Words and Work

Ted Prezelski speaks with Clayton Sinyai of the Catholic Labor Network, a group that describes its mission as  a place for Catholics who find inspiration in Catholic Social Teaching on labor and work and share a desire to support workers in their struggle for social justice.

As part of Labor Day week, an encore of Ted Prezelski's interview with Teferi Gebre.

Ted Prezelski talks to long time Tucson journalist and author Greg McNamee about his life and career.

Ted Prezelski interviews Susan Whittaker, Dispatch Officer, IATSE Local 405. Most of IATSE 405's members are responsible for stage and trade shows, something there has not been a lot of for the last 18 months. She talks about the challenges to her fellow workers and what the union has been doing to support them.

Ted Prezelski interviews Jim Nintzel, executive editor of the Tucson Weekly and several other local publications. Ted and Jim talk about his time at the Weekly and training young journalists.

Ted Prezelski interviews Spyncer Wilson and Jennifer Skinner of the Prep and Pastry Organizing Committee. They discuss issues in their work place and what it's been like to try to form a union.

In this episode, Ted Prezelski interviews David Dickerson, a local author who has made appearances on This American Life. Dickerson talks about his career in writing, which has included time writing greeting cards and questions for Jeff Foxworthy's American Bible Challenge. The TED Talk that is referenced on the show can be found here: https://youtu.be/7MnCjpw7iBI

On this episode, Ted Prezelski interviews Teferi Gebre who talks about his experience as an immigrant who now helps lead the AFL-CIO. Also, he talks about his work on behalf of the PRO Act here in Arizona.

Ted Prezelski interviews NWU member Joe Ferguson, who wrote at the Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Daily Sun and Arizona Daily Wildcat (he notes that he's made the trifecta of the "Arizona Daily" newspapers). In addition to his work in journalism, he is now working on housing issues, a subject he talks about at length in this interview.

In commemoration of this week's anniversary of the Bisbee Deportation, Ted Prezelski interviews Mike Anderson. Anderson is a historian in Bisbee as well as a member of the union whose strike ended in the deportation, the International Workers of the World, also known as the Wobblies.

Ted Prezelski interviews his brother Tom about the book Californio Lancers. The book details the history of the Native California Cavalry, a mostly Latino unit of the Union Army in the Civil War.  Tom and Ted aren't just brothers in the union sense, but are in fact twins, so their voices are going to sound a lot alike.

Ted Prezelski interviews Kristen Randall, a member of the National Writers Union. She edits and publishes Southern Arizona Connection, a monthly community publication that serves smaller communities south of Tucson. She talks about the importance of publications like Connection for places like Arivaca, Amado and Green Valley. She also talks about her role as constable in midtown Tucson, part of he...

Ted Prezelski interviews Henry Barajas, former reporter for the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Weekly. Barajas's latest book is La Voz de M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo, a graphic novel about Barajas's great grandfather, Ramón Jaurigue, who went from being an orphan to an important community organizer in Tucson. Barajas talks about his career in journalism and his process in writing a graphic novel.

Ted Prezelski talks to Phoenix-based writer Sarah Land, author of So There's a Sibling. Sarah talks about writing a children's book and there's a little soccer too.

In this episode, Ted Prezelski talks to Paul Stapleton-Smith of IATSE local 415 and former chair of the Pima Area Labor Federation. Topics range from what IATSE is to the importance of the labor movement in politics and the community.

Ted Prezelski speaks with Andrea Ibáñez, a Tucson-based mystery author. Ibáñez is the author of the Deadly series, a group of novels centering on North Carolina police detective Steve Thibault. She also discusses a political novel that she wrote, Romance in the Desert Southwest , which is based on her time working in Arizona politics.

Ted Prezelski interviews Tom Zoellner, a former reporter for the Arizona Republic and author of several books, including his latest, the National Road. The National Road is about the realities of life and geography in various parts of the country. Tom also talks about the January 8th shooting and politics in Arizona.

Ted Prezelski interviews Jim McLauglin, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99. UFCW Local 99 primarily organizes workers in the retail sector in Arizona as well as parts of New Mexico and Utah. Ted and Jim talk about the challenges faced by his members during COVID, as well as organizing efforts at Amazon and in the marijuana industry. NOTE: I was told that another episode w...

Ted Prezelski interviews Greg Evans, who splits his time between Tucson and Prague. His work has included being a science fiction author, translator and editor of both the Occupied Tucson Citizen (https://occupiedtucsoncitizen.org) and Cafe Irreal (http://cafeirreal.alicewhittenburg.com).

Ted Prezelski interviews Mansur Johnson, a Tucson-based author who has written In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great , a two volume travelogue of his following the route of Alexander the great, along with books about his time as an assistant to American Sufi teacher Samuel L. Lewis. Johnson also talks about his time working on sets during Tucson's 1990's movie boom.

Ted Prezelski talks with planetary scientist Erik Asphaug, who wrote When the Earth Had Two Moons: Cannibal Planets, Icy Giants, Dirty Comets, Dreadful Orbits and the Origins of the Night Sky. The book is an exploration of both the history of our solar system and the history of planetary science. The discussion touches on science education as well as the place of astronomy in popular imagination.

Ted Prezelski interviews organizers of the United Campus Workers, an effort to unionize employees at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. The movement was launched in September of 2020 and is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America Local 7065.

Ted Prezelski talks with Lydia Otero, former professor at the University of Arizona. She talks about her current book as well as topics covered in her 2010 book, La Calle: Spatial Conflicts and Urban Renewal in a Southwest City. Words and Work is a presentation of the Tucson Chapter of the National Writers Union and Downtown Radio.

Ted Prezelski chats with Fred Yamashita about HR 482, also known as the PRO Act. The PRO Act is regarded as the most important piece of pro-labor legislation in decades. Yamashita is a member of the UFCW and was once the director of the Pima Area Labor Federation in Tucson.

Our interview with A. J. Flick went long, so a story about a certain country artist was cut for the on-air broadcast. Here is the full story from A. J.