A retrospective on the year that was on the Labor Force Podcast: the developments, trends, worker actions, technology, and all that went into surviving these economic hunger games we’re playing as we soldier on into the back half of the 2020s.   

In this episode of Labor Force Podcast, we break down a turbulent moment for workers’ rights in America—where real gains are colliding with aggressive rollbacks, corporate greed, and an economy that looks strong on paper while millions struggle to get by. We start with developments in Washington, where the House passes the Protect America’s Workforce Act, aiming to restore collective bargaining rights stripped from federal workers in previous administrations. From there, we head to Utah, where massive protests force lawmakers to repeal one of the most restrictive public-sector bargaining bans in the country—proof that sustained pressure still works. But for every step forward, there’s a reminder of what workers are up against. New York’s attorney general sues UPS over alleged wage theft targeting seasonal workers. TSA leadership moves once again to eliminate collective bargaining for nearly 50,000 security officers. At the federal level, the NLRB is effectively paralyzed, leaving union elections and labor complaints stuck in legal limbo while corporations run out the clock. We also look at the fightback: Starbucks baristas risking arrest on picket lines, Teamsters at Sysco winning a historic first regional contract with major wage and benefit gains, and video game workers protesting mass layoffs and AI-driven job cuts at the Game Awards. Zooming out, we examine the broader economic reality—over a million layoffs in 2025, booming stock markets, rising debt, and a middle class increasingly forced to rely on credit just to survive. As automation and AI accelerate, the old promise that hard work leads to stability is rapidly eroding. We close with a reminder that solidarity doesn’t end at the workplace—especially during the holidays. In a season marked by economic strain and uncertainty, taking care of ourselves and each other remains an act of resistance.

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, we cover one of the busiest news cycles of the year—from Hollywood power plays to working-class realities on the ground across the country. We start with the massive proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, as Netflix and Paramount battle for control of some of the most iconic brands in film and TV. Lawmakers, guilds, and labor advocates are already sounding the alarm about what this kind of consolidation means for workers, creators, and consumers. Then we turn to the growing divide between federal inaction on the minimum wage and the wave of local and state-led wage increases taking effect on January 1st. With nearly 70 jurisdictions raising their floor, the message is clear: workers aren’t waiting on Congress. In the “fightback” segment, we check in on labor battles across the country:• Starbucks baristas continue the longest strike in company history• National Park workers unionize at unprecedented levels• Hollywood PAs secure unanimous union victories• LEGO Store workers push forward despite aggressive union-busting• And 2,000 nurses at UnityPoint face a nail-biter union vote with hundreds of challenged ballots hanging in the balance From there, we dive into New York’s looming health-care crisis, where federal restrictions threaten to strip coverage or raise costs for nearly half a million residents—undermining a decade of progress and hitting small business owners, gig workers, and legal immigrants especially hard. We also explore whether a general strike in the U.S. is still a dream—or if the conditions that once made it seem impossible are now creating the kind of cross-worker solidarity that could make it real. Finally, with Santa gigs drying up and holiday hiring hitting its lowest point since 2009, we ask: what can the state of seasonal work tell us about the economy heading into the new year? It’s a packed episode about worker power, economic signals, and the ongoing reshaping of labor in America.

This week on the Labor Force Podcast:Starbucks baristas escalate what may become the largest strike in the company’s history, demanding real movement at the bargaining table after years of delay tactics and retaliation. We break down the $35 million New York City settlement, the nationwide picket lines, and why workers say this moment is bigger than coffee. Then we head to Iowa, where 2,000 UnityPoint nurses are preparing for a union vote with Teamsters Local 90 after years of unsafe staffing, burnout, and violence on the job. In New York, over 350 nurses at Cayuga Medical Center form Cayuga United–CWA, citing deteriorating conditions and the need for a stronger voice in patient care. And in Florida, city workers in Titusville rebuild their union from scratch under the state’s brutal new anti-union law, SB256. After the labor headlines, we take on a deeper question:How did China eliminate extreme poverty while the richest country on Earth let millions fall through the cracks?We dive into inequality, policy choices, and the uncomfortable truth that America’s economic outcomes aren’t accidental—they’re engineered. Finally, we explore the growing argument for building a real Labor Party in the United States. From Mamdani’s people-powered organizing in Queens to Dan Osborn’s near victory in Nebraska, we look at what a working-class political movement could accomplish in deep red states where Democrats barely register. This episode connects the dots: workplace power, policy choices, and the political future of America’s multiracial working class.

