In this episode, we unpack the growing crisis sparked by the government shutdown and the Trump administration’s attack on SNAP benefits—threatening food security for millions of working families. We break down the court fight over federal worker layoffs, the latest mass job cuts at Amazon, and the Boeing machinists still holding the line in St. Louis. Then, we turn to the rising tide of resistance—from the “No Kings” movement and Freedom Fridays walkouts to the UAW’s new push at Volkswagen in Chattanooga. We close with a look back to Terre Haute, Indiana, where Eugene Debs’ legacy burns bright—and Bernie Sanders, Sara Nelson, and working people from across the country carry that torch of solidarity into today’s struggles. This is a call to action: organize where you are, stand with those fighting back, and keep that line of human solidarity unbroken. Episode Highlights: The human cost of the ongoing government shutdown and SNAP funding crisis A federal court ruling halts mass layoffs of public workers amid shutdown chaos The “No Kings” protests and Freedom Fridays: grassroots organizing against authoritarianism Amazon’s sweeping corporate layoffs and the growing reach of AI automation Boeing machinists in St. Louis continue their strike for fair wages and retirement security UAW members at Volkswagen in Chattanooga vote to authorize a strike Reflections from the Eugene V. Debs Banquet in Terre Haute — and what true solidarity means today Closing thoughts on courage, organizing, and building a movement that lasts

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, the ground feels like it’s shifting under everyone’s feet. As the government shutdown stretches on, its ripple effects are hitting far beyond Washington—federal workers without pay, contractors closing up shop, and small businesses left hanging by a thread. We look at how this slowdown is grinding down working people across industries and communities. But while government action stalls, worker action surges. Kaiser Permanente staff across California and Hawaii walk out for safe staffing and fair pay. Boeing defense workers in St. Louis weigh a contract offer after an 80-day strike. Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga push toward a strike authorization vote. Starbucks baristas ramp up organizing and declare, “No Contract, No Coffee.” We then turn to coal miners rallying in D.C. for stronger protections against black lung disease—and the long history of promises broken by both industry and politicians. In tech and gaming, Activision Blizzard developers join the growing union wave, proving that creative work and collective power can go hand in hand. Finally, economist Paul Krugman warns that the “strong” economy might not be so strong for workers, and the show closes with a question many are asking: Is a college degree still worth it? From shutdowns to strikes, organizing to education—this episode digs deep into how working people are holding the line in unstable times.

<p>This week on <em>The Labor Force Podcast</em>, we cover a country in motion—from federal workers trapped in a shutdown to Jamaican farmworkers fighting for their rights, Houston hotel staff winning big, and healthcare and aerospace workers holding the line. We also look at Volkswagen’s union showdown, the rise of white-collar organizing, and Shawn Fain’s call for a unified working-class movement built on fair wages, healthcare, retirement, and time.</p><p><strong>Topics Covered:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Government Shutdown Fallout:</strong> Federal workers locked out, laid off, and fighting back as the shutdown grinds on.</p></li><li><p><strong>Houston Hilton Victory:</strong> Historic 40-day strike by UNITE HERE Local 23 wins major gains in Texas hospitality.</p></li><li><p><strong>Kaiser Permanente Strike:</strong> Tens of thousands of healthcare workers walk out for wages, staffing, and dignity.</p></li><li><p><strong>Boeing’s St. Louis Showdown:</strong> Strikers face replacement workers and silence from the national media.</p></li><li><p><strong>Volkswagen’s “Final Offer”:</strong> Unionized Chattanooga workers weigh transparency vs. pressure tactics.</p></li><li><p><strong>Jamaican Apple Pickers’ Stand:</strong> Farmworkers in upstate New York fight for a suspended contract and real rights.</p></li><li><p><strong>White-Collar Union Wave:</strong> Tech, legal, and office workers redefine what collective bargaining looks like.</p></li><li><p><strong>Shawn Fain &amp; the Future of Labor:</strong> How “wages, healthcare, retirement, and time” could unify a fractured working class.</p></li></ul><p></p>

