Labor Jawn

In 1930, the unionized hosiery workers at the H.C. Aberle Mills in Kensington struck against wage cuts, demanding arbitration from the bosses. As tensions rose in the midst of the depression, violence broke out between strike supporters and scabs. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

Sam and Gabe chat with Rosslyn Wuchinich, president of UNITE HERE Local 274, representing Hotel and Food workers in Philadelphia, from Center City to the stadiums. They discuss the fight for fair wages, invisible labor, and plans for a potential general strike in May 2028. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

Sam and Gabe sit down with singer-songwriter Mindy Murray to talk about "Striking at Kings," her new song about the 1938 farmworkers' strike at King’s Farm in Morrisville PA, which was released to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the January 6th insurrection.  www.mindymurray.com Mindy's upcoming shows: March 28 - No Kings Rally with the Doylestown Action League  April 11...

Our second "annual" address to the world detailing updates to the show and more exciting news! Support the show www.laborjawn.com

Philadelphia has always been a city dominated by its waterfront commerce. But the workers who make that commerce possible have always had to fight hard for their fair share. In the midst of a strike covering the whole of the East Coast, Philly's dockworkers became a key player fighting against the bosses, courts, and even the President. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

Sam and Gabe took a moment from the holidays to talk with Jessi Jones from the Academy Foundation, Emma Rose Rainville from the Esplanade Association, Adam Rizzo from the Penn Museum, and independent researcher Amanda Tobin Ripley about their recent work with Museums Moving Forward and the zine Museum Unions Enact Workplace Justice that they all co-authored with Josh Davis of the Seattle Art Museu...

Our first address to the world detailing updates to the show and some exciting news! Ben Fletcher Mural Unveiling and Celebration Saturday May 18, 2024 2pm-4pm 301 S. Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia PA SEIU - Philadelphia Labor History Map (produced by Labor Jawn) https://goo.gl/maps/HHggN819SpfC6tx87 Support the show www.laborjawn.com

On November 18, 2022, Labor Jawn hosted their first live show In Story and Song at the Philadelphia Folksong Society. Join the hosts of the Labor Jawn podcast in celebrating the labor movement through song and story. Relive the struggles and victories of the working class with historian Gabe Christy as musician Young Sam James leads you and a few special guests in the anthems and ballads that defi...

Sam and Gabe sit down to chat with Dr. Francis Ryan, Associate Teaching Professor & Director of Master of Labor and Employment Relations Program, Labor Studies and Employment Relations (LSER) at Rutgers University, to discuss Philadelphia's importance in labor history, and his contributions to the three volume set The Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Philadelphia and the Nation, and G...

Sam and Gabe sit down to chat with Megan and Claudia of Starbucks Workers United and Sophie of the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America who established a strike kitchen to feed and support Starbucks workers as they fight for a first contract.  Sign the pledge: https://www.nocontractnocoffee.com/  More links: https://linktr.ee/phillyDSAlabor Support the show www.laborjawn.com

By 1936, Berkshire Knitting Mills was one of the largest hosiery manufacturers in the world, and the American Federation of Hosiery Workers knew that if they could organize it, they could apply pressure to the entire industry and secure safety, wages, and the 40 hour week for thousands of workers. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

We sit down with historian Lucas R. Clawson to discuss the du Pont family's history of labor relations.  https://lucasrclawson.com/   Originally aired: August 8, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

When the United Textile Workers of America declared a general textile strike in 1934, the people of Hazleton, Pennsylvania had a choice: would they stand with the textile workers, or the bosses?  Originally aired: November 30, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

In the midst of Reaganomics, a budget crisis, and a school board imposing layoffs and school closures, Philadelphia's teachers fight for "the integrity of [their] contract, the contracts of all people, and, in general, honor among people." Support the show www.laborjawn.com

In 1903, all building construction in Philadelphia was brought to a grinding halt when just a few thousand carpenters showed the power of their union.  Originally aired: February 6, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

After World War 2, American soldiers came home to low wages and strict bosses. In 1946, 200,000 electrical appliance workers struck in cities across the country with 20,000 in Philadelphia alone. They had just beaten Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, next up was General Electric and Westinghouse.  Episodes 36-37 originally aired on October 17 and 31, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

The General Textile Strike in Philadelphia helped set the stage for the very radical hosiery workers who continued to fight throughout the 1920s and into the Great Depression.  Originally aired: March 8, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

In 1916, workers at the John B. Stetson hat company in Philadelphia went on strike for better wages and conditions. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

Horseshoeing was a booming industry in Philadelphia back when horses were the primary means of transportation. In 1902, the men and children who did most of the work struck for better wages, hours, and conditions, effectively shutting down the city’s transport network until their demands were met.  Originally aired: May 30, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

When cloakmakers in New York struck for union recognition, their comrades in Philly joined in, bolstered by local Jewish anarchists.  Originally aired: January 9, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

At Philadelphia's 2025 May Day Rally and March, Gabe and Sam ran around with a microphone to get recordings from union members, organizers, and workers. Each person was asked 4 questions: -Who was the worst boss you've ever had and why?  -Are you part of a union?  -What does being a union member mean to you? -What was your favorite moment of solidarity that you've witnessed? Submit...

Philadelphia's municipal workers have had to fight hard for a decent wage and basic benefits. After 3 years of setbacks and wage freezes, in 1986 their struggle pitted thousands of city workers, led by Earl Stout, the larger than life president of AFSCME District Council 33, against Wilson Goode, the city's embattled mayor. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

Farm workers have always been mistreated, but in 1938 the CIO fought to change that at a farm in Morrisville, PA.  Originally aired: January 23, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

As the Great Depression raged, 1700 hosiery workers in Lansdale, PA fought for union recognition, standing up to their bosses and the county sheriff.  Originally aired: October 2, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com

Despite the lingering Great Depression, retail stores in 1938 were starting to bounce back. But when the wealth was not shared with the workers, they decided to go on strike during one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year.  Originally aired: July 27, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com