On International Women's Day, March 8, 2023, at 6 pm C.S.T., the South Centeral Federation of Labor will host a panel to talk about the struggle for reproductive justice in context historically vis-à-vis a right-wing agenda with attacks on workers; and also give attendees concrete, practical strategies to fight for abortion rights and reproductive justice, both inside and outside the union hall. This panel is also to bring attention to the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election in April. This will have in-person or Zoom options; sign up for either option here.

Buzz - 2-22 - 23 - Victoria - Gutierrez

Jeff Simmons and Celeste Katz Marston discuss workers' rights and protections with special guests Rafael Espinal, executive director of the Freelancers Union, and Ligia Guallpa, executive director of the Worker’s Justice Project -- plus your calls. Original air date: July 13, 2023.

Driving Forces 07132023 Working For Workers' Rights

AfricaNow! July 26, 2023 Cuba and The Impact on U.S. Labor Movements with Destiny Blackwell of CAUSE (Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment) 

Topic and Guest: In the midst of the freedom struggle in Mozambique FRELIMO (Liberation Front of Mozambique) leader and first president of independent Mozambique Samora Machel noted that “International solidarity is not an act of charity: It is an act of unity between allies fighting on different terrains toward the same objective. The foremost of these objectives is to aid the development of humanity to the highest level possible.” (Speech by Samora Machel “Solidarity is Mutual Aid between Forces Fighting for the Same Objectives” at the First National Solidarity Conference for the Freedom and Independence of Mozambique, Angola and Guinea-Bissau, at Reggio Emilia, Italy, on 25 March 1973 published in Samora Machel, Mozambique Sowing the Seeds of Revolution, 1974) In that context today show features Cuba and The Impact on U.S. Labor Movements with Destiny Blackwell of CAUSE (Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment).  In a conversation with AfricaNow!’s Executive Producer and Co-Host James Pope Destiny Blackwell of CAUSE (Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment) expounds on lessons of international worker solidarity, workers' rights, workers' influence on economic development and more as she witnessed in Cuba.
 
MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“WORK SONG” BY CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET; break--“PUEBLO NUEVO” BY BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB; sign-off--“LEKELA MUADI” BY TSHALA MUANA; closing--“LA HABANA NO AGUANTA MÁS” BY LOS VAN VAN.

Support AfricaNow! and your community station WPFW.  Donate online visit https://pledge.wpfwfm.org/index.php and then on Step 1: Contribution scroll down to AfricaNow! to make your donation to the show. Or on our CashApp, which is $WPFW write it is for AfricaNow! and include your email address. Thank you.

Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

Photos: CAUSE Logo and Photo of the José Martí Memorial Havana, Cuba by Mwiza Munthali, March 2000

AfricaNow! Jul. 26, 2023 Cuba & The Impact on U.S. Labor Movements with Destiny Blackwell of CAUSE

Amazon presents its "revolution" in logistics as a bloodless technological coup against the forces of convention, waged in the name of customer satisfaction. But in Alessandro Delfanti's book The Warehouse: Workers and Robots at Amazon, the University of Toronto professor reveals that its labour exploitation all the way down. In this episode he helps us understand the stakes of a struggle not only for workers' rights, but for the future of technology.

* https://delfanti.org/
* https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745342177/the-warehouse/

The Workers' Speculative Society is a research podcast about the world Amazon is building and the workers, writers and communities that are demanding a different future. It is part of the Worker as Futurist Project, which supports rank-and-file Amazon workers to write speculative fiction about "The World After Amazon. It is hosted by Xenia Benivolski, Max Haiven, Sarah Olutola, and Graeme Webb and is an initiative of RiVAL: The ReImagining Value Action Lab, with support from the Social Sciences a Humanities Research Council of Canada. Editing and theme music by Robert Steenkamer.

* soundcloud.com/reimaginevalue/sets/the-workers-speculative
* workersspeculativesociety.org
* reimaginingvalue.ca

Robots+workers+warehouses - Alessandro Delfanti on technology and struggle at Amazon (WSS05)

AfricaNow! September 27, 2023 Black Workers & The UAW Strike; and Militarism & Colonialism’s Continued Impact on Displaced Chagossians

Topics and Guests: A rapid response organized by The Communiversity South (of which AfricaNow!’s Executive Producer and Co-Host James Pope is member of) focusing on Black Workers and the UAW strike: centering the long genealogy of the work of Black worker organizing in auto industry.   We will hear a recent point of entry and a critical conversation that centers the role of the black worker in the current UAW strike.  The conversation included: Nsea Brenda Stokely, longtime activist, Former President, AFSCME DC 1707; N.E. Regional Coordinator, Million Worker March Movement.  Clarence Thomas (a.k.a. The Real Clarence Thomas) is a 3rd generation retired member of International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10 in San Francisco and a leading radical African American trade unionist. Past-secretary-treasurer and executive board member of his local, he has led or been a part of many historical rank-and-file struggles and solidarity actions at the point of production.  He is author of, Mobilizing in Our Own Name: Million Worker March—an anthology about African American trade unionists from one of the most renowned radical labor unions in the world.  Willie Brown, City of Durham public works; worker and member of UE150.  Robin DG Kelley, Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA, active-intellectual; and Board member, The Communiversity South.  The conversation was moderated by Menelik Van Der Meer, longtime activist, Chair of the Board of The Communiversity South, Senior Lecturer in Africana Studies at UMass- Boston.