This week on the Labor Force Podcast, we take a hard look at a holiday season defined not by shopping, but by worker power and the escalating fight against a system that keeps squeezing people from every angle. We break down the largest open-ended Starbucks strike in the company’s history, the global Make Amazon Pay mobilization spanning 30+ countries, and the first-contract battles hitting Blue Bottle Coffee and SkyHop Global—where immigrant drivers have now spent two straight Thanksgivings on strike. These aren’t isolated stories; they’re the frontline of a growing labor movement challenging corporate retaliation, union-busting, and the constant grind of low wages and unsafe conditions. Then we dig into the affordability crisis hitting millions of households. Utility bills are spiking, debt is rising, and the AI industry’s massive power demands are directly pushing rates higher while politicians dodge responsibility. Even streaming services—once the “cheap alternative”—are jacking up prices, forcing families to cut back and rethink what’s essential. The throughline is simple: the system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as designed, and working people are paying for it. But across picket lines, across industries, and across borders, workers are refusing to accept the status quo. Tune in for a grounded, unapologetic look at labor, corporate greed, and the choices we still can make to push back this holiday season.

In this episode of The Labor Force Podcast, we dive deep into America’s worsening affordability crisis and the growing worker uprisings pushing back against it. We start with new data showing that nearly one in three low-income households lives paycheck to paycheck, unable to keep up with inflation as wages stagnate and basic costs climb. From there, we explore a revealing local debate in Watertown, NY, where shopping carts used by unhoused residents have become a flashpoint—highlighting the failures of U.S. housing policy far more than “city cleanliness.” In the Fightback segment, we break down: A bipartisan effort to restore collective bargaining rights for federal employees Trump moved to eliminate. The ongoing strike at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where dealers and pit supervisors continue their push for Teamsters recognition. A major union drive inside the Columbus Metropolitan Library, as librarians and staff fight for livable wages, safer workplaces, and a voice on the job. The expanding Starbucks Workers United strike, now the largest in the company’s history. We then turn to the future of work:How will AI, automation, and rising productivity reshape employment? Will these gains help workers—or leave millions behind? We examine historical parallels, expert perspectives, and what a fair future of work could look like. Finally, we close with Vivek Chibber’s argument that the Left is emerging from a decades-long neoliberal dark age—and what it will take to rebuild real working-class power in America.

This week on the Labor Force Podcast: The federal government may have reopened, but for thousands of workers, the real impact of the shutdown is far from over. We dig deep into the lives of furloughed workers—from maxed-out credit cards to food bank lines—and the stress that lingers long after paychecks resume. In Pittsburgh, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh celebrates a landmark victory after three years on strike against the Post-Gazette. We highlight emotional reactions from the picket line and the profound sense of solidarity sustaining the workers through the grind. Starbucks Workers United turns Red Cup Day red-hot with a nationwide unfair labor practice strike. Meanwhile, corporate heads call it premature. We break down what's at stake and why baristas say “no contract, no profits.” Boeing machinists in St. Louis vote—grudgingly—to accept the company’s fifth contract offer. A strike may be over, but the bitterness lingers. Is this a win or just fatigue? And in Durham, NC, Amazon workers are seeding a second union campaign—this time with city support, multilingual outreach, and lessons learned from past defeat. They’re betting big on community, history, and hope. Plus: the resurgence of U.S. labor power with a new book by Dave Kamper, author of Who’s Got the Power, and why even small cracks in the system are giving workers fresh hope.

