Right now, working people in other parts of the world are being crushed by a relentless onslaught of murderous violence and dispossession, economic degradation, and inhumane exploitation—they are fighting for their lives, and they are asking for our help. In Palestine, against the ceaseless violence of occupation, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing, Palestinians are rising up to resist their own erasure; in Colombia, millions have taken to the streets to fight against a corrupt system by which the government, the police, and the forces of international oligarchy have waged class war on working people. In this special episode of Working People, spanning three continents, we interview Irene Vélez Torres and Touffic Haddad, two people who are living through world-changing struggles in Colombia and Palestine that working people around the world need to know about, need to care about, and need to take up as our own. Interview with Irene Vélez Torres begins at 20:25 Interview with Touffic Haddad begins at 46:51 Additional links/info below...  &nbsp; Irene's &nbsp; Touffic's Al-Shabaka &nbsp; Touffic Haddad, Bloomsbury, &nbsp; Al-Shabaka ,  page, and  page Alliance for Global Justice ,  page, and  page Christina Noriega, NACLA, "" Estefanía Martinéz, Jacobin, "" Aaron Tauss, Jacobin, "" Amanda Taub, The New York Times, "" Seraj Assi, Jacobin &amp; The Real News Network, ""&nbsp; Abby Martin, &nbsp; Abby Martin, The Empire Files, "" Mustafa Abu Sneineh, Middle East Eye, "" Lee Yaron, Haaretz, "" Citations Needed, "" Citations Needed, "" "" Yumna Patel's  Dominique Mosbergen, HuffPost, "" Adam Forrest, The Independent, ""  &nbsp; Permanent links below...  Working People  page  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  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: )  Ending Satellites, "While You Are Here" Jules Taylor, "Working People Interlude Music"

From Colombia to Palestine, We Will Be Free (w/ Irene Vélez Torres & Touffic Haddad)

We conclude our series of interviews from rural Wisconsin with farmers and community members fighting to defend life as they know it from the onslaught of Big Agriculture and the factory farming industry. As part of a special collaboration between The Real News Network and&nbsp;In These Times magazine for “,” Max, Cameron Granadino (TRNN), and Hannah Faris (In These Times) travelled to Polk County in Western Wisconsin over the summer to speak with residents about their fight to halt or, at least, adequately regulate a proposed concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) that would house 26,000 hogs and produce millions of gallons of liquid manure every year. In this interview, Max sits down with Lisa Doerr, who has been on the front lines of this struggle and lives right down the road from where the proposed CAFO would be built. Lisa and her husband own and operate a hay farm in Polk County that supplies food for small-scale livestock farmers in the area.&nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Working People, ""&nbsp; Working People, "" Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino, &amp; Hannah Faris, The Real News Network, "" Grace Connatser, Wisconsin State Farmer, "" Maeve Conran, Just Solutions, "" Simon Davis-Cohen, In These Times, ""  Permanent links below...  Working People  page  and we might &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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"

Lisa Doerr

Like , , , and , cereal giant Kellogg’s has seen consumer demand skyrocket during the pandemic, reporting profits of $1.25 billion in 2020. To meet this demand, many workers in Kellogg’s plants around the US report pulling 12-16-hour shifts seven days a week, leaving little time for anything outside of work beyond sleep. But the creation of a two-tier employment system in 2015 has meant that newer employees in the lower “transitional tier” are earning significantly less than their coworkers for doing the same work. Demanding that the company raise the floor for all of its employees, Kellogg’s plant workers in Nebraska, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee have been on strike since Oct. 5. We talk about the ongoing strike with Dan Osborn, who has worked at the Omaha, Nebraska, plant for 18 years and currently serves as president of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), Local 50G. Additional links/info below...   (includes links to strike funds) BCTGM Local 50G  Mel Buer, The Real News Network, ""  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"      &nbsp;

Breakfast of Champions (w/ Dan Osborn)

In this special episode, Working People producer Jules Taylor (@realjulestaylor) speaks with working musician and farm laborer Michael Francis McCarthy.&nbsp; Jules and Michael have known each other for a few years, having met during an event in Woodstock, NY where Michael was performing.&nbsp; Michael paints a sobering picture of what earning a living by working as a singer/songwriter looks like. Unlock the video for this episode here:&nbsp;  About Michael Francis McCarthy - , , ,  Additional links/info below…  Blake Morgan, The Hill, "" John W. Barry, The Poughkeepsie Journal, ""  Permanent links below...  Working People  page    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  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: )  Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song" Michael Francis McCarthy, "Goodnight, Toll Collector"