Olivier Bancoult, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Chagossian activist, leader of the Chagos Refugee Group (CRG) discusses the plight of Chagossians who were forcibly removed from their Indian Ocean homeland of Chagos Islands by the U.K. to clear the area for a U.S. military base on Diego Garcia.  For more information about the plight of Chagossians visit www.LetUsReturnUSA.org.

Event at Busboys and Poets 14th & V (2021 14th St NW, Washington, DC) tonight September 27 at 6PM featuring Olivier Bancoult and Philippe Sands author of THE LAST COLONY which will be available for sale at the event: https://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/th-evt-33706981/.

Fall FUNdraiser Happy Hour - 10/4 WPFW programmers invite you to join WPFW for a Happy Hour of Soulful House Music, Old School Music and Golden Era Hip Hop Music feat. Your favorite DJs on WPFW.  What:  WPFW Fall FUNdraiser Happy Hour.  When:  October 4, 2023 6-9 PM.  Where:  18th Street Lounge(ESL) now at 1230 9th St., NW.  Who:  YOU & your favorite WPFW Programmers.  Information at www.wpfwfm.org. 

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“GET UP STAND UP” BY BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS; break “HAW RIGHT NOW” BY PATRICE RUSHEN commemorating her birthday September 30 (September 30, 1954—); segment 2 and sign-off--“KURIMA” BY CHIWONISO MARAIRE; closing song--“GALOUPE BOSAN” BY CHAGOS TAMBOUR GROUP.

Support AfricaNow! and your community station WPFW.  Donate online visit https://pledge.wpfwfm.org/index.php and then on Step 1: Contribution scroll down to AfricaNow! to make your donation to the show. Or on our CashApp, which is $WPFW write it is for AfricaNow! and include your email address. Thank you.

Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

Photos: Photo of Chagossians Protest from David Vine

AfricaNow! Sep. 27, 2023 Black Workers UAW Strike; Milit. & Colon. Impact on Displaced Chagossians

AfricaNow! May 1, 2024 We Have The Right to Education

Topic and Guests: The show features a portion of a discussion with Christine Melendez, member Virginia Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators and President of the Chesterfield Education Association (in Chesterfield Virginia); Hannah Clayman, member Virginia Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators; Bryan Proffitt, Vice President of the North Carolina Association of Educators and is a history teacher and southern organizer; Adreonna Simmons Bennett, Archivist at University of North Carolina; Abdul Alkalimat, Member of the Advisory Board of Communiversity, an education partner of Black Workers for Justice; and D. Noble, Cultural Activist. The moderator of the session is Tony Menelik van Der Meer, PhD member of Communiversity, an education partner of Black Workers for Justice, and is professor of Africana Studies at UMass Boston. The discussion is from a nine-part series that explores and discusses the role and demands of workers. The series was presented by the Communiversity in collaboration with Black Workers for Justice and the Southern Workers Assembly focusing on the nine points of the Southern Workers Power Program. The session which the show focuses on is the sixth point of the Southern Workers Power Program which is: WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION; THEREFORE, WE DEMAND: A] Free quality education through college under public control and ownership that creates an educated community; B] Widespread support for the efforts of teachers and librarians in teaching the complete and accurate people’s history; C] Cancel all student debt. There is a brief introduction by Tasneem Siddiqui member of Communiversity, an education partner of Black Workers for Justice, and of course she part of AfricaNow!’s and Africa World Now Project’s Collectives.

The nine-part program took place in September and October 2022 presented by the Communiversity in collaboration with Black Workers for Justice and the Southern Workers Assembly is available on Africa World Project YouTube page (www.youtube.com/channel/UCbc3Vw36…jJzsvg-PwA/videos). The program (Southern Workers Power Program) can be found here: southernworker.org/campaigns/... or Communiversity [South]: www.thecommuniversitysouth.org/.

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“WORK SONG” BY CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET commemorating International Workers’ Day or May Day (May 1); break--“KURIMA” BY CHIWONISO MARAIRE commemorating International Workers’ Day or May Day (May 1); sign-off--“GET UP STAND UP” BY BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS commemorating International Workers’ Day or May Day (May 1); closing song--“STIMELA” BY HUGH MASEKELA commemorating International Workers’ Day or May Day (May 1) and remembering 30 years ago on April 27, 1994 the first non-racial election in South Africa ending apartheid, workers were instrumental in the struggle in South Africa.

Support AfricaNow! and your community station WPFW. Donate online visit pledge.wpfwfm.org/index.php and then on Step 1: Contribution scroll down to AfricaNow! to make your donation to the show. Thank you.

Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

AfricaNow! May 1, 2024 We Have the Right to Education

From https://mayapennington.bandcamp.com/album/rozhinke
released August 2, 2024

Special thanks to the Vilnius Yiddish Institute at Vilnius University and to the summer school which I attended and taught music at for three summers. Among many life-changing events, this is where I discovered this song and it's painful history.

lyrics

ניט זוך מיך, װוּ די מירטן גרינען!
געפֿינסט מיך דאָרטן ניט, מײַן שאַץ;
װוּ לעבנס װעלקן בײַ מאַשינען,
דאָרטן איז מײַן רוע–פּלטץ.

ניט זוך מיך װוּ די פֿײגל זינגען!
געפֿינסט מיך דאָרטן ניט, מײַן שאץ;
אַ שקלאַף בין איך,װוּ קײטן קלינגען,
דאָרטן איז מײַן רוע–פּלאַץ.

ניט זוך מיך, װוּ פֿאָנטאַנען שפּריצן!
געפֿינסט מיך דאָרטן ניט, מײַן שאץ;
װוּ טרערן רינען, צײנער קריצן,
דאָרטן איז מײַן רוע–פּלאַץ.

און ליבסטו מיך מיט װאַרער ליבע,
טאַ קום צו מיר, מײַן גוטער שאץ;
און הײַטער אױף מײַן האַרץ דאָס טריבע,
און מאַך מיר זיס מײַן רוע-פּלאַץ.

Nit zukh mikh, vu di mirtn grinen!
Gefinst mikh dortn nit, mayn shats;
Vu lebns velkn bay mashinen,
Dortn iz mayn rue plats.

Nit zukh mikh, vu di feygl zingen!
Gefinst mikh dortn nit, mayn shats;
A shklaf bin ikh, vu keytn klingen,
Dortn iz mayn rue plats.

Nit zukh mikh, vu fontanen shpritsn!
Gefinst mikh dortn nit, mayn shats;
Vu trern rinen, tseyner kritsn,
Dortn iz mayn rue plats.

Un libstu mikh mit varer libe,
To kum tsu mir, mayn guter shats;
Un hayter oyf mayn harts dos tribe,
Un makh mir zis mayn rue plats.

Seek me not where myrtles grow green,
you’ll not find me there, my prize;
Where lives wither at machines,
there is my resting place.

Seek me not where birds sing,
you’ll not find me there, my prize;
I am a slave, where chains clang,
there is my resting place.

Seek me not where fountains spray,
you’ll not find me there, my prize;
Where tears flow and teeth gnash,
there is my resting place.

And if you love me with true love,
then come to me, my treasure,
and brighten my somber heart
and sweeten my resting place for me.

Thanks to the Yosl and Chana Mlotek Yiddish song collection at the Workers' Circle. https://yiddishsongs.org/mayn-rue-plats/
credits
from Rozhinke // ר​א​ָ​ז​ש​י​נ​ק​ע, released August 2, 2024
Morris Rosenfeld - lyrics and music
Maya Pennington - voice, piano, arrangement
Yuval Hermony and Liav Ben Tolila - recording @ the Yellow Submarine
Liav Ben Tolila - mix

Mayn Rue Plats (My Resting Place) // מ​ײ​ַ​ן ר​ו​ע​־​פ​ּ​ל​א​ַ​ץ

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released on July 29, 2025, showed 7.44 million jobs open in the United States at the end of June, a decrease from May’s number of 7.71 million, the highest number of job openings since November 2024. 

The lingering effects of the 11 interest rate hikes in 2022 and 2023 to combat inflation are one factor creating momentum changes in the U.S. job market. Another is the uncertainty resulting from the trade wars brought on after the 2025 change in presidential administration. 

Some of the many diverse elements affecting the American labor market include automation, artificial intelligence, energy transition and, more recently, the deportation of laborers in various fields. Other important talking points around employment include the future of wages, benefits, workers’ rights and unions. Virginia Parks, UC Irvine professor of urban planning and public policy, will address each of these topics in this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast. She’ll also give advice to young people making the daunting decision about what they should do for a living – and share how the UC Irvine Labor Center can help.

“Confliction & Catharsis,” the music for this episode, was provided by Asher Fulero, via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

The past, present and future of labor

Listener-sponsored, volunteer-powered, noncommercial community radio broadcasting to south-central Wisconsin at 89.9 FM and online at wortfm.org via our studios in Madison. 

We provide an outlet for communication, education, free expression, entertainment, training and access for the purpose of sharing music, information, news, and cultural experiences, and strive to give people underrepresented elsewhere in traditional media a voice. 

NOTE: Most of the content posted at this time are news stories or talk shows. 

MUSICIANS:  We NEVER look on our SoundCloud for music submissions, so it's not a very efficient way to contact us. Please go to www.wortfm.org and click on Music --> Music Submissions for our submission info and guidelines. Thanks and we look forward to hearing your music!

The ReImagining Value Action Lab (RiVAL) is a research and creativity workshop for the radical imagination active around the world and locally in Thunder Bay, Canada.

Politics. Policy. The truth matters. Celeste Katz Marston and Jeff Simmons tackle the biggest and best stories on "Driving Forces." WBAI 99.5 FM New York and worldwide at WBAI.org. @CelesteKatzNYC and @JackHites on Twitter.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

New tracks tagged #workers&#x27; rights

New tracks tagged #workers' rights