In this edited version of our season opener, we go back to the little industrial city of Keokuk, Iowa, in the 1960s to explore the roots of a strike that jumpstarted the state's movement for public-sector unionism.

S1 E1 Keokuk Before The Strike (rebroadcast)

Tensions mount as the Keokuk school board and their new superintendent pursue a hard line during the 1969-70 contract negotiations, and teachers begin organizing to fight back. [Edited rebroadcast]

S1 E2 The Rainbow Schedule (rebroadcast)

In the spring of 1970, Keokuk teachers and other school workers launch an illegal strike to shine a bright light on injustices that they believe threaten not only them but their students and community. (rebroadcast)

S1 E3 They Jail Teachers, Don't They? (rebroadcast)

Keokuk teachers stand strong and demand change before they would leave jail or stop the public pressure. Yet, even as they celebrate the contract, teachers know the struggle isn't over.

S1 E4 The Jail Cell Contract

Audio accompanying the James J. Wengert banner as part of the Speaking of Work traveling exhibit.

James J. Wengert - Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 1

Audio track for Don Harris banner in the Speaking of Work traveling exhibit.

Don Harris - Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 2

Audio for Speaking of Work exhibit banner 3, Anna Mae Weems.

Anna Mae Weems - Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 3

Audio associated with Speaking of Work exhibit banner 4, Janet Fife-LaFrenz.

Janet Fife - LaFrenz - Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 4

Audio associated with Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 5, Mario Ruiz Ronquillo.

Mario Ruiz Ronquillo - Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 5

Audio associated with Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 6, Joe Zahorik.

Joe Zahorik - Speaking of Work Exhibit Banner 6

Women's Committee chairperson Jill Scott describes her goals for educating women members at John Deere in Ankeny, Iowa.

Jill Scott on the Role of Education in UAW Local 450's Women's Committee

In this clip, interviewer John McKerley and UAW Local 450 member Dan Lankford discuss the role of older members in passing along strong union values despite the impact of a divisive 1997 contract.

Teaching Solidarity Across Generations at John Deere in the early 2000s

Speaking of Work has been on an extended hiatus but is on the way back. Host and producer John McKerley introduces upcoming episodes and presents a Speaking of Work Short from the picket line at Starbucks in Iowa City.

Update and Short: Iowa City Starbucks Workers Striking with Pride

Justice for Phil

Des Moines Steelworker John R. Campbell, Jr., describes workers' continuing search for control and dignity in the midst of a transition from aggressive shop-floor activism to new workplace rules and technology during the 1980s and 1990s. In this clip, excerpted from his interview of Sept. 9, 2014, he focuses on the lingering importance of skill in empowering workers even in a highly mechanized workplace.

Steelworker John R. Campbell, Jr., on the Struggle for Control in Des Moines Tire Plants

Former Dubuque legislator Robert M. Carr describes the circumstances of the passage of Iowa's 1974 Public Employment Relations Law. He emphasizes the unfair conditions that pushed public employees--teachers especially--to organize in support of the law.

Former Iowa Legislator Robert Carr on the Passage of Iowa's Public-Sector Bargaining Law in 1974

Stories drawn from the everyday and extraordinary struggles of Midwestern workers, past and present.

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