Union Talk

In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, AFT President Randi Weingarten welcomes Emmy-winning actor Sheryl Lee Ralph to discuss how "Abbott Elementary" shows love to educators, the importance of books and real-world solutions to heal our education system in America.

In an address to the National Press Club, AFT President Randi Weingarten delivers a major speech to defend public education, transform learning and support children as the institution comes under existential threat from extremist, culture-war peddling politicians. Weingarten outlines a four-part plan to help overcome learning loss and reclaim the purpose and promise of public education: 25,000 com...

Most American workers are forced to choose between getting paid and caring for their families. In this episode, AFT President Randi Weingarten joins Kansas City Federation of Teachers President Jason Roberts and Ohio Federation of Teachers organizer Kristin McCormick to discuss recent victories and ongoing struggles to ensure working families have paid leave.

AFT President Randi Weingarten is joined by award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien to discuss her new documentary,  The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks , the political threat to Black history and the importance of good storytelling.

AFT President Randi Weingarten talks with Michigan State University education policy professor Joshua Cowen to discuss the real impact school vouchers are having on public education, students and our democracy.

AFT President Randi Weingarten is joined by Mark Gaither and Katrina Kickbush, educators at Baltimore's Wolfe Street Academy, for an inspirational conversation illustrating how community schools deliver on the promise of public education.

Showcasing that elections matter, AFT President Randi Weingarten joins New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker to discuss how they've turned their election wins into real progress for public education, healthcare and pro-democracy efforts in their states.

Randi Weingarten is joined by Cleveland Teachers Union President Shari Obrenski and first-grade teacher Jillian Ahrens to discuss the success of the AFT's Reading Opens the World campaign, the relentless work of AFT members to bring 1 million free books to kids and families across the nation, and the comfort and joy books bring kids—as well as helping them improve their literacy skills.

With hospitals reaching capacity nationwide and a shortage of healthcare professionals, AFT President Randi Weingarten assembles a roundtable of nurses and nurses' union leaders to discuss the most immediate and tangible solutions to prevent dangerous conditions for patients and healthcare professionals alike. Listen as January Belcher (RN), Howard Sandau (RN), and David Keepnews (Executive Direct...

AFT President Randi Weingarten is joined by four congressional candidates—Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Jahana Hayes (Connecticut) and candidates Nikki Budzinski (Illinois) and Robert Zimmerman (New York)—during the AFT Votes bus tour to discuss what is truly at stake during this pivotal election.

Teacher and school staff shortages can be solved. In places like Houston, Texas, districts are working with educators to raise salaries, which has hugely helped address shortages. AFT President Weingarten is joined by Texas AFT President Zeph Capo and Dallas math teacher Rosemary Curts to discuss the findings of the AFT's teacher and school staff shortage report, "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?" and d...

Randi joins Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, White House COVID Response Coordinator Ashish Jha, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, and NEA President Becky Pringle for an important discussion to help families navigate Back to School season amidst COVID, Monkeypox, a teacher shortage, and more.

This year's convention saw an amazing roster of speakers -- labor leaders, entertainers, elected officials, activists and even the First Lady of the United States -- who all took the stage to share inspirational messages of hope and power. In this episode you will hear highlights from: US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Senator Elizabeth Warren, AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler, Amazon union leader Ch...

This year's AFT convention kicked off with a rousing state of the union speech by President Randi Weingarten where she addressed more than 3,000 delegates, launched a landmark What Kids and Communities Need campaign and challenged the union's 1.7 million members to fight for freedom and democracy, uphold decency and dignity, and "knit the rich tapestry of our country together … by rebuilding the e...

AFT president Randi Weingarten joins Dr. Pamela Cantor (Founder of Turnaround for Children), Abbey Clements (Teachers Unify), and Sarah Lerner (Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School teacher) to talk about the real steps educators and parents can do to help their children navigate and heal from the traumatizing news about school shootings.

AFT president Randi Weingarten hosts an emotional and informational episode exploring the deadly mix of hate and guns that have led to mass shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, Tulsa and more. Parkland survivors Jim Gard, Lori Alhadeff, and historian Eric Ward join Randi to discuss what educators, parents and politicians can do and examine the deep-seated racial issues that act as a threat to our schools...

Randi hosts a conversation with "Facebook Whistleblower" Francis Haugen, Warren Ng from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Dalia Hashad from Parents Together about the impact social media is having on our children and what we can do to help them. Later, Randi is joined by two high school students – Lola Nordlinger and Devin Lee – who bring their first-person perspective o...

Join us as AFT President Randi Weingarten moderates a discussion with the U.S. Surgeon General, Irwin Redlener, and Dr. Vin Gupta about Omicron, boosters and schools.

Randi talks to scholars Dr. Marcia Chatelain of Georgetown University and professor Peter Levine of Tufts University to pull back the curtain on what is behind the efforts to use critical race theory to divide parents and teachers, the importance of teaching honest history, how to support educators under attack, and how teachers and parents can partner to help all students thrive. 

Randi is joined by Chief Nurse Officer Rear Admiral Aisha Mix, AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and two parent-teachers—Colleen McElligott-Liporto from Lynn, Mass., and Veronica Lindsey from Socorro, Texas—to discuss the Biden administration's efforts to make COVID-19 vaccines readily available for children and the ongoing efforts to combat vaccine misinformation.

AFT President Randi Weingarten, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan and U.S. Department of Education Senior Advisor Julie Morgan answer questions about how the recent changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and settlement of the Weingarten v. DeVos lawsuit are helping to fix this program and help hundreds of thousands of educators,...

"Union Talk" brings you inside America's hospitals to talk to three nurses about the stress, strain and "emotional roller coaster" they've faced caring for patients throughout the pandemic and what they want people to know about vaccines, misinformation and what nurses need in this moment. 

Take a listen to our latest AFT virtual town hall, bringing together distinguished experts and leaders from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Turnaround for Children, AASA/The School Superintendents Association and the National PTA, as well as the U.S. surgeon general, as they answer questions, debunk myths and share information about how we can reopen schools—and keep schools open—while priorit...

Randi talks with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh about the importance of unions, building power for working people in our economy, how the Biden administration is ensuring the freedom for all to thrive and what his Labor Day message is to the American people.

Learn how one district in Lynn, Mass., is working together for a safe and successful back to school for all. As part of her national back-to-school tour, Randi sits down with the leader of the Lynn Teachers Union, a member and parent, the superintendent and the mayor to talk about how they're working together to safely reopen schools for in-person learning and what other districts can learn from t...