Labor Force Podcast

A retrospective on the year that was on the Labor Force Podcast: the developments, trends, worker actions, technology, and all that went into surviving these economic hunger games we’re playing as we soldier on into the back half of the 2020s.   

In this episode of Labor Force Podcast, we break down a turbulent moment for workers’ rights in America—where real gains are colliding with aggressive rollbacks, corporate greed, and an economy that looks strong on paper while millions struggle to get by. We start with developments in Washington, where the House passes the Protect America’s Workforce Act, aiming to restore collective bargaining ri...

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, we cover one of the busiest news cycles of the year—from Hollywood power plays to working-class realities on the ground across the country. We start with the massive proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, as Netflix and Paramount battle for control of some of the most iconic brands in film and TV. Lawmakers, guilds, and labor advocates are already soundi...

This week on the Labor Force Podcast: Starbucks baristas escalate what may become the largest strike in the company’s history, demanding real movement at the bargaining table after years of delay tactics and retaliation. We break down the $35 million New York City settlement, the nationwide picket lines, and why workers say this moment is bigger than coffee. Then we head to Iowa, where 2,000 Unity...

This week on the Labor Force Podcast, we take a hard look at a holiday season defined not by shopping, but by worker power and the escalating fight against a system that keeps squeezing people from every angle. We break down the largest open-ended Starbucks strike in the company’s history, the global Make Amazon Pay mobilization spanning 30+ countries, and the first-contract battles hitting Blue B...

In this episode of The Labor Force Podcast, we dive deep into America’s worsening affordability crisis and the growing worker uprisings pushing back against it. We start with new data showing that nearly one in three low-income households lives paycheck to paycheck, unable to keep up with inflation as wages stagnate and basic costs climb. From there, we explore a revealing local debate in Watertow...

This week on the Labor Force Podcast: The federal government may have reopened, but for thousands of workers, the real impact of the shutdown is far from over. We dig deep into the lives of furloughed workers—from maxed-out credit cards to food bank lines—and the stress that lingers long after paychecks resume. In Pittsburgh, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh celebrates a landmark victory after th...

In this episode, we trace the through-line connecting a historic political upset in New York City, the grinding federal shutdown, a wave of labor actions across the country, and the everyday financial pressure bearing down on working people. From Zohran Mamdani’s stunning mayoral victory to the strain on air traffic controllers, we dig into the conditions pushing workers to the brink and the movem...

In this episode, we unpack the growing crisis sparked by the government shutdown and the Trump administration’s attack on SNAP benefits—threatening food security for millions of working families. We break down the court fight over federal worker layoffs, the latest mass job cuts at Amazon, and the Boeing machinists still holding the line in St. Louis. Then, we turn to the rising tide of resistance...

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, the ground feels like it’s shifting under everyone’s feet. As the government shutdown stretches on, its ripple effects are hitting far beyond Washington—federal workers without pay, contractors closing up shop, and small businesses left hanging by a thread. We look at how this slowdown is grinding down working people across industries and communities. But whil...

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, we cover a country in motion—from federal workers trapped in a shutdown to Jamaican farmworkers fighting for their rights, Houston hotel staff winning big, and healthcare and aerospace workers holding the line. We also look at Volkswagen’s union showdown, the rise of white-collar organizing, and Shawn Fain’s call for a unified working-class movement built on f...

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, we’re taking a hard look at what happens when the system stops working — and workers don’t. The federal government shutdown continues to ripple through the lives of hundreds of thousands of public servants, forcing families to make impossible choices. In St. Louis, the Boeing strike enters its third month as machinists stand firm for fair pay and respect. Mean...

In this episode, we dive into the latest government shutdown and its very real impact on working families’ healthcare, explore the deepening crisis inside New York State’s correctional system six months after a wildcat strike, and spotlight a brand-new organizing effort at the Downtown Disney Lego Store in California. From the fight over Medicaid and CHIP, to prison staffing shortages and debates...

