Last week, Lauren Bianchi and Chuck Stark, two teachers at George Washington High School on the Southeast Side of Chicago, were on the verge of losing their jobs. In what Chicago Teachers Union officers suspect was an act of retaliation from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Public Schools recommended that Bianchi and Stark be fired for their involvement in the student-, teacher-, and community-led effort to stop the relocation of the General Iron metal shredder from the wealthy Northside neighborhood of Lincoln Park to a site half a mile from their school. With the union and their community behind them, though, the Chicago Board of Education issued a stunning rejection of Chicago Public Schools officials' recommendation to fire the two teachers. In this min-cast, we talk to Bianchi and Stark about the struggle to stop General Iron and the importance of teachers serving the needs of their communities.&nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Chicago Public Schools ,  page, and  page Darryl Fears & Robin Amer, The Washington Post, "" Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, "" Brett Chase, Chicago Sun Times, ""  Permanent links below...  Working People  page  and we might&nbsp;play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network ,  page, and  page In These Times ,  page, and  page The Real News Network ,  channel,  feeds,  page, and  page  Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: )  Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

You Gotta Stand Up for What's Right (w/ Lauren Bianchi & Chuck Stark)

From October 4-6 of this year, the US experienced the largest healthcare worker strike in our history, when over 75,000 workers with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions went on a three-day strike against the healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente. Then, on October 13, after warning that more strikes could be coming if a deal wasn’t reached at the bargaining table, healthcare workers scored a major victory and reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser, which the union membership, accounting for over 85,000 Kaiser Permanente workers across the country, voted to ratify in early November. As the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions stated in a press release upon the contract ratification, “In a historic victory for frontline healthcare workers, more than 85,000 Kaiser Permanente workers have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract that will bolster patient safety, make critical investments in the healthcare workforce, and set a higher standard for the healthcare industry nationwide. Approved by a margin of 98.5%, the four-year contract is in effect from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2027, at hundreds of Kaiser facilities across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.” In this mini-cast, we speak with Meg Niemi, President of SEIU Local 49, and Audrey Cardenas, a benefits support specialist at a Kaiser dental office in Oregon, about how Kaiser healthcare workers took on the bosses and won this new contract, and what that is going to mean for workers and patients alike moving forward. Additional links/info below…  SEIU Local 49 ,  page, and  page SEIU United Healthcare Workers West ,  page, and  page Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions  and  page Meg's  page SEIU-UHW Press Release: "" Michael Sainato, The Guardian, "" Reuters, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, " (from 2021)"  Permanent links below...  Working People &nbsp;page &nbsp;and we might&nbsp;play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network&nbsp;,&nbsp; page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page In These Times ,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page The Real News Network&nbsp;,&nbsp; channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;feeds,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page  Featured Music...  Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song

After Waging the Largest Healthcare Worker Strike in US History, Kaiser Workers Win Big (w/ Meg Niemi & Audrey Cardenas)

Two years ago, the US was on the cusp of seeing its first national rail strike in decades. Then, President Joe Biden, at the urging of the rail companies, and with the help of both parties in Congress, preemptively blocked railroad workers from striking in December of 2022. Workers were forced to accept a contract that did not address the vast majority of issues that have been putting them, our communities, and our supply chain at hazard. How has this all shaped railroad workers’ attitudes and approaches to the upcoming elections? In this urgent panel discussion, we pose this question directly to three veteran railroaders, and we have an honest discussion about how working people should act strategically within and outside the electoral system to advance their interests.&nbsp;  Panelists include: Hugh Sawyer, a veteran locomotive engineer with 36 years of experience, a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 316, and a founding member and acting treasurer of Railroad Workers United; Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 of experience, who has served as co-chair and organizer for Railroad Workers United, where he still edits RWU’s quarterly newsletter “The Highball”; Ron Kaminkow, a recently retired former brakeman, conductor, and engineer who worked for many years in freight rail before working 20 years as a passenger engineer at Amtrak, a founding member of RWU and delegate in the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council.&nbsp;  Additional links/info below…  Railroad Workers United ,  page, and  page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “” Maximillian Alvarez &amp; Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “” Adam Johnson, Nima Shirazi, Maximillian Alvarez, &amp; Mel Buer, Citations Needed / The Real News Network, “” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “”&nbsp;  Permanent links below…   and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network ,  page, and  page In These Times ,  page, and  page The Real News Network ,  channel,  feeds,  page, and  page   Featured Music...  Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song