<p>This week on <em>The Labor Force Podcast</em>, we’re taking a hard look at what happens when the system stops working — and workers don’t.</p><p>The federal government shutdown continues to ripple through the lives of hundreds of thousands of public servants, forcing families to make impossible choices. In St. Louis, the Boeing strike enters its third month as machinists stand firm for fair pay and respect. Meanwhile, contagious organizing is spreading in Houston’s hospitality sector and California’s health care system, where Kaiser nurses are threatening one of the largest walkouts in company history.</p><p>We also unpack California’s groundbreaking new law allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize — a major shift for gig workers nationwide. Then we close with a generational deep dive: from pension gridlock in Europe to Gen X’s fight for survival in an AI-driven job market.</p><p>From shutdowns and strikes to questions of fairness across generations, this episode asks: <strong>what kind of economy are we really building — and who is it working for?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Segments:</p><li><ul><li><p><strong>“Surviving the Shutdown”</strong> – The human toll of Washington’s dysfunction</p></li><li><p><strong>“The Boeing Standoff”</strong> – Three months in, the fight for dignity on the line</p></li><li><p><strong>“Contagious Organizing”</strong> – Houston hospitality workers and California nurses rise up</p></li><li><p><strong>“The Gig Worker Breakthrough”</strong> – Sectoral bargaining comes to California</p></li><li><p><strong>“Nothing But Hot Air”</strong> – Former Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters’ attack on teachers’ unions</p></li><li><p><strong>“Gerontopia and Gen X”</strong> – Generational strain and the future of work</p></li></ul><p></p></li><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p>In this episode, we dive into the latest government shutdown and its very real impact on working families’ healthcare, explore the deepening crisis inside New York State’s correctional system six months after a wildcat strike, and spotlight a brand-new organizing effort at the Downtown Disney Lego Store in California.</p><p>From the fight over Medicaid and CHIP, to prison staffing shortages and debates over solitary confinement, to workers demanding fair treatment in retail—each story highlights how policy, power, and organizing shape the everyday lives of working people.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Topics:</strong></p><ul><li><p>What a government shutdown means for healthcare, paychecks, and communities.</p></li><li><p>New York’s correctional system: staffing shortages, rising violence, and the fight over solitary confinement.</p></li><li><p>The first-ever union drive at a U.S. Lego retail store—and what it could mean for retail workers nationwide.</p></li></ul><p></p>

<p>This week, we cover a wave of worker struggles and the bigger political forces shaping them:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><p><strong>IAM-Boeing showdown in St. Louis</strong> – workers fight back after Boeing calls their contract a “fake deal.”</p></li><li><p><strong>Houston hotel strike</strong> – Hilton workers demand fair pay, humane workloads, and respect.</p></li><li><p><strong>UAW at Volkswagen</strong> – momentum builds in Tennessee as workers weigh strike pledges.</p></li><li><p><strong>Iowa nurses organize</strong> – a grassroots fight for safety, patient care, and against a multimillion-dollar union-busting campaign.</p></li><li><p><strong>Domesticity and control</strong> – how regimes, past and present, push “traditional values” to shift burdens onto women.</p></li><li><p><strong>Democracy vs. authoritarianism</strong> – why fear fuels repression, and how solidarity, strikes, and civil disobedience are keeping hope alive.</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p>From picket lines to policy fights, this episode connects the dots between everyday struggles and the larger battle for dignity and democracy.</p><p></p>

<p>This week on the <em>Labor Force Podcast</em>:</p><ul><li><p>Machinists at Boeing and aerospace workers at GE show what real solidarity looks like.</p></li><li><p>Hotel workers in Houston hold the line for a living wage.</p></li><li><p>Google’s hidden army of AI raters get chewed up and tossed aside.</p></li><li><p>Starbucks baristas keep fighting through stonewalling and retaliation.</p></li><li><p>Hollywood animators and production crews push union power into new territory.</p></li><li><p>And a reality check on the so-called “resilient economy” that keeps most of us broke while Wall Street celebrates.</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p>If you’re struggling to stay afloat, you’re not alone—the system is rigged to keep people desperate. But every picket line, every strike, every act of solidarity proves workers are cracking that system open, piece by piece.</p><p>Stay informed. Stay angry. Stay in solidarity.</p><p></p>

<p>In this episode of the <em>Labor Force Podcast</em>, we cover strike updates shaking up industries across the country—from Teamsters holding strong in Massachusetts and Minnesota, to Boeing machinists in St. Louis, to Hilton hotel workers in Houston making history in Texas. We dig into the widening gap between right-to-work states and free bargaining states, and what new research says about wages, union density, and democracy itself.</p><p>We also take stock of America’s uneasy relationship with capitalism, rising fears of recession, and the growing appeal of democratic socialism—highlighted by Zohran Mamdani’s bold campaign for NYC mayor. What does this moment mean for workers, for unions, and for the future of our economy? Tune in for insights, analysis, and solidarity.</p><p></p>