This week, we cover a wave of worker struggles and the bigger political forces shaping them: IAM-Boeing showdown in St. Louis – workers fight back after Boeing calls their contract a “fake deal.” Houston hotel strike – Hilton workers demand fair pay, humane workloads, and respect. UAW at Volkswagen – momentum builds in Tennessee as workers weigh strike pledges. Iowa nurses organize – a grassroots...

This week on the Labor Force Podcast: Machinists at Boeing and aerospace workers at GE show what real solidarity looks like. Hotel workers in Houston hold the line for a living wage. Google’s hidden army of AI raters get chewed up and tossed aside. Starbucks baristas keep fighting through stonewalling and retaliation. Hollywood animators and production crews push union power into new territory. An...

In this episode of the Labor Force Podcast, we cover strike updates shaking up industries across the country—from Teamsters holding strong in Massachusetts and Minnesota, to Boeing machinists in St. Louis, to Hilton hotel workers in Houston making history in Texas. We dig into the widening gap between right-to-work states and free bargaining states, and what new research says about wages, union de...

September is here, but the labor movement hasn’t cooled down one bit. In this episode, we cover strikes stretching from Massachusetts to Houston, workers pushing back in the defense industry, and a historic new path for Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize in California. We’ll dig into: Massachusetts trash collectors striking for parity and dignity. Defense industry walkouts at GE Aerospace and Boein...

This week on the Labor Force Podcast: Strikes stretching from trash haulers to Boeing machinists A razor-thin UAW win at a new battery plant National park workers unionizing in droves A Labor Day push: Workers Over Billionaires The healthcare grind—why “preventive” doesn’t mean covered New data on young adults hitting pause on the American Dream A well-deserved Labor Day to all who toil in these c...

Another day, another blessed dollar—except not if you’re building billion-dollar jets for $20 an hour or getting paid zero bucks while passengers board. In this episode: Boeing on the Brink – 3,200 workers walk out in Missouri and Illinois, shutting down production of fighter jets and commercial planes. Their message? Respect doesn’t come cheap, and “best and final” isn’t final. Air Canada Attenda...

From trash piling up in Massachusetts to machinists walking out in St. Louis, the fight for fair pay and respect is raging coast to coast. This episode takes you inside the standoffs, the backroom games, and the political stonewalling—plus a look at the federal government’s latest assault on collective bargaining rights. We dig into the immigration crackdown gutting factory floors, hear from the u...

In this episode, we pull no punches. First, we unpack the shocking firing of BLS chief Erika McEntarfer by President Trump—an unprecedented move that sends tremors through the foundations of data integrity and democracy itself. What happens when truth gets treated as sabotage? Then, we check in on the labor frontlines: 🚛 Teamsters Local 25 ramp up their month-long strike against Republic Services...

In this episode, we take a sweeping look at the pressure points hitting America’s working class—from overflowing garbage in Massachusetts to high-stakes labor battles at Boeing and BlueOval SK. We examine what’s really behind the so-called “crisis” facing working-class men, challenging the misleading narratives that pit workers against one another. Then, we zoom in on something more personal but j...

In this jam-packed episode, we take a wide-angle look at the state of work, wages, burnout, and organizing in 2025—and what it all means for workers today. From the basketball court to the shop floor, from Congress to the college classroom, there’s one message echoing across every sector: enough is enough. 🏀 WNBA’s Bold Stand We break down the meaning behind the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts at...

In this episode, we dig deep into the labor standoffs, service breakdowns, and survival strategies defining this American summer. 🔹 First up: The trash piling up in Boston isn’t just a nuisance—it’s the product of a two-week strike by Teamsters Local 25 against Republic Services. With failed negotiations, accusations flying, and the strike spreading coast to coast, we explore what happens when es...

In this episode, we take a hard look at how workers are being ground down across industries and institutions—from city halls to video game studios, from federal agencies to hotel rooms miscast as emergency housing. Episode Highlights: Philadelphia’s Massive Municipal Strike Ends Nearly 10,000 workers from AFSCME DC 33 walked out, shutting down city services. The strike ends with a tentative deal—o...