Michael Francis McCarthy

With Laborers Local 79 leading the charge, union demolition workers, construction workers, carpenters, bricklayers, and more have rallied multiple times in the past month outside the Chelsea Terminal Warehouse in New York City to protest the mishandling of workers' pensions and the exploitation, union busting, wage theft, and hazardous conditions workers have experienced at the job site. As Dean Moses writes in The Villager, "Many of the Laborers are immigrant demolition workers, also called los demolicionsitas, and construction workers who say that they have been deprived of healthcare throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to face intimidation and threats for trying to unionize Terminal Warehouse. Protesters named several culprits—three being New Line Structures, ECD NY and Alba Services—which, they alleged, have a history of wage theft and permitting hazardous working conditions. There were also allegations of gender discrimination." We talk to Chaz Rynkiewicz, Vice President and Director of Organizing for Laborers Local 79.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Laborers Local 79 ,  page, and  page&nbsp; Laborers Local 79 &nbsp; Dean Moses, The Villager, ""  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"

New York Is a Union Town (w/ Chaz Rynkiewicz)

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)

It’s been nearly two weeks since the catastrophic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in northeast Ohio thrust the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area into a non-stop waking nightmare. It will take weeks, months, if not years to appraise the damage of this train derailment on the population, on the rail workers and first responders, and on the environment, but while corporate spokespeople and many in the media try to paint this tragedy as some freak accident, we know better... We know better because we have been listening to railroad workers. In this urgent mini-cast, we discuss the nightmare in East Palestine with Matt Weaver, who has worked on the railroad since 1994, is a member of BMWED-IBT 2624, and was recently chosen to serve as legislative director for his state.&nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Matt's  page Railroad Workers United ,  page, and  page Mel Buer, The Nation, "" Watch Matt on The Problem with Jon Stewart: "" Michael Kaplan, CBS News, "" Mass for Shut Ins podcast, "" Working People, ""&nbsp; Working People, "" Working People, ""  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

East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making (w/ Matt Weaver)

We are less than two weeks away from what could be the largest single-employer strike in US history. As of this recording, contract negotiations between United Parcel Services (UPS) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have reportedly "collapsed"—and the clock is ticking until the current contract expires on July 31. If a deal is not reached and a strike occurs, what will it look like for 340,000 Teamster UPSers to walk off the job? What are the key issues that workers are prepared to strike over? And what can we all do to support them, whether a strike occurs or not? In this episode, we continue our coverage of the historic UPS contract fight by talking to Rikki Schreiner, a shop steward for Teamsters Local 638 in Minnesota who has worked for UPS since 1999, and Amber Mathwig, a part-time UPS warehouse worker and member of Teamsters Local 638.&nbsp; Additional links/info below...   Savage Joy-Marie's&nbsp;&nbsp;page,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;channel, and&nbsp; Amber's&nbsp;&nbsp;page Teamsters Local 638&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page International Brotherhood of Teamsters&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page The Upsurge&nbsp;podcast&nbsp;&nbsp;page,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp; Teddy Ostrow &amp; Ruby Walsh, The Real News Network, "" Citations Needed, "" Teddy Ostrow,&nbsp;Jacobin, "" Teamsters for a Democratic Union&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page Sean Orr &amp; Elliot Lewis,&nbsp;Jacobin, "" Working People, "" Working People, "" Working People, "" Alex Press,&nbsp;Jacobin, "" J.J. McCorvey, Adiel Kaplan, &amp; Annie Probert, NBC News, ""   Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &nbsp;and we might&nbsp;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&nbsp;Music&nbsp;(all&nbsp;songs&nbsp;sourced&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Free&nbsp;Music&nbsp;Archive:&nbsp;)  Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song

The Showdown at UPS (w/ Rikki Schreiner & Amber Mathwig)

