions.  Eric himself, like far too many transit workers has contracted COVID-19.  He has not ended up in the hospital but the symptoms have been dragging out and preventing his ability to return to work.  Unfortunately Eric, like many other CTA employees has struggled to get tested and then struggled to get sick days even though CTA policy is that he should not return to work until his symptoms have subsided.  Eric is speaking here on behalf of himself and Transit Workers Unite, he is not representing ATU or CTA in this interview.  The petition he refers to can be found here…  http://chng.it/L7sDtcPH8f Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

This is the full 4-19-2020 episode of the Labor Express Radio program. On this episode of Labor Express Radio, we continue to look at how the labor and other social movements are responding to the coronavirus crisis.  The COVID-19 crisis is sparking worker's self-activity in a way not seen in generations. How are unions responding to this exciting development? Along with the theme of social solidarity in the time of physical distancing, this theme of the rise of grassroots working-class action is something I seek to explore on Labor Express and its starts tonight. Moises Zavala, Director of Organizing for Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) talks about the Raymundo Foods workers walk-out. Erek Slater, bus driver, elected board member of ATU Local 241 and founding member of Transit Workers Unite and Eric Basir train motorman and member of ATU Local 308 discuss Transit Workers Unite's petition calling for workers action in the face of COVID-19 and the job action of the CTA train cleaners. And Carl Rosen of UE discusses his letter in In These Times entitled... “We Need the Labor Movement To Organize Worker Fightback in the Face of the COVID-19 Crisis”. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

Labor Express Radio Interview: Erek Slater of Transit Workers Unite and COVID-19 survivor on the “Safety First for Transit Workers Now” Petition and the impact of COVID-19 on transit workers. Jerry Mead-Lucero of Labor Express Radio interviews Erek Slater, bus driver, elected board member of ATU Local 241 and founding member of Transit Workers Unite, recovering himself from his own bout of COVID-19, about the devastating impact of the crisis on transit workers and the petition his organization, along with several others including Local 100 Fightback and  ATU 308 for Justice Coalition issued recently calling on their employers - the transit authorities, their unions, and the relevant political powers to make transit workers and transit riders safety top priority and put safety measures and control directly in the hands of the frontline workers themselves.  The demands are bold and call for a form of worker control rarely advocated in such petitions. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

Labor Express Radio Interview: Carl Rosen - General President of UE discusses how unions can and must organize a militant, bottom up worker fightback in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Jerry Mead-Lucero of Labor Express Radio interviews Carl Rosen, General President of United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE) about his recent article in In These Times magazine entitled “We Need the Labor Movement To Organize Worker Fightback in the Face of the COVID-19 Crisis”.  Rosen layouts an agenda for organized labor to meet the needs clearly expressed by the working class in the explosion of self-activity we have witnessed in recent weeks with strikes, walk-outs, and other shop floor actions by both union and non-union workers alike disgusted with their bosses unwillingness to take the dangers of COVID-19 seriously.  It is a bold call that includes partnerships with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and other forms of progressive, democratic unionism we have not seen in generations in the labor movement in this country and points to the current moment as a potential turning point for organized labor and the U.S. working class. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

Labor Express Radio Interview: Moises Zavala - UFCW Local 881, Raymundo's Food workers walk-out over COVID-19 concerns and organizing workers in the cannabis industry. Jerry Mead-Lucero of Labor Express Radio interviews Moises Zavala, Director of Organizing for Local 881 United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) about the workers at Raymundo's Food Group in Bedford Park, Illinois, who walked out of their factory on Friday April 3rd and have remained out since.  They took action after their bosses refused to address their safety concerns when two of their co-workers were diagnosed with COVID-19 but still were required to work for several days.  The workers are self-quarantining and want guarantees their workplace will be sterilized before they return as well as hazard pay.  The union stands behind the workers' demands, but they are still in negotiations with the company over a first contract and were not the organizers of the walk out. The demands and the walk out itself were organized by the rank-and-file in the kind of worker self-activity that we are seeing become quite common in the face of the coronavirus crisis at union and non-union workplaces alike.  Moises also talks about UFCW’s efforts to organize workers in the burgeoning cannabis industry and recent success in this effort.  And how the union has negotiated protections for grocery store workers during the COVID-19 crisis. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

