Power At Work

Labor journalists Robert Iafolla and Alex N. Press discuss labor law, union organizing, UAW's struggles in the South, and the impact of the upcoming election on worker power and organizing campaigns. They highlight the challenges faced by workers in union organizing, legal constraints on striking, and the rising power of worker strikes in various sectors.

In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by the hosts of two fascinating labor radio shows to discuss why labor podcasting is important and a few current labor issues. Tune into his conversation with Lynn Fields, host of the Resolved Labor Podcast, and Mark Gevaart, host of My Labor Radio, about what inspired their shows, the UAW's recent loss in Alabama, and why so many cultural workers are organizing at this moment. You don't want to miss the latest Power At Work blogcast! Listen to the Resolved Labor Podcast here. Listen to My Labor Radio here. ⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Power At Work Blog. Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ Cindia “Lynn” Fields is a proud veteran of the United States Army since serving 5 years with the Military Police Corps. Lynn is a 22-year veteran with the Illinois Department of Corrections. She has successfully promoted through the ranks and is currently the first Black female Lieutenant at her facility. A vocal and loyal member since the beginning of her career, she started Union activism in 2015 as the Recording Secretary for AFSCME Local 3654 (Southwestern IL Correctional Center) in E. St Louis, Illinois. In October 2021 she was elected President of the Local thereby making her the first Black female President of a male correctional facility in the state of Illinois. Lynn is also serving as the elected AFSCME PEOPLE Chair where she oversees the political arm of the union for District 9, covering the most populous counties in Southern Illinois. Recently, she was appointed to serve on both the state contract bargaining committee and the Dangerous Contraband in Correctional Mailrooms subcommittee for negotiations affecting some 37,000 Illinois AFSCME members. Mark Gevaart joined the United Auto Workers early in his working life. He has spent the last 30 plus years as an advocate for working Americans in and outside of his own local. Serving in a number of leadership roles over the years Mark was involved in all aspects of a local Union. Mark finds the idea of doing a Community Access Radio program about labor a rewarding experience. Involved in many organizing campaigns, contract negotiations, arbitration, the writing of contract language and being on the picket line. He brings his varied experiences to Labor Radio each month as he interviews working people and reviews data and information essential to working families. Mark’s perspective on unions comes from working tirelessly over the years “for the members.” 

In this edition of The Power Hour, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Lilly Irani,  Associate Professor of Computer Science and Faculty Director of the Labor Center at U.C. San Diego; and Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Labor; to discuss the transformative potential of generative AI in building worker power, how technology can facilitating worker organizing, and how workers are resisting the exploitative nature of online platforms like Uber and Lyft.  Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Power At Work Blog. Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ Alexander Hertel-Fernandez studies the political economy of the United States, with an emphasis on business, the workplace, labor, and public policy. Alexander is an Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he also serves as Vice Dean for Curriculum and Instruction. He previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration in the Department of Labor and the Office of Management and Budget. Alexander is also a co-director of the Columbia Labor Lab, an academic center for implementing data-driven evaluations in partnership with worker organizations, and a co-lead of the American Political Economy project, an effort to foster more research on the relationship between markets and government in the United States in comparative perspective.  Lilly Irani's research investigates the cultural politics of high-tech work practices with a focus on how actors produce “innovation” cultures. Lilly is an ethnographer of work trained to analyze interactional, organizational, and cultural dynamics as mediated by technology. Lilly also draws on her training as a Computer Scientist and designer to develop novel technical, organizational systems for contexts she studies. She specializes in the cultural politics of high-tech work in the context of global digitally-mediated economies, with a focus on the United States and India. Lilly also build software with others to build worker power (Turkopticon, Dynamo) especially to resist and create alternatives to existing platforms. At UCSD, Lilly is Faculty Director of the UC San Diego Labor Center. She co-directs the Just Transitions Initiative and is faculty in Science Studies, the Design Lab, the Institute for Practical Ethics, Critical Gender Studies.

In this blogcast,  Professor Orly Lobel joins the Burnes Center for Social Change and the Power at Work Blog to discuss her new book The Equality Machine - Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. Burnes Center Senior Fellow and former top White House labor policy advisor and Deputy U.S. Secretary of Labor Professor Seth Harris moderated the discussion. The conversation continued the Burnes Center’s Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI lecture series and was recorded live on May 16th.  The Equality Machine is a contrarian constructive response to debates on AI, automation, and datafication. The book examines distributive justice and the potential – as well as risks – of digital technology to tackle inequities in our labor markets, media, government, health, family, and intimate relations. Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Power At Work Blog. Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ Orly Lobel is the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of San Diego and the Director of the Center for Employment and Labor Law (CELP). She is the award-winning author of several books and a leading scholar in behavioral law and policy and regularly advises government and private industry on competition law and tech. Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI talks with innovative designers, thinkers, and changemakers from around the world working to “do democracy” differently. The lecture series explores how machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI, can enable more participatory and inclusive ways of solving problems and strengthen our ability to govern.