With each passing day, more Israeli bombs are falling on Gaza, more bodies are being blown apart and buried under the rubble, over a million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. Over the past month and a half, the world has borne witness to a genocidal military campaign to clear out Gaza once and for all, and every day, every hour, it feels like the chance to stop one of humanity’s most inhumane crimes is slipping through our fingers, and the powers that be have shown no interest whatsoever in listening to the thundering calls for a ceasefire coming from governments and mass demonstrations around the world, particularly the Biden administration in the US, the increasingly fascistic Netanyahu government in Israel, and the arms manufacturers and war profiteers who are raking in billions from manufacturing mass death. This is prompting people of conscience around the world, including unions and worker-led groups, to speak out and take action to try to stop the slaughter. One of those unions is the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 (ALAA), whose members include legal aid workers at over 25 organizations, including the Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service, and the Legal Aid Society of New York City. Last week, ALAA members were preparing to hold a vote on whether or not to approve the union publicly issuing a "Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers’ Political Speech." In the lead-up to the vote, union members at different legal aid offices reported strong opposition from management. “These statements call for the elimination of the state of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people,” Twyla Carter, Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Aid Society, reportedly told staff, expressing concern that certain donors would pull funding from the Legal Aid Society if the union passed the resolution. Then, on Thursday, Nov 16, as Akela Lacy reports at The Intercept, "attorneys at the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County sued in New York State Supreme Court to stop the vote, saying it posed an ethical dilemma for attorneys that would make it “impossible for them to properly do their job as Public Defenders.” Those four attorneys were ALAA bargaining unit members. "On Friday," Lacy continues, "the court granted a temporary restraining order enjoining the vote. Voting had gotten underway at 9 a.m. and only 15 minutes were left on the clock when the injunction was issued. The tally never got underway." In this urgent mini-cast, we speak about this unprecedented attack on union democracy and workers' free speech rights with three ALAA members: Allie Goodman, an attorney in the Family Defense Practice at Bronx Defenders; Michael Letwin, a former public defender at Legal Aid in Brooklyn for 37 years who also served as president of ALAA – UAW Local 2325 for 13 years; and Dany Greene, who has worked as a public defender for six years, four of which were spent at Bronx Defenders, where they helped found and organize the BXD Union, and who now works at an appellate office focusing on criminal appeals. Additional links/info below…  Labor for Palestine  and  page Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, United Auto Workers Local 2325, "" Akela Lacy, The Intercept, "" Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, ""  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

"This Is McCarthyism All Over Again": Suppressing Unions' Free Speech Rights over Gaza (w/ Allie Goodman, Michael Letwin, & Dany Greene)

Workers at Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches in the Seattle area voted overwhelmingly to unionize with UNITE HERE LOCAL 8 in late 2022, and they have been fighting for a first contract ever since. In fact, &nbsp;workers from two Homegrown stores have been on strike since late last fall in protest of the unfair termination of union leader Sydney Lankford, who was fired after speaking up at a union delegation. By the time you hear this, workers at the Redmond Homegrown location will have been on strike for over 100 days. We talk with Sydney Lankford and Perry, two members of the Homegrown workers union who are currently on strike.&nbsp;&nbsp; Additional links/info below…  Homegrown workers union&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches&nbsp; PETITION:&nbsp;&nbsp; STRIKE FUND:&nbsp;&nbsp; Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO)&nbsp;&nbsp; Renata Geraldo,&nbsp;Seattle Times, "" KIRO 7, ""  Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &nbsp;and we might&nbsp;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&nbsp;Music...  Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song  Jules Taylor, "Homegrown outro music"

Homegrown Sandwich Shop Workers Hit 100 Days on Strike (w/ Sydney Lankford & Perry)

