Welcome! Thank you for being here for our second episode. We have Derek and Reilly on to discuss the shift in the union from left to right and how the federal layoffs from DOGE and how that affects Montanans.

Email: StrangersTalkingPod@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Strangers-TalkingPolitics/61573713740571/

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangersTalkingPolitics

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stppod.bsky.social

Alli’s stuff:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/allipants406.bsky.social

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@allipants406

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allison.brooks.7374

Jesse’s stuff:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jessejamesmontana.bsky.social

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessejamesmullen

Bethany’s stuff:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bethanygracee.bsky.social

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethanygrace86

Derek's Stuff:

https://www.facebook.com/derek.hitt.142

Teamster's Stuff: https://www.teamsterslocal2.org/index.cfm

https://www.facebook.com/teamsters

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063717391742

Reilly's Stuff:

https://www.reillyformontana.com/

https://www.facebook.com/reillyformontana/

https://bsky.app/profile/reillyneill.bsky.social

NAFTA:

https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/ustr-archives/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta

https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/ustr-archives/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta

St. Regis hydro hub:

https://meic.org/keeping-an-eye-on-hydrogen-hubs/

https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2023/oct/22/st-regis-tapped-take-part-1-billion-hydrogen-proje/

https://www.eenews.net/articles/clean-hydrogen-hubs-in-limbo-as-trump-eyes-doe-overhaul/

Stillwater mine layoffs:

https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/union-shares-layoff-information-with-stillwater-mine-workers

What’s the matter with Kansas:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-books-could-kill/id1651876897?i=1000679459027

Deer Lodge Job Cuts:

https://mtstandard.com/news/local/office-closure-slams-deer-lodge-state-agency-stands-ready-to-look-at-alternate-sites/article_b6096ed1-691b-5b3b-a9cc-a114bbb21c5b.html

Hiring freeze and wildland fire fighters:

https://missoulacurrent.com/cuts-federal-wildfire/

Westmorland Absoloka mine layoffs (“Stillwater 200 jobs lost”)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/absaloka-coal-mine-crow-tribe-westmorland/article_23a55de4-f118-11ee-918e-d78428877731.html

https://www.sierraclub.org/articles/2019/05/westmoreland-bankruptcy-concludes-signs-more-trouble-for-coal-industry

Tim Sheehy’s Bridger Aerospace firefighting company lobbying for massive government contracts

https://montanafreepress.org/2024/10/08/tim-sheehys-business-chops/

Selling public lands:

https://time.com/7261219/patagonia-ceo-trump-shouldnt-sell-public-lands/

Right to work:

https://montanafreepress.org/2025/03/01/montana-right-to-work-legislation-fails-twice-in-one-day/

Right-to-work states have lower wages:

https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/understanding-workers-financial-wellbeing-in-states-with-right-to-work-laws-20230908.html

Clinton/Democrat downsizing severance vs. trumps downsizing

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/7/fact-check-did-clinton-set-the-precedent-for-mass-federal-worker-buyouts

Elon/chainsaw:

https://apnews.com/article/musk-chainsaw-trump-doge-6568e9e0cfc42ad6cdcfd58a409eb312

Gianforte private prison stocks: Note: the legislature approved the out sourcing, but Gianforte signed the bill

https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2023/mar/18/montana-lawmakers-propose-sending-120-inmates-priv/

Unions sue for Forrest service workers:

https://montanafreepress.org/2025/02/20/a-cascading-effect-forest-service-park-service-workers-who-lost-jobs-amid-mass-layoffs-explain-rippling-fallout/