How will railroad workers vote after Biden and Congress blocked their strike? (w/ Hugh Sawyer, Mark Burrows, & Ron Kaminkow)

On November 12, unionized nurses at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore held a rally in front of the Marriott Hotel downtown, where the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was holding a meeting. St. Agnes nurses rallied with supporters from around the city, and they were even joined by fellow Ascension nurses who traveled from Wichita, Kansas, and Austin, Texas. &nbsp; According to a press release from National Nurses Organizing Committee / National Nurses United (NNOC-NNU), the purpose of the rally was to “highlight how Ascension has failed to follow&nbsp;&nbsp;to both serve and advocate for patients ‘at the margins of society’ and ‘treat its employees respectfully and justly.’... Baltimore nurses have been in negotiations since Feb. 2024, following a successful union election in November 2023. Ascension has failed to bargain in good faith with Saint Agnes nurses on language that would improve safe staffing and protect patients from cuts to services, lawsuits for billing disputes, and surprise billing or excess charges.” In this on-the-ground episode, you’ll hear speeches and chants from the Nov. 12 rally, and we speak with Gideon Eziama, a registered nurse with over 20 years of experience who has worked at Ascension St. Agnes for the last six years, and Lisa Watson, a registered nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, who traveled to Baltimore to stand in solidarity with her coworkers at Ascension St. Agnes. Additional links/info below…   National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United ,  page,  page, and    NNOC/NNU Press Release: “”   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “”   Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Religion News Service, “”   Permanent links below…    and we might play it on the show!   Labor Radio / Podcast Network ,  page, and  page   In These Times ,  page, and  page   The Real News Network ,  channel,  feeds,  page, and  page   Featured Music… Jules Taylor, “Working People”&nbsp;Theme Song Studio Production: Max Alvarez Post-Production: Jules Taylor

Catholic nurses at Ascension call on Bishops to help with contract fight (w/ Gideon Eziama & Lisa Watson)

International students are being abducted and disappeared by ICE in broad daylight. Life-saving research projects across the academy are being halted or thrown into disarray by seismic cuts to federal grants. Dozens of universities are under federal investigation for their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, their allowance of trans athletes to compete in college sports, and their tolerance of constitutionally protected Palestine solidarity protests. In today’s urgent episode of Working People, we get a harrowing, on-the-ground view of the Trump administration’s all-out assault on institutions of higher education and the people who live, learn, and work there. TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with&nbsp;, President of the American Association of University Professors, Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University, and co-director of the&nbsp;; and&nbsp;, Assistant Professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, AAUP Council Member, and Peabody-award winning host of&nbsp;. Additional links/info:  April 17: Day of Action to Defend Higher Ed&nbsp; American Association of University Professors (AAUP)&nbsp; Federal Unionists Network&nbsp; AAUP letter to college and university legal offices: “” Alan Blinder,&nbsp;The New York Times, “” Oliver Laughland,&nbsp;The Guardian, “” Alice Speri,&nbsp;The Guardian, “” Joy Connolly,&nbsp;Chronicle Review, “” Collin Binkley, Associated Press, “” Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “”  Permanent links below…  &nbsp;and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page In These Times&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page The Real News Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;feeds,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page  Featured Music…  Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song   Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez Post-Production: Jules Taylor