Baltimore has become what many consider to be ground zero in the emerging “solidarity economy” and the formation of &nbsp;worker-owned, cooperatively run businesses. There’s something important going on here, and there’s a lot that we can all learn from our fellow workers who are in the cooperative space—people who are living, breathing proof that there’s another way to run a business, that there's another way to run our economy, and that there are other ways we can treat work and workers. At a recent event hosted by the Baltimore Museum of Industry titled "Work Matters: Building a Worker-Owned Co-op," Max moderated a panel including workers and representatives from Common Ground Bakery Café, Taharka Bros Ice Cream, A Few Cool Hardware Stores, and the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy (BRED). He talked to them about how they came to work at these different co-ops, how their businesses transitioned to more cooperative models, and they dig into the nitty gritty of what working at a co-op looks like, what it takes for workers to democratically run a business, and the real challenges, limitations, and rewards that come with this kind of work. Panelists include: Vince Green (Taharka Bros Ice Cream); David Evans (A Few Cool Hardware Stores); Craig Smith (A Few Cool Hardware Stores); Sierra Allen (Common Ground Bakery Café); Christa Daring (BRED).&nbsp; Additional links/info below…  Baltimore Museum of Industry&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp; Jaisal Noor, The Real News Network, ""&nbsp; Jaisal Noor, The Real News Network, "" Working People, "" Lisa Elaine Held,&nbsp;The Washington Post, "" Rebekah Kirkman, The Real News Network, ""  Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &nbsp;and we might&nbsp;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&nbsp;Music...  Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song Jules Taylor, "Working People Live Show" Theme Song Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox I Live On Remix"&nbsp; Follow Jules Taylor on  and

Baltimore's Co-Ops Show There's Another Way to Work (at the Baltimore Museum of Industry)

One year ago, graduate student-workers at Johns Hopkins University overwhelmingly voted to unionize under the banner of Teachers and Researchers United (TRU-UE), which is affiliated with United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers. While workers had much to celebrate with their historic union election victory, bargaining a first contract with the university administration has been another story. On February 20, fed up with what workers say have been disrespectful and insufficient offers from the university administration, TRU-UE members held practice pickets on campus to show the administration what's in store if more progress is not made at the bargaining table soon. In this on-the-ground episode, we take you straight to the picket line to hear from worker-organizers about what they're fighting for and what they're asking supporters to do to help.&nbsp; Additional links/info below…  Teachers and Researchers United (TRU-UE)&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp; Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Ryan Quinn, Inside Higher Ed, ""  Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &nbsp;and we might&nbsp;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&nbsp;Music...  Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox Remix"&nbsp;

"Shut It Down!": On the Ground at Johns Hopkins Grad Union's Practice Picket

"Last Wednesday, a fellow&nbsp;rail worker was&nbsp;gravely injured on the job and lost his life," a Feb 6 email from Railroad Workers United reads. "Our brother Chris Wilson, who worked for Norfolk Southern, was critically injured in its Decatur rail yard Wednesday and died Thursday at Huntsville Hospital." Another email from Feb. 9 reads, "On January 15th, a fellow rail worker was killed on the job in Ohio." Then, on Feb 17, another email: "On February 13th, a fellow rail worker was killed on the job in North Carolina. Brother Randall M. Howell, 41, of Allied Federation Lodge 563, died following a road crossing incident in Roanoke Rapids, N.C." Why are railroad workers all over the country dying on the job? And what can be done to stop these needless deaths? We&nbsp;talk&nbsp;with four railroad workers and members of Railroad Workers United (RWU).&nbsp; Panelists include: Nick Wurst, a freight conductor in Massachusetts, legislative rep for his union local, and currently serving on the RWU international steering committee; Matt Weaver, a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters &nbsp;(BMWED-IBT) for nearly 30 years, legislative director for his union in Ohio, and a founding member of RWU: Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 years in the industry, and the editor of "The Highball," RWU's quarterly newsletter: and Ross Grooters, RWU co-chair, member of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), also serving on the BLET-IBT Iowa state legislative board, with over 20 years in the industry.&nbsp; Additional links/info below…  Railroad Workers United&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;&nbsp;page Ross's&nbsp;&nbsp;page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Mike L, The Real News Network, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;Breaking Points, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "" Working People, "" Kari Lydersen,&nbsp;In These Times, ""  Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &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&nbsp;Music...  Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song Jules Taylor,&nbsp;"John L. Handcox Remix" Jules Taylor,&nbsp;

Why Do Railroad Workers Keep Dying on the Job? (w/ Nick Wurst, Matt Weaver, Mark Burrows, & Ross Grooters)