In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Christine Root, Project Manager of the African Activist Archive at Michigan State University, and Alan Wierdak, reference archivist and social media manager for the Labor collections in University of Maryland's Special Collections and University Archives, to discuss the importance of maintaining the records and artifacts of labor history and how the labor movement can apply the knowledge of archives to today's struggles. Watch now to see some interesting items from these archivists’ collections. You don't want to miss the latest Power At Work blogcast! To access the African Activist Archive, click here. To access University of Maryland's labor collections, click here.  Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Power At Work Blog. Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ Christine Root is the project manager for the web-based African Activist Archive and Overcoming Apartheid, both housed at Michigan State University. Alan Wierdak is a dual-master's student in History and Library Science, with specializations in Global Interaction and Exchange and Archives and Digital Curation. He is also the reference archivist and social media manager for the Labor collections in Special Collections and University Archives.

In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Emily Matthews, striking photographer and Treasurer of the Post-Gazette Branch of the Pittsburgh Newspaper Guild, and Natalie Duleba, striking designer and union member, to discuss what their contract demands are, their experiences after 18 months on the picket line, and how they are keeping their union siblings motivated. Tune in to hear about how union members have been supporting one another throughout the strike, recent developments in the strike, including a possible National Labor Relations Board  injunction against the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and the importance of protections and benefits for workers in industries like journalism that have been disrupted and where workers face a great deal of uncertainty.  ⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Power At Work Blog. Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ Emily Matthews is a photojournalist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but she's currently on strike. Emily is also the Treasurer of the Post-Gazette Branch of the Pittsburgh Newspaper Guild. Natalie Duleba is a designer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but she's currently on strike. Natalie now writes for the Pittsburgh Union Progress.

In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by labor leaders from Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia to discuss how the labor movement succeeded in stopping the billionaire owner of two sports teams from relocating those teams from downtown D.C. to the suburbs of Northern Virginia and, in the process, stood up for union jobs and workers in the region. Harris is joined by Virginia Diamond, President of the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO; Samuel Epps, President of the Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO; and Greg Akerman, President of the Baltimore/DC-Metro Building Trades Council to talk about their efforts to work with the developers to secure a project labor agreement and labor peace agreement, the consequences for workers if the deal went through, and how workers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. feel about the final result. Tune in for a fascinating conversation about how the labor movement used solidarity and regional cooperation to stand up against a billionaire and a powerful governor to protect workers' interests.  ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Power At Work Blog. Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ Virginia Diamond is the President of the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO. Virginia has also worked as Legislative Counsel to the Virginia Professional Firefighters, a UAW attorney, and a commissionerofthe Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. Samuel Epps is the President of the Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO. Before he was elected President of the council, Samuel was the Political Director at UNITE HERE Local 25. Greg Akerman serves as the President of the Baltimore/DC-Metro Building Trades. Previously, he served as Northern Virginia Director for the Council.

In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Anneisha Williams, fast food worker and Fast Food Council member; Michelle Healy, SEIU Director of Breakthrough Campaigns; and Maria Maldonado, statewide director and Fast Food Council member, to discuss the organizing and innovation achieved by the California Fast Food Workers Union, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. Tune in to hear about the union's non-traditional sectoral bargaining strategy and what fast food workers in California have achieved so far, such as a pay increase to $20 per hour and the establishment of a historic Fast Food Council. You don't want to miss the latest Power At Work blogcast!  ⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Power At Work Blog. Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ Anneisha Williams is a fast food worker and proud member of the California Fast Food Workers Union and the California Fast Food Council. Maria Maldonado is the statewide director of the California Fast Food Workers Union. Michelle Healy is the SEIU Director of Breakthrough Campaigns.

Senior Fellow Seth Harris and Director Hannah Garden-Monheit discuss FTC's ban on non-compete agreements, its legal reasoning, impact on labor markets, worker empowerment, and expected legal challenges. They explore how the ban will increase competition, improve worker power, and face potential litigation hurdles.

According to preliminary returns, workers in the Volkswagen manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee voted overwhelmingly on April 17, 18, and 19 to be represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) in a historic election result with important implications for those workers and their families, the city of Chattanooga, the state of Tennessee, the labor movement, and the auto industry.  Early returns suggest the union won the election by a roughly 3-to-1 margin. The UAW claimed victory after 11PM ET. Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris offered his commentary on the union election results just a few hours after voting ended in the Chattanooga Volkswagen plant.