Punching Out

Lou, Amanda, and Karen talk about work-life balance as it exists under capitalism, and what a good balance would actually look like

Just in time for May Day, Rich, Cadejo, and Nadia tell the story of the Haymarket Affair and discussed the continued struggle for an eight-hour work day.

Ryan, Abby, and Earl engage on a wide-ranging discussion that goes from work ethic to the ongoing teachers' strikes and back again. The article that inspired the title of this episode, an excerpt of which is read in the final minutes, can be found here: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/01/alive-in-the-sunshine/

Ryan plays DJ for an hour of songs about work and labor. The full list of songs played on this show: Billy Bragg - There is Power in a Union Among The Oak & Ash - Joseph Hillstrom (1879-1915) Johnny Paycheck - Take This Job And Shove It Johnny Cash - Sixteen Tons (Live) Bruce Springsteen - Factory Bon Jovi - Living On A Prayer A Tribe Called Quest - Rap Promoter Lynyrd Skynyrd - Working For the MC...

Last time, Louise, Alfred and Noah gave you a peek into the secret world of Human Resources. Listen as they go even deeper. What they find will shock you . . . Or probably not, if you listen to this show.

Noah, Karen, and Rich talk about the slow pace of recovery in Puerto Rico, and the vultures now circling the island.

Ariel and Lou talk with Kristin about her work in corporate diversity training and wrestle with issues surrounding the creation of genuinely inclusive workplaces.

Ryan, Rachel, and Dave examine the ways in which unemployment is an economic benefit for some, but a punishment and source of shame for others.

How should we think about so-called "entry-level" jobs, and those who work them? On this episode, Chris and Ariel discuss the increasing permanence of what used to be considered transitional work.

Alfred is joined by Jonny and Charlotte for a discussion on the obstacles to meaningful employment for adults with disabilities, and how things could be improved.

What do HR departments really think about you? Alfred, Louise, and Noah go straight to the source to find out how employees are always assumed to be trying to get away with something.

Ryan, Noah, and Chris take a look at labor issues in the world of sports, from MMA to the NCAA, with an eye towards why these struggles matter for broader society.

Alfred, Abby, and Babak continue their series on work in popular culture with a focus on movies and how they portray everything from bad bosses to the American Dream.

Karen and Alfred examine the value of work in late capitalism, and speculate about a post-work future.

Lyle and Earl talk with Maria, host of Foreign Exchange on WAYO, about her experience as a freelance translator, and the broader issues facing freelancers as a whole.

Chris, Ariel, and Emily discuss working in local media, and the impact that working conditions have on the quality of journalism we receive.

On the first episode of 2018, Cadejo, Ryan, and Karen look back at the past year for both workers and our show, before looking ahead to what the new year might have in store.

Cadejo, Ryan, and Rich give an overview of key moments in American labor history, and talk about why the past still matters today. For those interested in learning more, they also recommended some books: From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend American Workers, American Unions Making the New Deal Collision Course Subterranean Fire

Ryan, Rich, and Amanda dig into the mythic image of entrepreneurs in American society, and the troubling outcomes of that narrative for Uber drivers and LuLaRoe sellers alike. Articles referenced: https://thebaffler.com/salvos/dreams-incorporated https://qz.com/1039331/mlms-like-avon-and-lularoe-are-sending-people-into-debt-and-psychological-crisis/

Abby, Babak and Alfred discuss how portrayals of work and workers in literature were consumed by a popular audience, and how those fictional images of work still reverberate within our political and cultural landscape today. They talk about bad bosses, labyrinths of bureaucracy, silencing of dissent, violently suppressed workers, and the toxic influence of certain books on the impressionable and s...

On the second part of our discussion on healthcare, Karen, Abby, and Nadia discuss the New York Health Act and the possibility for universal healthcare in NY. Groups fighting for the bill include http://www.nyhcampaign.org/ http://www.dsa-rochester.org/ http://www.metrojustice.org/

In the first part of our discussion on healthcare, Karen, Abby, and Nadia talk about our current system of employer-sponsored insurance, how it came about, and the problems it poses for women in particular. This article gets a mention: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/facing-brain-surgery-a-health-economist-finds-the-health-care-market-hard-to-navigate/2012/11/05/0a931b5c-fcf...

Cadejo, Nadia, and Rachel talk about the overnight shift, and how night workers are subjected to harassment and health problems.

Emily, Ariel, and Chris discuss sexual harassment in the workplace, in light of highly-public recent examples. They interview Gwen, a former nurse who was made to choose between her own safety and providing much needed care for a patient.

Ryan, Tom, and Alfred talk about the exploitation of prison labor, those who benefit from the practice, and how it impacts those who aren't incarcerated as well as those behind bars. Articles discussed: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/magazine/the-incarcerated-women-who-fight-californias-wildfires.html https://www.revealnews.org/article/they-thought-they-were-going-to-rehab-they-ended-up-in-chi...