This is an excerpt from our most recent bonus episode featuring Teddy Ostrow.&nbsp; To access the entire conversation, and numerous bonus episodes we have released throughout seven seasons of Working People, please visit our  to unlock this content.&nbsp; The Upsurge&nbsp;was an invaluable show that documented two of the most pivotal labor union struggles in recent years as they were happening: the 2023 Teamsters contract fight at UPS, and the UAW's 2023 stand-up strike at the Big Three automakers. Even though&nbsp;The Upsurge&nbsp;has closed shop and Teddy Ostrow, Ruby Walsh, and the gang are moving on to new projects, we sat down with Teddy to take a moment to celebrate what they accomplished and talk about what we've learned from the last year in worker struggle.&nbsp;    Additional links/info below…  &nbsp; Teddy Ostrow&nbsp;&nbsp;profile Teddy Ostrow, The Real News Network, "" Mel Buer &amp; Teddy Ostrow, The Real News Network, ""  Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &nbsp;and we might&nbsp;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&nbsp;Music&nbsp;(all&nbsp;songs&nbsp;sourced&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Free&nbsp;Music&nbsp;Archive:&nbsp;)  Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song

**'The Upsurge' is Dead. Long Live 'The Upsurge'! (w/ Teddy Ostrow)**

Brett Cross is a small-town kid who grew up in Western Texas, among the oil fields, near Odessa. He worked in the oil fields, worked his way up to doing pipeline work, eventually moving to green energy work. He even became a foreman, working hard to provide for his family. And Brett was at work when he got the call from his wife Nikki that changed their lives forever. It was May 24, 2022, &nbsp;Nikki was at their sons’ school, Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, Texas. “This is not a fucking joke,” she said, “there’s a shooter at the boys’ school.” We talk to Brett about his life before, about living in a small town, working and making your own fun, we talk about some of the family memories he cherishes most. We remember Brett and Nikki's son Uziyah "Uzi" Garcia, we talk about the day Uzi was taken from them, along with 18 of his classmates and two of his teachers, and we talk about the unimaginable fight for justice and real change that Brett and Nikki have been fighting ever since.&nbsp; &nbsp; C/W: This episode discusses school shootings and the murdering of children.&nbsp; Additional links/info below…  Brett's&nbsp;&nbsp;page&nbsp; Sneha Dey, Erin Douglas, Andrew Zhang, Brooke Park, &amp; Jessica Priest,&nbsp;The Texas Tribune&nbsp;/&nbsp;ProPublica, "" Edgar Sandoval,&nbsp;The New York Times, "" Gus Bova,&nbsp;Texas Observer, ""&nbsp; Elissa Jorgensen,&nbsp;American Statesman, "" Danielle Campoamor,&nbsp;Today, "" Kayla Padilla, Texas Public Radio, "" Yvette Benavides, David Martin Davies, &amp; Julián Aguilar, Texas Public Radio, "" Lomi Kriel, Alejandro Serrano, &amp; Lexi Churchill,&nbsp;The Texas Tribune&nbsp;/&nbsp;ProPublica, "" John Woodrow Cox, Steven Rich, Linda Chong, Lucas Trevor, John Muyskens, &amp; Monica Ulmanu,&nbsp;The Washington Post, ""   Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &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&nbsp;Music...  Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox Remix" Follow Jules on  and

