The Rick Smith Show

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department at the AFL-CIO, and Johnny Jones, President of AFGE Local 1040 to mark the anniversary of 9/11 and its lasting impact on the transportation industry and the workers who keep America moving. A conversation about security, sacrifice, and what the last 25 years have meant for the work...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Labor reporter Michael Sainato to break down the week's top labor stories, Trump's former labor secretary accused of drinking on the job and creating a toxic workplace, union membership gains in 2025 concentrated in states with bargaining protections, and the AFL-CIO's push to ban electronic shelf labels that threaten jobs, drive...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks Labor journalist Steven Greenhouse who makes the case that Trump has been the worst president for workers and unions in modern history. Then Jeff Hauser, Executive Director of the Revolving Door Project, explains how Democrats risk blowing a generational realignment by ignoring corruption from Schumer's daughter heading to OpenAI to Gillibrand...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Brent Booker, President of LIUNA, to mark Labor Day and discuss the dignity of work and the fight ahead for working families. Then Sarah Burris, Senior Editor at Alternet, breaks down the top stories of the day, the headlines shaping politics, labor, and working-class America.   Don’t miss our daily TV show on Free Speech TV: www.freespeech.o...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick tackles “Reunionizing America,” starting with LaborLab Executive Director Bob Funk, who exposes how corporate union-busters spend 1.7 billion dollars a year to stop workers from organizing. Later, David Madland of the American Worker Project joins to lay out why rebuilding unions is essential for democracy, fair wages, and working-class power, and how w...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, digs into the affordability crisis with CAP’s Natasha Murphy on a Patients’ Bill of Rights to Lower Health Care Costs and Trevor Higgins on A Plan for American Electricity Affordability. They break down why prices are rising, who’s responsible, and what it will take to protect working families’ wallets. Got thoughts on rising electricity costs? Email Rick at...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Rutgers education lecturer Mark Weber about robo-sex-doll teachers in classrooms and what it says about how poor kids are taught and the deprofessionalization of teaching. Later, Annie Norman of Americans for Financial Reform joins the show to rally support for “Save the Post Office,” making the case that the postal service is a public good w...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with veteran labor organizer Rand Wilson about his recent writing on how workers can organize Amazon and build lasting power inside the company. Later, labor and employment professor John Logan examines Trump’s failure to save Conn-Selmer jobs and the larger collapse of his promises to revive American manufacturing, underscoring the need for real...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick welcomes Bowzer of Sha Na Na fame to talk about who is really fighting to protect Social Security and who is not, cutting through the spin around the program’s future. Later, Andrew Haley of Union One joins to explain how his company works to protect union families with practical support, solidarity, and services designed to meet the needs of working pe...

Don’t miss our daily TV show on Free Speech TV: www.freespeech.org Find us on: ·       DirecTV (Channel 348) ·       Dish (Channel 269) ·       Sling ·       Roku ·       Apple TV ·       Amazon Fire TV ·       Get the FSTV iOS app HERE Did you miss last night’s show? Miss part of the #RickShow on your local radio station? Want to listen at work, or around the house? Download the podcast on our we...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick Smith opens with Alex Lawson of Social Security Works, asking what kind of future today’s politics are leaving the next generation and why protecting Social Security matters for working families. Later, AFGE District 3 Vice President Phil Glover joins to discuss how federal workers can organize, push back, and defend labor rights amid Trump’s ongoing at...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Joe Spielberger of POGO about National Whistleblower Day and why whistleblowers matter in exposing corruption and protecting the public. Later, Rick takes on the growing influence of billionaires in the 2026 midterms and calls out Spotify’s chief for saying the quiet part out loud about who should be allowed to vote and who should be shut out...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick takes aim at Trump’s latest distractions, suggesting a political motive behind the delayed Gordie Howe Bridge opening while firing back at the new buzzword “communinism” with his own “Commonism” retort. Then Brent Booker, General President of LIUNA, joins to discuss the union’s historic agreement with IUPAT and what coordinated organizing can mean for s...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick is joined by Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, to make the case for a true living wage and a fairer future for working people. Later, Veronica Goodman of the Center for American Progress breaks down career and technical education policy, using fresh multistate evidence to show how stronger workforce pathways can connect students to good jobs a...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Sarah Austin, Senior Analyst at ITEP, about the latest report showing how states shift taxes away from corporations and the wealthy while raising sales taxes on working families. Later, Pamela Smith, President and CEO of Verified Voting, joins to debunk voting-fraud conspiracy theories and explain what actually protects elections from misinfo...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, about a so-called centrist plan to gut workers' benefits under a Social Security bill dressed up as the "Promise Act" because nothing says promise like raising your retirement age. Then Rick takes on the trans sports issue head-on, cutting through the manufactured outrage t...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, about the bizarre push toward robot "sex doll" teachers, Trump's Department of Education deprofessionalizing the teaching field, and the ongoing assault on Head Start. Then APSCUF Secretary Patrick McGinty joins Rick to break down PA Promise legislation and what t...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick takes on GOP "family values" hypocrisy in light os Florida gubernatorial candidate Bobby Williams sounding off on maternity leave, and a Pennsylvania legislator pushing a state Day of the Bible. Turns out the party of family has a funny way of showing it. Then economist Sara Estep of the Center for American Progress joins Rick to unpack the abys...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with AlterNet's Sarah Burris about Trump bristling at being called a "tenant" of the White House, plus the day's other top stories. Then Matias Vernengo, Director of the Bucknell Institute for Public Policy, breaks down the abysmal jobs numbers and why workers' share of U.S. gross domestic income has collapsed to historic lows....

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick first talks with Sarah Burris of Alternet about the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and the political theater around it. Later, Mary Okin of Living New Deal discusses Trump’s D.C. “Indy race” and the fight to protect the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building, a New Deal landmark known as the Social Security Administration Building and the “Sis...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with union organizer and author Phil Cohen about his new book Maximum Leverage and the lessons it offers for building worker power on the ground. Later, Stephen Schneck, President of Catholics for the Future, joins to discuss his article “American Unions & the Catholic Church” and why Catholic social teaching still makes a strong case for unio...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Ryan Mulholland, Senior Fellow for International Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress, about Trump’s bizarre threat to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over “poisoned” air from wildfires and his floated plan to slap tariffs on Canada for smoke damage. Later, Guardian labor reporter Michael Sainato joins to discuss Bronx nurs...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with John Logan, Professor and Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University, about how Trump is laying the groundwork for a new Red Scare, and what a fresh wave of red‑baiting could mean for unions, organizers, and the broader labor movement. Later, AlterNet Senior Digital Editor Sarah Burris joins to break down the l...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, about Trump’s national address, his escalating declaration of war on democracy, and how attacks on elections and Social Security fit the broader authoritarian project. Later, Margaret Poydock, Senior Policy Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, joins to discuss EPI’s new report “Th...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of Fair Elections Center, about Trump’s latest primetime speech to the nation, why his ranting about “free and fair elections” is really about sowing doubt, and what she expects his whining to focus on. Later, Rachel Peace, Democratic congressional candidate in New Jersey’s 4th District, joins to talk abou...