<p>September is here, but the labor movement hasn’t cooled down one bit. In this episode, we cover strikes stretching from Massachusetts to Houston, workers pushing back in the defense industry, and a historic new path for Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize in California.</p><p>We’ll dig into:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Massachusetts trash collectors</strong> striking for parity and dignity.</p></li><li><p><strong>Defense industry walkouts</strong> at GE Aerospace and Boeing, where machinists are calling out unfair contracts and healthcare costs.</p></li><li><p><strong>Houston hotel workers</strong> launching the city’s first-ever hotel strike, fighting for fair wages and safer workloads.</p></li><li><p><strong>California rideshare drivers</strong> gaining new union rights—and the big questions that remain.</p></li><li><p><strong>Why labor power matters</strong> for democracy, and what billionaire Ray Dalio sees coming if inequality keeps growing.</p></li></ul><p></p>

<p>This week on the Labor Force Podcast:</p><ul><li><p>Strikes stretching from trash haulers to Boeing machinists</p></li><li><p>A razor-thin UAW win at a new battery plant</p></li><li><p>National park workers unionizing in droves</p></li><li><p>A Labor Day push: <em>Workers Over Billionaires</em></p></li><li><p>The healthcare grind—why “preventive” doesn’t mean covered</p></li><li><p>New data on young adults hitting pause on the American Dream</p><p><br></p><p>A well-deserved Labor Day to all who toil in these capitalist hunger games. #UnionYES</p></li></ul><p><br></p>

<p>Another day, another blessed dollar—except not if you’re building billion-dollar jets for $20 an hour or getting paid zero bucks while passengers board.In this episode:</p><ul><li><strong>Boeing on the Brink</strong> – 3,200 workers walk out in Missouri and Illinois, shutting down production of fighter jets and commercial planes. Their message? Respect doesn’t come cheap, and “best and final” isn’t final.</li></ul><li><br></li><ul><li><p><strong>Air Canada Attendants Take Flight</strong> – Ten thousand flight attendants defy back-to-work orders, throw half a million travelers into chaos, and win pay for work that used to be “invisible.” Unpaid boarding time is officially grounded.</p></li><li><p><strong>The Great Divide</strong> – New data shows the wealthy keep cruising while everyone else drowns in debt. Welcome back to America’s K-shaped recovery: champagne for the top, hamster wheel for the rest.</p></li><li><p><strong>Gen X: The Skipped Generation</strong> – The NYT delivers a reality check: no corner offices for the slackers. Boomers cling, millennials leapfrog, and Gen X sits in the middle, rolling its eyes and saying, “Whatever, man.”</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p></p>

<p>From trash piling up in Massachusetts to machinists walking out in St. Louis, the fight for fair pay and respect is raging coast to coast. This episode takes you inside the standoffs, the backroom games, and the political stonewalling—plus a look at the federal government’s latest assault on collective bargaining rights.</p><p>We dig into the immigration crackdown gutting factory floors, hear from the union leaders watching skilled crews disappear overnight, and ask the question no one in power wants to answer: who’s going to do the work when the workforce is gutted by politics?</p><p>Then, we look at a hard truth—hundreds of thousands of Americans in their 80s are still clocking in, not for fun, but because the system won’t let them stop. Their stories are raw, inspiring, and infuriating.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Six weeks of garbage and growing pressure in Massachusetts’ trash strike</p></li><li><p>Boeing machinists in St. Louis stand their ground for pay, respect, and security</p></li><li><p>Trump-era “national security” excuses strip union rights from federal workers</p></li><li><p>The New York prison officers’ illegal strike and the fallout</p></li><li><p>How immigration crackdowns are ripping holes in manufacturing crews</p></li><li><p>Why retirement is out of reach for so many—well into their 80s</p></li></ul><p></p>