Brett Cross, Uzi's Dad

This&nbsp;Saturday, March 23, unionists and labor leaders, environmental justice groups, community organizers, community members from other “sacrifice zones,” and supporters from around the country are coming to East Palestine to join residents as part of the newly formed Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers coalition. The coalition has come together in recent months and mobilized around the core objective of pressuring President Biden to invoke the Stafford Act and&nbsp;. If Biden does this, organizers say, it will immediately unlock a whole suite of federal resources that residents desperately need and have been demanding for a year, and it will also immediately guarantee every resident emergency healthcare.&nbsp;—a former pipeline worker and LIUNA member who has been disabled by the toxic fallout from the derailment, is now experiencing severe heart failure, can’t work, and has subsequently lost his health benefits—this is a matter of life and death, and&nbsp;. &nbsp; This episode is a compilation of voices from across the growing Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers coalition. Speeches in the first half are from a panel cohosted by Steve Zeltzer and Penny Logsdon and recorded by the Labor Video Project on Feb. 3, 2024, the one-year anniversary of the derailment; speeches in the second half are from another panel cohosted by Steve Zeltzer and Penny Logsdon and recorded by the Labor Video Project on March 9, 2024. Speakers include: Steve Zeltzer (Labortech); Penny Logsdon (Lee County Labor Chapter); Chris Albright (East Palestine resident, LIUNA member); Jami Wallace (East Palestine Unity Council); Steve Mellon (Pittsburgh Union Progress); Jeff Kurtz (Lee County Labor Chapter); Maximillian Alvarez (The Real News Network); Mike Stout (protest musician); Charlie Wishman (Iowa AFL-CIO); John Palmer (Teamsters, San Antonio); Bob Anspach (BLET-IBT 391); Vina Colley (Portsmouth Pikeston Residents for Environmental Justice).&nbsp; &nbsp; From the Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers organizing committee: "We will be hosting a National Conference for the people of East Palestine along with supporters in Ohio and throughout the country to build this campaign for healthcare on Saturday, March 23, 2024, where we will bring community members, labor, environmentalist and allies together in our urgent campaign. This Conference will be held from 12-5pm ET at the East Palestine Park.&nbsp; To contact the Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers organizing committee, reach out to&nbsp; Steve Zeltzer: labormedia[at]gmail[dot]com Penny Logsdon: onecent7921[at]gmail[dot]com In solidarity." Additional links/info below…  Steve Mellon,&nbsp;Pittsburgh Union Progress, "" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, ""  Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...  Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page &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&nbsp;Music...  Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song

Labor, Community, & Environmental Organizations Are Mobilizing to Get East Palestine Healthcare (w/ Justice for East Palestine Residents & Workers)

24 hours after Max returned to Baltimore from East Palestine, Ohio, the shipping vessel Dali slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing it into the Patapsco River. The catastrophic collision and collapse of the bridge claimed the lives of six immigrant, non-union construction workers who were working the night shift at the time, filling potholes on the bridge. In this interview on&nbsp;The Valley Labor Report, Alabama's only weekly union talk show, hosts Jacob Morrison and Adam Keller speak with Max about The Real News Network's coverage of the bridge collapse, the connections between Baltimore and East Palestine, and about the conspiracists and "anti-woke" grifters who are trying to capitalize on this tragedy for their own gain.    Additional links/info below…      The Valley Labor Report&nbsp;&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;&nbsp;page,&nbsp;&nbsp;page, and&nbsp;   The Valley Labor Report,&nbsp;""   Democracy Now!, ""   America's Workforce&nbsp;Radio, ""   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, ""   Maximillian Alvarez,&nbsp;The Nation, ""   Breaking Points, ""   Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...   Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page   &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&nbsp;Music...   Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song  Jules Taylor, "TVLR Theme Song / Florence Reece Remix"

From Baltimore to East Palestine, This Is Unacceptable (w/ The Valley Labor Report & Maximillian Alvarez)

On March 23, 2024, a coalition of around 80 people convened at the East Palestine Country Club at the first gathering called by the newly formed Justice for East Palestine Residents &amp; Workers Coalition. Those in attendance included: East Palestine residents; railroad workers; residents of other “sacrifice zones" in Ohio, Maryland, California, and West Virginia; concerned citizens living near other rail lines; labor activists and labor union representatives; representatives of environmental justice organizations; (striking) journalists; socialists, Trump voters, non-voters, etc.; and more. As journalist Steve Mellon reported, "The&nbsp;, dubbed Justice for East Palestine Residents &amp; Workers, determined they will travel to Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8 to further their demand that the federal government step in and make sure those affected by the derailment are provided with fully funded health care. They plan to involve union members, including those who represent workers at railroad companies, as well as environmentalists and members of other communities damaged by chemical contamination. The coalition also determined to schedule a second conference in Iowa — the cause has been embraced by union organizers there; several traveled by bus to East Palestine to attend Saturday’s event — and to seek a meeting with the president of the AFL-CIO. Organizers want the federation of unions representing more than 12 million workers to support the coalition’s demand.” &nbsp; In this extended episode, you will hear a compilation of speakers from the March 23 conference in East Palestine. Speakers include: Lauri Harmon, East Palestine resident; Chris Albright, East Palestine resident; Jami Rae Wallace, East Palestine resident, president of East Palestine Unity Council; Christina Siceloff, East Palestine resident; Rob Two-Hawks, East Palestine resident; Daren Gamble, East Palestine resident; John Palmer, longtime organizer and officer with the Teamsters, but not speaking on behalf of the Teamsters; Andrew Sandberg, International Association of Machinists (IAM); George Waksmunski, United Electrical Workers (UE); Chris Silvera,&nbsp; Teamsters&nbsp;Local 808 Executive Secretary; Steve Mellon, journalist for the Pittsburgh Union Progress, on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for 18 months; Vina Colley, Portsmouth-Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety &amp; Security; Steve Zeltzer, WorkWeek; David Pfister, Food &amp; Water Watch; Nicole Fabricant, activist, academic, and author of&nbsp;Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore; Hilary Flint, Clean Air Action; Penny Logsdon, Lee County, Iowa, Labor Chapter; Jeff Kurtz, Lee County, Iowa, Labor Chapter; Carrie Duncan, Lee County, Iowa, Labor Chapter; Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network; Mike Stout, Musician. &nbsp; Additional links/info below…   &nbsp;website   Mike Stout, "" music video   Steve Zeltzer,&nbsp;&nbsp;YouTube channel   Steve Mellon,&nbsp;Pittsburgh Union Progress, ""   Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...   Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page   &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&nbsp;Music...   Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song  Jules Taylor, "E.P. Theme for W.P."