In this episode, we trace the through-line connecting a historic political upset in New York City, the grinding federal shutdown, a wave of labor actions across the country, and the everyday financial pressure bearing down on working people. From Zohran Mamdani’s stunning mayoral victory to the strain on air traffic controllers, we dig into the conditions pushing workers to the brink and the movements rising to meet the moment. We also break down Boeing’s escalating conflict with IAM District 837, the anti-union messaging aimed at UAW workers in Chattanooga, and the growing militancy at Starbucks as baristas prepare for a potential Red Cup Day strike. Plus, a personal snapshot of what it means to navigate bills, gas money, and family responsibilities while the larger economy buckles. The episode wraps with a deep dive into “greedy work,” unpredictable schedules, and the boundaries workers desperately need in order to live actual lives beyond their jobs. Topics covered:• The political shockwave of Zohran Mamdani’s election• The nation’s longest government shutdown and its acute impacts• Boeing’s strike, union proposals, and corporate intransigence• Anti-union targeting of VW workers in Tennessee• Starbucks workers gearing up for November 13 strike action• The research behind “greedy work” and the fight for real boundaries

In this episode, we unpack the growing crisis sparked by the government shutdown and the Trump administration’s attack on SNAP benefits—threatening food security for millions of working families. We break down the court fight over federal worker layoffs, the latest mass job cuts at Amazon, and the Boeing machinists still holding the line in St. Louis. Then, we turn to the rising tide of resistance—from the “No Kings” movement and Freedom Fridays walkouts to the UAW’s new push at Volkswagen in Chattanooga. We close with a look back to Terre Haute, Indiana, where Eugene Debs’ legacy burns bright—and Bernie Sanders, Sara Nelson, and working people from across the country carry that torch of solidarity into today’s struggles. This is a call to action: organize where you are, stand with those fighting back, and keep that line of human solidarity unbroken. Episode Highlights: The human cost of the ongoing government shutdown and SNAP funding crisis A federal court ruling halts mass layoffs of public workers amid shutdown chaos The “No Kings” protests and Freedom Fridays: grassroots organizing against authoritarianism Amazon’s sweeping corporate layoffs and the growing reach of AI automation Boeing machinists in St. Louis continue their strike for fair wages and retirement security UAW members at Volkswagen in Chattanooga vote to authorize a strike Reflections from the Eugene V. Debs Banquet in Terre Haute — and what true solidarity means today Closing thoughts on courage, organizing, and building a movement that lasts

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, the ground feels like it’s shifting under everyone’s feet. As the government shutdown stretches on, its ripple effects are hitting far beyond Washington—federal workers without pay, contractors closing up shop, and small businesses left hanging by a thread. We look at how this slowdown is grinding down working people across industries and communities. But while government action stalls, worker action surges. Kaiser Permanente staff across California and Hawaii walk out for safe staffing and fair pay. Boeing defense workers in St. Louis weigh a contract offer after an 80-day strike. Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga push toward a strike authorization vote. Starbucks baristas ramp up organizing and declare, “No Contract, No Coffee.” We then turn to coal miners rallying in D.C. for stronger protections against black lung disease—and the long history of promises broken by both industry and politicians. In tech and gaming, Activision Blizzard developers join the growing union wave, proving that creative work and collective power can go hand in hand. Finally, economist Paul Krugman warns that the “strong” economy might not be so strong for workers, and the show closes with a question many are asking: Is a college degree still worth it? From shutdowns to strikes, organizing to education—this episode digs deep into how working people are holding the line in unstable times.

<p>This week on <em>The Labor Force Podcast</em>, we cover a country in motion—from federal workers trapped in a shutdown to Jamaican farmworkers fighting for their rights, Houston hotel staff winning big, and healthcare and aerospace workers holding the line. We also look at Volkswagen’s union showdown, the rise of white-collar organizing, and Shawn Fain’s call for a unified working-class movement built on fair wages, healthcare, retirement, and time.</p><p><strong>Topics Covered:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Government Shutdown Fallout:</strong> Federal workers locked out, laid off, and fighting back as the shutdown grinds on.</p></li><li><p><strong>Houston Hilton Victory:</strong> Historic 40-day strike by UNITE HERE Local 23 wins major gains in Texas hospitality.</p></li><li><p><strong>Kaiser Permanente Strike:</strong> Tens of thousands of healthcare workers walk out for wages, staffing, and dignity.</p></li><li><p><strong>Boeing’s St. Louis Showdown:</strong> Strikers face replacement workers and silence from the national media.</p></li><li><p><strong>Volkswagen’s “Final Offer”:</strong> Unionized Chattanooga workers weigh transparency vs. pressure tactics.</p></li><li><p><strong>Jamaican Apple Pickers’ Stand:</strong> Farmworkers in upstate New York fight for a suspended contract and real rights.</p></li><li><p><strong>White-Collar Union Wave:</strong> Tech, legal, and office workers redefine what collective bargaining looks like.</p></li><li><p><strong>Shawn Fain &amp; the Future of Labor:</strong> How “wages, healthcare, retirement, and time” could unify a fractured working class.</p></li></ul><p></p>