This is the full 4-5-2020 episode of the Labor Express Radio program. On this episode of Labor Express Radio, we continue to look at how the labor and other social movements are responding to the coronavirus crisis. First we will hear a report from the frontlines from nurse Dennis Kosuth, member of both NNU and CTU. In the second half of the program, Shannon Lederer, Director of Immigration Policy for the AFL-CIO and Riahl O'Malley, National Education Director for United for a Fair Economy discuss the crisis during a webinar hosted by Alianza Americas. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

This is the full 3-22-2019 episode of the Labor Express Radio program. Solidarity in the time of COVID-19 and "social distancing". This will be the theme explored on tonight's and future episodes of Labor Express Radio for the foreseeable future. It starts with tonight's program which features interviews with Chicago labor and immigrants rights activist Isaac Silver about the launching of the Facebook group, People's Coronavirus Response, which grew from a network of 2 to 10,000, practically overnight, and Jorge Mujica, an organizer for Arise Chicago workers center about the new coalition formed in Chicago in response to the coronavirus crisis as well as political developments in Mexico. Also includes a description of the demands of the new COVID19 Chicago coalition by Maria Moreno, Financial Secretary of the Chicago Teachers Union. Note that this online version of the episode is about 8 minutes longer than the episode that broadcast on WLPN.  The radio broadcast version required that the interview with Jorge Mujica be edited for time.  The full interview here includes Jorge’s comments on the political scene in Mexico, including some provocative, perhaps controversial arguments in regards to AMLO’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, for which Mexico’s president has received considerable criticism. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

This is the full 3-8-2019 episode of the Labor Express Radio program. Erek Slater, Chicago public transit bus driver, elected shop steward and executive board member, of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Local 241, discusses both the recent elections for leadership of both ATU Local 241 and 308 and more importantly the contract negotiations for both locals with CTA management. Their contracts expired on Dec. 31st, 2019 and there has been little progress on a new contracts for either local so far. Erek offers his personal perspective of what he thinks it will take for transit workers to win major improvements in their new contracts, based on the experience of the last contract settled just two years ago and how such a strategy could unite transit employees and transit users in a fight to improve public transit for all. PLUS National Nurses United (NNU) issues an important statement on the Coronavirus crisis. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio

Interview conducted by Labor Express reporter Michelle Burke at the “Transit Workers United 2020 Contract Speak Out” on February 25th, 2020.  Michelle speaks with Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) El train motorman Eric Basir, member of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 308 and CTA bus driver Erek Slater elected shop steward and executive board member of ATU Local 241 about the issues facing CTA employees as they enter their third month working under an expired contract.  The previous contract expired on Dec. 31st, 2019 and negotiations on a new contract did not start in earnest until January with little progress so far.  Eric and Erek are both members of Transit Workers United which seeks to unite members of both unions with passengers in a broader fight to not only advance contract demands but fight for better public transit for all; overcoming a certain amount of traditional separation between both unions and the unions and the riding public.  Some of the top issues include over-reliance on part-time workers, long shifts with inconsistent time off and violence against employees on the job.  In particular, Eric and Erek respond to recent proposals by CTA management to add rear passenger loading stations at the back of CTA buses and to increase police presence at CTA stations and on CTA vehicles.  Both Erics/Ereks suggesting more union employees on the trains and buses and reducing fares are better solutions to reducing violence and increasing safety than militarizing public transit.  I apologize for the rough quality of the audio. Michelle had to conduct the interview in windy winter conditions outdoors at the Brown Line terminal. Labor Express Radio is Chicago's only English language 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.org and our homepage on Archive.org at: http://www.archive.org/details/LaborExpressRadio