Justice for East Palestine Residents & Workers Conference in East Palestine

Gene Bruskin was born to a Jewish working-class family in South Philadelphia and has been a life-long social justice activist, union organizer, poet, and playwright. Since retiring from the labor movement, Gene wrote his first play in 2016, a musical comedy for and about work and workers called&nbsp;Pray For the Dead: A Musical Tale of Morgues, Moguls and Mutiny. In this mini-cast we talk to Bruskin about his life in the the labor movement, the role of art and imagination in revolutionary politics, and about Bruskin's new musical,&nbsp;The Return of John Brown, which is premiering this month in Baltimore, Washington, DC, and the John Brown Raid Headquarters in Maryland. "In a staged reading of this new musical, John Brown, who in 1859 became the first person in the nation executed for treason, climbs out of his grave where he was hanged, into the present, only to be rearrested and threatened with another hanging." Additional links/info below…   (musical,) website   Cosmopod, ""   Christina L. Perez,&nbsp;Labor Notes, ""   Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...   Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page   &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&nbsp;Music...   Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song

Working People Deserve Bread and Roses—and Musicals (w/ Gene Bruskin)

"Vina Colley was Erin Brockovich before Erin Brockovich," Kevin Williams wrote in a 2020&nbsp;Belt Magazine&nbsp;article titled, "The Poisonous Legacy of Portsmouth’s Gaseous Diffusion Plant." Williams continues, "Colley has become an unlikely citizen-scientist, spending a lifetime researching and documenting PORTS and its sins... Colley was hired as an electrician at the facility in 1980 and worked there for three years. 'I was exposed to everything. We were cleaning off radioactive equipment that we did not know was radioactive. They never told us,' Colley told me.&nbsp;Then, she said, her hair started falling out, she developed rashes, and 'I got really sick and went to the hospital, not knowing that it was my job causing me all these problems. I had big tumors.' In the four decades since, she’s faced a range of health problems, including chronic bronchitis, tumors, and pulmonary edema." In this episode, we sit down with Colley herself to talk about growing up in Ohio during America's Cold War atomic age, her experience working as an electrician at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and her decades-long fight to hold the plant and the government accountable for what they've done to her, her coworkers, and her community, and to get them the compensation they deserve. Additional links/info below…   Vina's&nbsp;&nbsp;page   DOL Energy Advisory Board Information: Comments for the Record, ""   Kevin Williams,&nbsp;Belt Magazine, ""   Erin Gottsacker, The Ohio Newsroom, ""   Scioto Valley Guardian, ""   Sen. Sherrod Brown, Press Release: ""   Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, ""   Permanent&nbsp;links&nbsp;below...   Working People&nbsp;&nbsp;page   &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&nbsp;Music...   Jules Taylor, "Working People"&nbsp;Theme Song