<p>This week on <em>The Labor Force Podcast</em>, we’re taking a hard look at what happens when the system stops working — and workers don’t.</p><p>The federal government shutdown continues to ripple through the lives of hundreds of thousands of public servants, forcing families to make impossible choices. In St. Louis, the Boeing strike enters its third month as machinists stand firm for fair pay and respect. Meanwhile, contagious organizing is spreading in Houston’s hospitality sector and California’s health care system, where Kaiser nurses are threatening one of the largest walkouts in company history.</p><p>We also unpack California’s groundbreaking new law allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize — a major shift for gig workers nationwide. Then we close with a generational deep dive: from pension gridlock in Europe to Gen X’s fight for survival in an AI-driven job market.</p><p>From shutdowns and strikes to questions of fairness across generations, this episode asks: <strong>what kind of economy are we really building — and who is it working for?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Segments:</p><li><ul><li><p><strong>“Surviving the Shutdown”</strong> – The human toll of Washington’s dysfunction</p></li><li><p><strong>“The Boeing Standoff”</strong> – Three months in, the fight for dignity on the line</p></li><li><p><strong>“Contagious Organizing”</strong> – Houston hospitality workers and California nurses rise up</p></li><li><p><strong>“The Gig Worker Breakthrough”</strong> – Sectoral bargaining comes to California</p></li><li><p><strong>“Nothing But Hot Air”</strong> – Former Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters’ attack on teachers’ unions</p></li><li><p><strong>“Gerontopia and Gen X”</strong> – Generational strain and the future of work</p></li></ul><p></p></li><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p>In this episode, we dive into the latest government shutdown and its very real impact on working families’ healthcare, explore the deepening crisis inside New York State’s correctional system six months after a wildcat strike, and spotlight a brand-new organizing effort at the Downtown Disney Lego Store in California.</p><p>From the fight over Medicaid and CHIP, to prison staffing shortages and debates over solitary confinement, to workers demanding fair treatment in retail—each story highlights how policy, power, and organizing shape the everyday lives of working people.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Topics:</strong></p><ul><li><p>What a government shutdown means for healthcare, paychecks, and communities.</p></li><li><p>New York’s correctional system: staffing shortages, rising violence, and the fight over solitary confinement.</p></li><li><p>The first-ever union drive at a U.S. Lego retail store—and what it could mean for retail workers nationwide.</p></li></ul><p></p>

<p>This week, we cover a wave of worker struggles and the bigger political forces shaping them:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><p><strong>IAM-Boeing showdown in St. Louis</strong> – workers fight back after Boeing calls their contract a “fake deal.”</p></li><li><p><strong>Houston hotel strike</strong> – Hilton workers demand fair pay, humane workloads, and respect.</p></li><li><p><strong>UAW at Volkswagen</strong> – momentum builds in Tennessee as workers weigh strike pledges.</p></li><li><p><strong>Iowa nurses organize</strong> – a grassroots fight for safety, patient care, and against a multimillion-dollar union-busting campaign.</p></li><li><p><strong>Domesticity and control</strong> – how regimes, past and present, push “traditional values” to shift burdens onto women.</p></li><li><p><strong>Democracy vs. authoritarianism</strong> – why fear fuels repression, and how solidarity, strikes, and civil disobedience are keeping hope alive.</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p>From picket lines to policy fights, this episode connects the dots between everyday struggles and the larger battle for dignity and democracy.</p><p></p>