‘People are hiding in their apartments’: Inside Trump’s assault on universities

One year ago, Columbia University became ground zero for the student-led Gaza solidarity encampment movement that spread to campuses across the country and around the world. Now, Columbia has become ground zero for the Trump administration’s authoritarian assault on higher education, academic freedom, and the right to free speech and free assembly—all under the McCarthyist guise of rooting out “anti-semitism.” From Trump’s threats to cancel $400 million in federal grants and contracts with Columbia to the abduction of international students like Mahmoud Khalil by ICE agents, to the university’s firing and expulsion of Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers union president Grant Miner, “a tremendous chilling effect” has gripped Columbia’s campus community. In this urgent episode of&nbsp;Working People, we speak with: Caitlin Liss, a PhD candidate in history at Columbia University and a member of Student Workers of Columbia-UAW (SWC); and Allie Wong, a PhD student at the Columbia Journalism School and a SWC member who was arrested and beaten by police during the second raid on the Gaza solidarity protests at Columbia on April 30, 2024.  Additional links/info:    Student Workers of Columbia-UAW Local 2710&nbsp;   April 17: Day of Action to Defend Higher Ed&nbsp;   Mahmoud Khalil statement from ICE detention: “”   Allie Wong,&nbsp;The Intercept, ““   Grant Miner,&nbsp;The Nation, “”   Jonah E. Bromwich &amp; Hamed Aleaziz,&nbsp;The New York Times, “”   AAUP letter to college and university legal offices: “”   Alan Blinder,&nbsp;The New York Times, “”   Oliver Laughland,&nbsp;The Guardian, “”   Alice Speri,&nbsp;The Guardian, “”   Annie Ma, Makiya Seminera, &amp; Christopher L. Keller, Associated Press, “”   Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “”   Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “”    Permanent links below…    &nbsp;and we might play it on the show!   Labor Radio / Podcast Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page   In These Times&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page   The Real News Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;feeds,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page    Featured Music…    Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song   Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez Post-Production: Jules Taylor &nbsp;

‘A tremendous chilling effect’: Columbia students describe dystopian reality on campus amid Trump attacks

I would like to see Texas become the center of the universe for bitcoin and crypto,” US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)&nbsp;&nbsp;in 2021. In 2024, Republican Governor Greg Abbott&nbsp;&nbsp;Texas “wears the crown as the bitcoin mining capital of the world.” But in small towns like Granbury, TX, about an hour southwest of Fort Worth, residents are the ones paying the price for Texas’ crypto boom. Granbury’s 300-megawatt bitcoin mine, which is owned by Marathon Digital, a Florida-based cryptocurrency company, uses a mix of liquid immersion and industrial fans to prevent over 20,000 computers from overheating. Many residents say that it’s the constant sound from those fans that has made life increasingly unbearable in their small town—and that their concerns are going ignored by the company and government officials. In this episode of&nbsp;Working People, we speak with four residents of Granbury living near the Marathon bitcoin mine: Danny Lakey, Karen Pearson, Nick Browning, and Virginia Browning.  Additional links/info:  &nbsp;    Protect Hood County&nbsp;   Andrew R. Chow,&nbsp;TIME, “”   Andrew R. Chow,&nbsp;TIME, “” (Video Report)   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “”   Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “”   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “”   Maximillian Alvarez, Steve Mellon, &amp; Mike Balonek, The Real News Network, “”   Keaton Peters,&nbsp;Inside Climate News, “”   NBC News, “”   James Pollard,&nbsp;The Texas Tribune, “”    Permanent links below…    &nbsp;and we might play it on the show!   Labor Radio / Podcast Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page   In These Times&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page   The Real News Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;feeds,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page    Featured Music…    Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song   Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez Post-Production: Jules Taylor  &nbsp; &nbsp;