Vina Colley

“South Baltimore is a sacrifice zone,” Michael Middleton and Dr. Sacoby Wilson wrote in a guest commentary published in&nbsp;Maryland Matters&nbsp;this February. “The six communities that make up South Baltimore—Cherry Hill, Westport, Mt. Winans, Lakeland, Brooklyn, and Curtis Bay—rank in the top 3% of the state for environmental burden using a Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) screening tool. Curtis Bay, the highest in the state, is Maryland’s poster child for environmental injustice. Industrial areas near Curtis Bay house oil tanks, a wastewater treatment plant, chemical plants, landfills, the country’s largest medical waste incinerator, and more. Heavy diesel trucks frequent residential streets. The Wagner’s Point and Fairfield communities that were once Curtis Bay’s neighbors to the east are gone. Those residents accepted buyouts to leave between the 1980s and 2011 after a series of chemical spills and accidents.” In this episode, we continue our “Sacrificed” series by focusing on communities in South Baltimore and a story that quite literally hits close to home, less than half an hour from where Max lives. We speak with a panel of residents of South Baltimore about how they have seen their communities change over the years, what it feels like to be “sacrificed” by industry and their government, how they and their neighbors are fighting for change, fighting for justice, and what others in Baltimore and beyond can do to help. Panelists include: David Jones, who has lived in Curtis Bay for over 35 years; Angela Smothers, a lifelong resident of Mt. Winans;&nbsp;Carlos Sanchez, a youth leader born and raised in Lakeland; and Tiffany Thompson, who was born and raised in Cherry Hill and has lived in Curtis Bay for the past three years.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below…   Coal-Free Curtis Bay  page   Nicole Fabricant, University of California Press,    Nicole Fabricant, The Real News Network, “”   Michael Middleton &amp; Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Maryland Matters, “”   Chloe Ahmann, Baltimore Sun, “”   Christine Condon &amp; Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, “”   Aman Azhar, InsideClimate News, “”   Christian Olaniran, Adam Thompson, Caroline Foreback, CBS News, “”   Permanent links below...   Working People  page    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

"South Baltimore is a sacrifice zone" (w/ David Jones, Angela Smothers, Carlos Sanchez, & Tiffany Thompson)

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 John Tormey, writer and track laborer for the commuter rail in Massachusetts, about his essay for The Baffler, "Known Assailants," Boston accents, and the white working class.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  John's Twitter page John Tormey, The Baffler, "Known Assailants"&nbsp; John Tormey, Covered with Fur, "Dead Things" John Tormey, Rabble Lit, "Train Approach Warning"  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)  Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"

Mini-cast: Known Assailants (w/ John Tormey)

We are kicking off our new series: Workers' Book Club! In this ongoing series, we will record workers chatting with authors about books that relate to the lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles of the working class. To get things started, our host, Maximillian Alvarez, sat down to chat with author, historian, and independent scholar Keri Leigh Merritt about the recent volume she co-edited with Matthew Hild, Reconsidering Southern Labor History: Race, Class, &amp; Power(University Press of Florida).&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Keri's website and Twitter page Keri Leigh Merritt &amp; Matthew Hild (eds), University Press of Florida, Reconsidering Southern Labor History: Race, Class, &amp; Power&nbsp; Keri Leigh Merritt, Cambridge University Press, Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South&nbsp;  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)  Maya Angelou reading 'Workers' Song' Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall" The Trumpeteers, "Little Wooden Church"

Workers' Book Club: Reconsidering Southern Labor History (w/ Keri Leigh Merritt)

The Covid-19 crisis and the current economic crash have broken our world apart. These are the voices of the people living, working, and fighting through it.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Clip from &nbsp;by Theo Henderson: "" Clip from : "" Southern Solidarity —  Food Finder ,  page, and  page Alex (Instacart worker) PayPal address:   &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: )  Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall" Life of an Owl in Alaska, "Sheffield" Return to Normal, "The Observer"

"We Are Essential," Pt I (Voices from the Covid-19 Crisis)

We talk with Amanda Yee for this urgent mini-cast on the deliberate and terrifying persecution of leftist organizers and activists by the state, including members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in Denver. &nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info below...  Amanda's  page PSL ,  page, and  page&nbsp; PSL Legal Fund: &nbsp; PSL Petition: &nbsp; PSL Solidarity Statement: &nbsp; Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Baffler, "" Maximillian Alvarez, The Baffler, ""  &nbsp; Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: )  Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"

Mini-cast: #DropTheChargesCO (w/ Amanda Yee)

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