<p>In this episode, we pull no punches. First, we unpack the shocking firing of BLS chief Erika McEntarfer by President Trump—an unprecedented move that sends tremors through the foundations of data integrity and democracy itself. What happens when truth gets treated as sabotage?</p><p>Then, we check in on the labor frontlines:<br>🚛 <strong>Teamsters Local 25</strong> ramp up their month-long strike against Republic Services in Boston, with massive political support behind them.<br>🛩️ <strong>Boeing workers in St. Louis</strong> walk off the job, demanding not just raises but long-overdue respect.<br>🎰 <strong>The Las Vegas Strip</strong> is now fully unionized for the first time in 90 years, thanks to the unwavering efforts of the Culinary Workers Union.</p><p>We also take a sharp turn into the <strong>gig economy</strong>, where ride-hail drivers in California and Massachusetts are pushing for collective bargaining rights, challenging the corporate grip of Uber and Lyft.</p><p>Finally, we explore the unsettling insights of Dr. Luke Kemp from Cambridge University on the causes of societal collapse. From ancient Rome to modern capitalism, Kemp argues that collapse often liberates the people at the bottom—and asks if we’re living under the last Goliath.</p><p>Along the way, we spotlight the cruelty of America’s health care system through a surreal (but real) story of a tourist, a bat, and a broken insurance structure.</p><p><br></p><p>💥 <strong>Topics Covered:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Political interference at the Bureau of Labor Statistics</p></li><li><p>Ongoing strikes at Republic Services and Boeing</p></li><li><p>Historic labor victories on the Las Vegas Strip</p></li><li><p>Gig worker organizing and the future of app-based labor</p></li><li><p>Dr. Luke Kemp’s take on collapse, inequality, and what still might save us</p></li><li><p>The harsh realities of our health insurance system</p><p><br></p></li></ul><p>🛠️ <strong>Takeaways:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Trust in data is essential for democracy and labor rights.</p></li><li><p>Strikes are surging as workers push back against corporate intransigence.</p></li><li><p>Union power is growing—even in unlikely places.</p></li><li><p>Collapse isn’t always catastrophe—it can be a reset.</p></li><li><p>Change starts with collective action—and personal responsibility.</p></li></ul><p><br></p>

<p>In this episode, we take a sweeping look at the pressure points hitting America’s working class—from overflowing garbage in Massachusetts to high-stakes labor battles at Boeing and BlueOval SK. We examine what’s really behind the so-called “crisis” facing working-class men, challenging the misleading narratives that pit workers against one another. Then, we zoom in on something more personal but just as critical: friendship, connection, and the quiet epidemic of isolation in an always-online world.</p><p><br /></p><p>📌 Topics Covered:</p><ul><li><p>Republic Services trash strike in Massachusetts and its legal, political, and public health fallout</p></li><li><p>Concession workers at Fenway Park walk off the job and return amid tense negotiations</p></li><li><p>Boeing defense workers in St. Louis reject a contract offer—what’s behind their potential strike</p></li><li><p>Union organizing at the BlueOval SK battery plant and its significance for the EV economy</p></li><li><p>The Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger and the risks it poses for safety, labor, and local communities</p></li><li><p>Sudden labor shortages due to immigration enforcement and its ripple effects across entire industries</p></li><li><p>Debunking the myth that feminism is to blame for men’s struggles—shifting the focus to systemic inequality</p></li><li><p>Why five real friends might be the most important form of mental healthcare we’re not talking about</p><p><br /></p></li></ul><p><strong>🔧 Key Themes:</strong></p><ul><li><p>The connection between class, labor, and mental health</p></li><li><p>Union power in a shifting economy</p></li><li><p>Real talk about masculinity, vulnerability, and the social cost of disconnection</p></li><li><p>Why solidarity—on the picket line and in personal relationships—is our best shot forward</p><p><br /></p></li></ul><p><strong>🎧 Takeaways:</strong><br />Blame won’t fix broken systems, and isolation won’t protect us from burnout. Whether it’s on the shop floor or in our social lives, the real power comes from standing together. Connection isn’t optional—it’s essential.</p><p><br /></p>