A bitcoin mine in Texas is “killing us slowly,” local residents say

The Trump administration continues to escalate its authoritarian assault on higher education, free speech, and political dissent—and university administrators and state government officials are willingly aiding that assault. On the morning of April 23, at the direction of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, law enforcement officers, including FBI agents, raided the homes of multiple student organizers connected to Palestine solidarity protests at the University of Michigan. “According to the group Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), agents seized the students’ electronics and a number of personal items,” Michael Arria reports at&nbsp;Mondoweiss. “Four individuals were detained, but eventually released.” In this urgent episode of&nbsp;Working People, we speak with a panel of graduate student workers from the University of Michigan and Columbia University about how they and their unions are fighting back against ICE abductions, FBI raids, and top-down political repression, all while trying to carry on with their day-to-day work.  Panelists include: Lavinia, a PhD student at the University of Michigan School of Information and an officer in the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO); Ember McCoy, a PhD candidate in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan and a rank-and-file member of GEO and the TAHRIR Coalition; Jessie Rubin, a PhD student in the School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University and a rank-and-file member of Student Workers of Columbia (SWC); and Conlan Olson, a PhD student in Computer Science at Columbia and a member of the SWC bargaining committee.  &nbsp;   Additional links/info:    Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), University of Michigan&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp;   Student Workers of Columbia-UAW Local 2710&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp;   TAHRIR Coalition UMich&nbsp;         GEO Press Release:&nbsp;   Mahmoud Khalil statement from ICE detention: “”   Allie Wong,&nbsp;The Intercept, ““   Grant Miner,&nbsp;The Nation, “”   Michael Arria,&nbsp;Mondoweiss, “”   Alvin Powell,&nbsp;The Harvard Gazette, “”   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “”   Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “”   Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “”    Permanent links below…    &nbsp;and we might play it on the show!   Labor Radio / Podcast Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page   In These Times&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page   The Real News Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;feeds,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page    Featured Music…    Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song   Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez Post-Production: Jules Taylor  &nbsp;  &nbsp; &nbsp;

FBI agents raid homes of pro-Palestine students at University of Michigan

While state officials and legislators have positioned Texas to be “the bitcoin mining capital of the world,” in small towns like Granbury, working-class residents living next to giant, loud, environmentally destructive data centers are the ones paying the price for Texas’s crypto boom. “None of us are sleeping,” Cheryl Shadden, a Granbury resident who lives across the street from a 300-megawatt bitcoin mining data center owned by Marathon Digital, tells TRNN. “We can't get rid of this alien invasion in our homes…This is like being a prisoner of war. It's like being tortured with loud sounds and bright lights and being sleep deprived.”In this episode of&nbsp;Working People, we dive deeper into the reality of living next to crypto mining data centers like the one in Granbury, the unseen threats they pose to human and nonhuman life, and what residents in Granbury are doing to fight back. TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with: Cheryl Shadden, a registered nurse anesthetist and resident of Granbury, who lives right next to the site of the Marathon bitcoin mining operation; Dr. Shannon Wolf, Precinct Chair in Hood County, who lives about 3 miles from the bitcoin mine; and Nannette Samuelson, County Commissioner for Precinct 2 in Hood County.Additional links/info:  Protect Hood County&nbsp; Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “” Andrew R. Chow,&nbsp;TIME, “” Andrew R. Chow,&nbsp;TIME, “” (Video Report) Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “” Keaton Peters,&nbsp;Inside Climate News, “”  NBC News, “” James Pollard,&nbsp;The Texas Tribune, “”  Permanent links below…  &nbsp;and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page  In These Times&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page The Real News Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;feeds,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page  Featured Music…  Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song  Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez Post-Production: Jules Taylor

‘Like being tortured’: Texas residents living next to bitcoin mine are getting sick and being ignored

In the latest episode of Working People, we go back to the picket line to get a critical update on the longest ongoing strike in the United States. In October 2022, over 100 workers represented by five labor unions—including production, distribution, advertising, and accounts receivable staff—walked off the job on an unfair labor practice strike at the&nbsp;Pittsburgh Post-Gazette&nbsp;(PPG). The strike began after the newspaper’s management, Block Communications, which is owned by the Block family, cut off health insurance for employees on Oct. 1 of that year. After more than 2.5 years on strike, with other unions reaching contracts or taking buyouts and dissolving their units, workers represented by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh are the last remaining strikers holding the line. We speak with a panel of union officers for the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh about how they’ve managed to stay on strike so long and about recent legal updates that have given them hope that an acceptable end to the strike may be on the horizon. Panelists include: Ed Blazina, striking transportation writer at the PPG and one of the Vice Presidents of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh; Erin Hebert, also one of the Vice Presidents of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh and a striking copy-editor and page designer at PPG; Emily Matthews, photographer on strike and treasurer for the Post-Gazette Unit of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh. Additional links/info:  Pittsburgh Union Progress&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp;  Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh&nbsp; Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “” Bob Batz Jr.,&nbsp;Pittsburgh Union Progress, “” Ian Karbal,&nbsp;Pennsylvania Capital Star, “” Mel Buer,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “” Bob Batz Jr. &amp; Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Union Progress, “” Brett Wilkins,&nbsp;Common Dreams&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “(Livestream)&nbsp;” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “(Livestream)&nbsp;” Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Working People&nbsp;/ The Real News Network, “”  Permanent links below…  &nbsp;and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page In These Times&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page The Real News Network&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;feeds,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page  Featured Music… Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song  Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor

