Heartland Labor Forum

Ed Asner died on August 29th. He was Kansas City born and raised, and he made it big in Hollywood, winning a bundle of Emmys for The Mary Tyler Moore […] The post Ed Asner at KKFI in 2013 – a Heartland Labor Forum Special Program appeared first on KKFI .

It’s almost Labor Day, and the volunteers of the Heartland Labor Forum are celebrating by sharing our recommendations of our favorite books about working people. We’ll also share some favorite […] The post LABOR DAY! A Medley of our Volunteers’ Favorite Labor Books and Songs appeared first on KKFI .

For years, New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse was one of only a couple left in the US: then, he retired. Turns out, he’s still covering labor, and this […] The post Steven Greenhouse, Labor Reporter and UAWD – Will Autoworkers Win the Right to Vote? appeared first on KKFI .

As the workplace changes, so does resistance by workers to increased exploitation. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll interview Robert Ovetz on his book on Global Class Struggle: […] The post Robert Ovetz on Global Class Struggle and Remembering Chuy Negrete appeared first on KKFI .

They don’t get much notice, but union officers are important leaders of Kansas City’s working class. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’re catching them coming and going. We’ll […] The post Two Labor Leaders Coming and Going: Michael Bell and Jason Roberts appeared first on KKFI .

The KC Tenants Union fights to keep people housed amidst the pandemic and end of the eviction moratorium. They expose mega corporate slum lords and defend renters from being displaced. […] The post KC Tenants and the People’s Housing Trust appeared first on KKFI .

Last week, the Missouri Supreme Court gave a resounding YES to Medicaid Expansion. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask the lawyers about the decision and when uninsured […] The post Medicaid Expansion in Missouri AT LAST! appeared first on KKFI .

Wyandotte County is electing a new mayor and there are a lot of contenders for the job. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have highlights from this week’s […] The post Unified Government of Wyandotte County KCK Mayor/CEO Candidate Forum & Voices from the Frito-Lay Picket Line appeared first on KKFI .

Thomas Frank, author of What’s the Matter with Kansas, Listen Liberal, and Pity the Billionaire is in town this month visiting his Dad. He’ll be on the Heartland Labor Forum […] The post What’s the Matter with Thomas Frank? appeared first on KKFI .

In the past 6 months, Critical Race Theory has been at the front of a media storm of fear and misinformation about the role of racism in our history.  This week […] The post The Latest Scam Scare: Critical Race Theory appeared first on KKFI .

First it was five, then it was three, then two, and now the railroad companies want only one worker running an entire train. If they get their way, those one-man […] The post Are One-Man Trains Comin’ Down the Track? And Help Wanted: Heartland Labor Forum Volunteers appeared first on KKFI .

Jeremy Brecher has written fifteen books on labor and social movements. His best seller, Strike, originally written in 1972, was just updated for its 50th anniversary. We’ll interview him this […] The post Jeremy Brecher’s Updated ‘Strike’ appeared first on KKFI .

When you think of labor leaders, think women. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll profile two local women leaders. Alise Martiny leads the KC Building Trades. She’s making […] The post Two Women Labor Leaders: Alise Martiny and Antoinette Robinson appeared first on KKFI .

Once upon a time, you could work for one company your whole adult life, you could make a decent living, and you could buy your piece of the American Dream. […] The post Dan McCrory, How Capitalism Killed the Middle Class and Rigged the System and New AFSCME Local 500 President Reginald Silvers appeared first on KKFI .

As we reopen after a year of COVID, what’s happening to the so-called heroes who do essential work? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at how we […] The post How We Failed Essential Workers appeared first on KKFI .

The attack on public education is nothing new, but recent legislation coming out of the Missouri Legislature has public school teachers fighting back. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we […] The post Missouri’s School Voucher Problem & Eric Lotke: Union Made appeared first on KKFI .

After over a year of the pandemic and its resulting economic ruin, and as politicians now debate when to kick people off unemployment, isn’t it time to revisit the idea […] The post The Jobs Guarantee: Is Full Employment Possible? appeared first on KKFI .

Scabby the Rat, the iconic supersized symbol of anti-union employers across America, has been under attack by Trumpers in the NLRB. Find out on this week’s Heartland Labor Forum whether […] The post Long Live Scabby the Rat! and Sarah Lloyd Green and the Kansas City General Strike appeared first on KKFI .

KKFI has been discouraging the use of words that dehumanize people in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. So what about words like “illegal” and “alien?” This week […] The post A is for Asylum: How We Talk about Immigration and Judy Ancel: The Heart of the Labor Forum appeared first on KKFI .

Is organized labor up for the fight against climate change? Do climate activists get the importance of transitions to good clean jobs?  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we […] The post May the Earth Have Another Day – Celebrating Earth Day and May Day appeared first on KKFI .

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we spend the show with longtime successful organizer Jane McAlevey. We ask her what happened at Amazon, how to defeat the union busters, […] The post Jane McAlevey: A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing and the Fight for Democracy appeared first on KKFI .

It’s the last month of this year’s legislative session in Missouri. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Minority Leader Crystal Quade and Senator Barbara Washington about […] The post Missouri Legislative Sum-up with Rep. Crystal Quade and Barbara Washington appeared first on KKFI .

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll focus on radical unions. First, we’ll talk to Toni Gilpin about her new book The Long Deep Grudge: A Story of Big […] The post Toni Gilpin, The Long Deep Grudge and Organizing Google appeared first on KKFI .

Reporters at the Lawrence Journal-World have formed a union. In response, the bosses have hired one of the most expensive anti-labor law firms in the country to handle negotiations. This […] The post Organizing the Lawrence Journal-World & How the Ultra-Rich Profit from Racial Injustice appeared first on KKFI .

As the legislature considers expanding charter schools, The Heartland Labor Forum will look at the pros and cons of charters. Will they expand beyond St. Louis and Kansas City? What’s […] The post Charter Schools: Good or Bad for Teachers/Kids/Education? appeared first on KKFI .