<p>In this jam-packed episode, we take a wide-angle look at the state of work, wages, burnout, and organizing in 2025—and what it all means for workers today. From the basketball court to the shop floor, from Congress to the college classroom, there’s one message echoing across every sector: <strong>enough is enough.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>🏀 WNBA’s Bold Stand</strong><br>We break down the meaning behind the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts at the All-Star Game, the revenue split realities, and why WNBA players’ demands aren’t just fair—they’re foundational to a much bigger fight for equity across labor.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Federal Workers vs. Union-Busting</strong><br>A look at the Protect America’s Workforce Act, the discharge petition effort in Congress, and the broader push to restore union rights to nearly a million federal workers impacted by Trump-era executive orders.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🛒 Kroger Workers Organize from the Ground Up</strong><br>8,000 grocery workers in Indiana are standing firm against weak contract offers and leading one of the most member-driven campaigns in the country right now. We unpack what’s working and how solidarity is being built, apron by apron.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Pittsburgh AFL-CIO bus tour rally</strong></p><p>Former OSHA staff are speaking out about dangerous flaws in workplace safety enforcement—pointing to underfunding, red tape, and intentional delays that put workers&#39; lives at risk. At the same time, frontline healthcare and university workers describe how the lack of insurance, rising medical costs, and shrinking research funding are harming real people every day. Their message is clear: unions and public investment aren’t optional—they’re essential.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎓 Is College Still Worth It?</strong><br>Gen Z is questioning the value of higher education amid soaring costs, uncertain job markets, and underemployment. We explore the alternatives—trade schools, apprenticeships—and what this shift means for the future of work.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>💼 Quiet Cracking and the Burnout Breakdown</strong><br>You’ve heard of quiet quitting—but what about quiet cracking? We dive into this newer concept of workplace erosion, where people at every level are slowly breaking down under pressure. We also talk burnout, boundaries, and the power of saying “no.”</p><p><br></p><p><strong>✊ Final Message: Solidarity Isn’t Optional</strong><br>This episode ends where all labor stories begin—with collective power. Whether you’re fighting for a fair contract, pushing for policy change, or just trying to stay afloat in a draining job, one truth remains: <strong>the most potent weapon the working class has is solidarity.</strong></p><p>#LaborForcePodcast | #UnionStrong | #Burnout | #GenZWork | #Solidarity</p><p><br></p>

<p>In this episode, we dig deep into the labor standoffs, service breakdowns, and survival strategies defining this American summer.</p><p><br></p><p>🔹 <strong>First up</strong>: The trash piling up in Boston isn’t just a nuisance—it’s the product of a two-week strike by Teamsters Local 25 against Republic Services. With failed negotiations, accusations flying, and the strike spreading coast to coast, we explore what happens when essential workers walk off the job—and the services we all take for granted suddenly stop.</p><p>🔹 <strong>Then</strong>: A tragic death in California highlights the human cost of the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown on undocumented immigrant workers. Farmworkers are organizing in protest—and demanding to be seen not as threats, but as the backbone of America’s food supply.</p><p>🔹 <strong>Next</strong>: Legal services workers across New York are escalating a coordinated strike campaign, fighting for the resources and respect they need to serve some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.</p><p>🔹 <strong>Also</strong>: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder brings us to Easthampton, Massachusetts, where a food pantry is buckling under the weight of demand. We talk hunger, dignity, and the real-world consequences of budget cuts to programs like SNAP.</p><p>🔹 <strong>Finally</strong>: Meet the Gen Z workers turning 3-job hustles into TikTok content, not for clout, but out of necessity. From Dunkin’ shifts at dawn to late-night content creation, we look at what it means to survive—let alone thrive—in a system stacked against you.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Takeaway: </strong>From the curb to the court, the fields to the food banks, and the TikTok feed to the picket line, this episode asks: <em>What happens when the people who keep everything running start saying no?</em></p><p><br></p><p>📢 <strong>Subscribe, leave a review, and share</strong> if you believe essential work should come with essential dignity.</p><p></p>

<p>In this episode, we take a hard look at how workers are being ground down across industries and institutions—from city halls to video game studios, from federal agencies to hotel rooms miscast as emergency housing.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Episode Highlights:</strong></p><li><p><strong>Philadelphia’s Massive Municipal Strike Ends</strong><br />Nearly 10,000 workers from AFSCME DC 33 walked out, shutting down city services. The strike ends with a tentative deal—one that some workers say doesn’t go far enough.</p></li><li><p><strong>Microsoft Layoffs &amp; AI Irony</strong><br />9,000 workers—many union members—get the boot while a company exec suggests using ChatGPT to process their grief. Yes, really.</p></li><li><p><strong>Supreme Court Greenlights Federal Layoffs</strong><br />Trump’s executive order slashing the federal workforce moves forward, threatening vital services under the banner of “efficiency.”</p></li><li><p><strong>Janus Fallout &amp; The Free-Rider Crisis</strong><br />A deep dive into how the Supreme Court’s Janus decision has weakened public-sector unions—and how the right wants to finish the job.</p></li><li><p><strong>Capitalism’s False Promises</strong><br />From car loans to homeownership to overpriced streaming services, we explore how “leveling up” often means falling deeper into debt.</p></li><li><p><strong>Emergency Housing in Hotels: A Failing System</strong><br />Families in New York are living in cockroach-infested motels with no support services. It’s called emergency shelter, but it’s really survival mode.</p></li><p></p>