An update on the longest ongoing strike in the US: ‘Some things don’t change at the Post-Gazette’

Already burdened by years of funding cuts and understaffing, registered nurses who work at Veterans Health Administration (VA) facilities across the country are facing a crisis as the impact of the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce take effect. In this episode of&nbsp;Working People, Maximillian Alvarez speaks with VA nurses and union representatives for National Nurses United about how these cuts, coupled with Trump’s attempt to strip over one million federal workers of their collective bargaining rights, are hurting VA workers, the quality of care they’ve been trained to provide, and the veterans they serve.Guest(s):  Irma Westmoreland, a registered VA nurse in Augusta, Georgia, who currently serves as secretary-treasurer of National Nurses United and chair of the National Nurses United Organizing Committee/NNU-VA Sharda Fornnarino, a navy veteran who has worked as a VA nurse for 25 years, and who currently serves as the National Nurses United director of the Denver VA.  Additional links/info:  National Nurses United&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp; National Nurses United - Veterans Affairs&nbsp; NNU Press Release:&nbsp;  Eric Umansky &amp; Vernal Coleman,&nbsp;ProPublica, “” Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “”  Featured Music:  Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song  Credits:  Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor  &nbsp;

Trump cuts leave VA hospital nurses and veteran patients in a crisis

On Sunday, July 20, 2025, Working People host and TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez delivered the keynote speech at the national convention of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320. “I am here to report back to you from the front lines of struggle, without hesitation or hyperbole, that we are at risk of losing everything,” Alvarez told the crowd of union members. “And so I am here not to extol the virtues of your union or the value of unions in general, but to ask you bluntly: What good is a union in Hell? How much can an organization of the dawned do in a future no one wants to live in? What good does a collective bargaining agreement serve when the world as we know it is dying?” Additional links/info:&nbsp;  NOLSW-UAW Local 2320&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp;  Featured Music:&nbsp;  Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song  Credits:&nbsp;  Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor&nbsp;

What good is a union in Hell?

Every single one of us who considers ourselves part of the labor movement has some real deep, serious, and urgent soul searching to do this Labor Day. After already falling to historically low levels of union density, public and private-sector unions are facing an extinction-level event under the new Trump administration. That is not hyperbole; that is a fact. So the real question is: What the hell are workers, unions, and the labor movement doing to fight back?&nbsp; These are the essential questions at the center of both of the interviews we are sharing in this special Labor Day episode, which were recorded at the Netroots conference in New Orleans, LA, in early August. In the first interview, Max speaks with Everett Kelley, national President of the American Federation of Government Employees, about the Trump administration’s elimination of collective bargaining rights for federal unions. In the second interview, his first public interview since he was arrested by federal agents observing an ICE raid in Los Angeles in June, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union – United Service Workers (West), speaks with Max about the status of his case and about the roles unions must play in the fight against fascism. Speakers:&nbsp;    is the national President of the American Federation of Government Employees, which is the largest union representing federal and DC government employees. He began his first term of service as national President in February 2020, was elected to another term during the 42nd National Convention in June 2022, and was reelected during the 43rd National Convention in August 2024. Kelley has been a member of AFGE since 1981. He worked at Anniston Army Depot and retired from there after 30 years of service.   David Huerta is a longtime labor leader, born and raised in Los Angeles County, CA, who currently serves as president of the Service Employees International Union – United Service Workers (West) (SEIU-USWW).   Additional links/info:&nbsp;   American Federation of Government Employees ,  page, and    Hamilton Nolan, How Things Work, “”   Michael Sainato, The Guardian, “”   SEIU, “”   Luis Feliz Leon, In These Times, “”   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “” (Video version of interview with David Huerta)   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “” (Video version of interview with Everett Kelley)   Featured Music:&nbsp;   Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song   &nbsp;

Unions face extinction under Trump. What the hell is labor doing to fight back? (w/ David Huerta & Everett Kelley)

Right now, Israel's military is invading and obliterating what remains of Gaza City. After 700 days of genocidal bombing, shooting, forced starvation, and the systematic destruction of schools, hospitals, farms, refugee camps, roads, houses, and the entire infrastructure of civilian life, the Palestinians clinging to life in Gaza City are being exterminated, while others run or limp for their lives with nowhere safe to go. Amid the horrors of Israel’s military onslaught, with starvation and illness spreading, Mohamed Abu Tawila, a former English teacher, and his nephew Abdul Rahman, a would-be college student, have been raising money online and risking their lives and safety to secure and transport clean water to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In this urgent episode, we speak with Mohamed and Abdul Rahman from Gaza about their daily struggle to live in the midst of genocide.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info:&nbsp;   Mohamed’s    Abdul Rahman’s          Ruwaida Amer, The Real News Network, “”   Featured Music:&nbsp;   Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song   Credits:&nbsp;   Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor&nbsp;   &nbsp;

‘We want life”: Palestinians in Gaza describe their daily struggle to survive

Working People is a podcast by, for, and about the working class today.

Visit us at: workingpeople.libsyn.com/

In this inaugural episode of Working People, we talk to Jesus Alvarez: a Mexican immigrant who became a US citizen in 1980; a shy kid who met his wife, Regina, while working at a Sizzler; a life-long Republican voter; a family man; a realtor who, like so many of us, lost just about everything during the Great Recession; a sports-lover with a quirky sense of humor; a devoted father; and an amazing human being who has lived such an interesting, beautiful life.

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org/)

- Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"
- Lia Nadja, "Soy Como el Espacio"
- The Trumpeteers, "Little Wooden Church"
- Alvaro Peña, "La Boca Seca"

Working People - Episode #1 - Jesus Alvarez

We chat with Mexico-City-based journalist Martha Pskowski about her reporting on the maquila worker strikes just south of the U.S.-Mexico border, and about why we should all be paying attention to the recent developments in Mexican labor politics. &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Martha's website and Twitter page Martha Pskowski, Dissent, "Mexican Labor Reawakens"&nbsp; Lauren Kaori Gurley, The New Republic, "Is Mexico on the Brink of a Labor Revolution?" Paolo Marinaro and Dan DiMaggio, Labor Notes, "Strike Wave Wins Raises for Mexican Factory Workers" David Agren, The Guardian, "'We Won't Be Trampled On': Striking Mexican Workers Vow to Fight the Fight"  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)  Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"

Mini-cast: Mexican Labor Reawakens (w/ Martha Pskowski)

We chat with Christina Clark and John Deitcher from Endorphin Films about their viral short documentary, Dish Pigs, which tracks the lives and jobs of three professional dishwashers in Montreal.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Dish Pigs Endorphin Films' website and Twitter page Tim Forster, Montreal Eater, "Refreshing New Documentary Spotlights Dishwashers in Montreal Restaurants"&nbsp;  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)  Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"

Mini-cast: In the Dish Pit (w/ Christina Clark & Jon Deitcher)

Activist Arielle Cohen shares her abortion story and some words of wisdom to guide us through these dark times.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Arielle's Twitter page National Network of Abortion Funds website and Twitter page Planned Parenthood Action website and Twitter page The Yellowhammer Fund website and Twitter page Center for Reproductive Rights website and Twitter page The National Women's Health Network website and Twitter page We Testify: Our Abortion Stories website and Twitter page  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)  Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall" In Closing, "Days Past"&nbsp; Movie Theater, "To Smoke a Cigarette" Chad Crouch, "Arctic"

Care for One Another & Fight Like Hell (w/ Arielle Cohen)

A podcast by, for, and about the working class today
(WE'VE MOVED OVER TO SPOTIFY/ITUNES, BUT WILL ALSO POST EPISODES HERE!)

Working People

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