<p>Graduation weekend may be over, but the education continues—on the picket lines, in courtrooms, and on the factory floor. In this episode, we hear from high school seniors with big dreams and sharp insights, then take a hard look at the growing wave of labor action rippling across the country. From nurses in Wisconsin to trash collectors in Boston, grocery clerks in Colorado to beer vendors at Fenway Park, workers are fed up—and fighting back.</p><p>We also dive into the rise of automation, AI companions, and the looming impact on working-class jobs—and ask: what’s the human cost of convenience?</p><p>Plus, we spotlight grassroots efforts to fight ICE raids and build an independent political movement for working people, beyond the two-party trap.</p><p><br></p><p>Topics:</p><ul><li><strong>Opening Segment: </strong>Reflections from two high school seniors on work, hope, and the future.</li><li><strong>Wisconsin Nurses: </strong>the fight to restore collective bargaining in a post–Act 10 landscape.</li><li><strong>Colorado Grocery Strike:</strong> UFCW Local 7 escalates action against Safeway and over understaffing and benefits.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Garbage &amp; Grit:</strong> Strikes in Boston and Philadelphia put essential services on hold—and low wages in sharp focus.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Victory in Texas: </strong>Teamsters at Tyson Foods win massive gains after threatening to strike.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Automation Anxiety:</strong> From robotaxis to self-checkout lanes—where does that leave working people?</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Fenway on the Brink:</strong> Vendors and staff resist job-erasing technology at “America’s most beloved ballpark.”</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Union Members Against ICE: </strong>The growing movement to link immigrant rights with labor power. Sign the <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/8593cba1c55dc841ad88e5e109994060a52df5aa/?hash=4a2a450be49ce00927ca2577d3a90eee" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">petition</a>.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>A New Political Home?:</strong> Exploring the case for an independent workers’ party.</li></ul>

<p>In this wide-ranging episode, I dive deep into the latest battles over labor rights, the disruption caused by AI, and the fight for dignity in the modern workplace. From political power grabs aimed at crushing unions to billion-dollar tech firms casually announcing mass layoffs via AI, the threats are real—but so is the resistance. Plus, we end with an inspiring look at how worker cooperatives are reclaiming power from the ground up.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Topics covered:</strong></p><ul><li>Union-Busting in Utah and the Fightback</li><li>Trump’s War on Civil Servants</li><li>Significance of Zohran Mamdani&#39;s NYC primary win</li><li>The AI Disruption Is Here</li><li>Remote Work and Real Priorities</li><li>Overwork as Identity?</li><li>Worker Co-ops as the Alternative</li></ul><p><br><strong>Key question:</strong></p><p>How do <em>you</em> feel about the rise of AI in the workplace—hopeful, worried, or both? And what would a fair, empowering future of work look like to you? </p><p>Leave a comment. I look forward to seeing your thoughts.</p><p><br></p><ul><p><br></p></ul><p><br></p>

<p>In this episode of <em>The Labor Force Podcast</em>, I travel from the apple orchards of upstate New York to a corporate warehouse in Syracuse to NFL stadium sidelines—uncovering the common threads in modern labor struggles. </p><p>I begin with a landmark union win at Cahoon Farms, where both year-round and seasonal H-2A guest workers have secured New York’s first-ever farmworker contract under the United Farm Workers. Then I zoom out to examine the systemic roots of worker exploitation—from immigration policy to NAFTA to the myth of corporate “perks.”</p><p>I break down the story of TCGplayer workers who used collective power to win real severance after eBay pulled the plug. </p><p>And we hear from the women of <em>America’s Sweethearts</em>, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, as they push for better pay in the most profitable franchise in pro sports. </p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Topics Covered:</strong></p><ol><li>The historic union contract at Cahoon Farms</li><li>H-2A guest workers and the immigration-labor connection</li><li>The impact of NAFTA and U.S. immigration enforcement</li><li>Corporate “perks” vs. real worker benefits</li><li>TCGplayer workers' union win in the face of corporate closure</li><li>The fight for fair pay by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders</li><li>The bigger picture: capitalism’s impact on working people across sectors</li></ol><p><br /></p><p><strong>Quote of the Episode:</strong></p><p><em>"At the end of the day, this whole economy runs on our backs... And if we don’t fight for each other, no one else will in this dog-eat-dog system in which we live."</em></p><p><br /></p>