<p>This week on the <em>Labor Force Podcast</em>:</p><ul><li><p>Machinists at Boeing and aerospace workers at GE show what real solidarity looks like.</p></li><li><p>Hotel workers in Houston hold the line for a living wage.</p></li><li><p>Google’s hidden army of AI raters get chewed up and tossed aside.</p></li><li><p>Starbucks baristas keep fighting through stonewalling and retaliation.</p></li><li><p>Hollywood animators and production crews push union power into new territory.</p></li><li><p>And a reality check on the so-called “resilient economy” that keeps most of us broke while Wall Street celebrates.</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p>If you’re struggling to stay afloat, you’re not alone—the system is rigged to keep people desperate. But every picket line, every strike, every act of solidarity proves workers are cracking that system open, piece by piece.</p><p>Stay informed. Stay angry. Stay in solidarity.</p><p></p>

<p>In this episode of the <em>Labor Force Podcast</em>, we cover strike updates shaking up industries across the country—from Teamsters holding strong in Massachusetts and Minnesota, to Boeing machinists in St. Louis, to Hilton hotel workers in Houston making history in Texas. We dig into the widening gap between right-to-work states and free bargaining states, and what new research says about wages, union density, and democracy itself.</p><p>We also take stock of America’s uneasy relationship with capitalism, rising fears of recession, and the growing appeal of democratic socialism—highlighted by Zohran Mamdani’s bold campaign for NYC mayor. What does this moment mean for workers, for unions, and for the future of our economy? Tune in for insights, analysis, and solidarity.</p><p></p>

<p>September is here, but the labor movement hasn’t cooled down one bit. In this episode, we cover strikes stretching from Massachusetts to Houston, workers pushing back in the defense industry, and a historic new path for Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize in California.</p><p>We’ll dig into:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Massachusetts trash collectors</strong> striking for parity and dignity.</p></li><li><p><strong>Defense industry walkouts</strong> at GE Aerospace and Boeing, where machinists are calling out unfair contracts and healthcare costs.</p></li><li><p><strong>Houston hotel workers</strong> launching the city’s first-ever hotel strike, fighting for fair wages and safer workloads.</p></li><li><p><strong>California rideshare drivers</strong> gaining new union rights—and the big questions that remain.</p></li><li><p><strong>Why labor power matters</strong> for democracy, and what billionaire Ray Dalio sees coming if inequality keeps growing.</p></li></ul><p></p>

<p>This week on the Labor Force Podcast:</p><ul><li><p>Strikes stretching from trash haulers to Boeing machinists</p></li><li><p>A razor-thin UAW win at a new battery plant</p></li><li><p>National park workers unionizing in droves</p></li><li><p>A Labor Day push: <em>Workers Over Billionaires</em></p></li><li><p>The healthcare grind—why “preventive” doesn’t mean covered</p></li><li><p>New data on young adults hitting pause on the American Dream</p><p><br></p><p>A well-deserved Labor Day to all who toil in these capitalist hunger games. #UnionYES</p></li></ul><p><br></p>

<p>Another day, another blessed dollar—except not if you’re building billion-dollar jets for $20 an hour or getting paid zero bucks while passengers board.In this episode:</p><ul><li><strong>Boeing on the Brink</strong> – 3,200 workers walk out in Missouri and Illinois, shutting down production of fighter jets and commercial planes. Their message? Respect doesn’t come cheap, and “best and final” isn’t final.</li></ul><li><br></li><ul><li><p><strong>Air Canada Attendants Take Flight</strong> – Ten thousand flight attendants defy back-to-work orders, throw half a million travelers into chaos, and win pay for work that used to be “invisible.” Unpaid boarding time is officially grounded.</p></li><li><p><strong>The Great Divide</strong> – New data shows the wealthy keep cruising while everyone else drowns in debt. Welcome back to America’s K-shaped recovery: champagne for the top, hamster wheel for the rest.</p></li><li><p><strong>Gen X: The Skipped Generation</strong> – The NYT delivers a reality check: no corner offices for the slackers. Boomers cling, millennials leapfrog, and Gen X sits in the middle, rolling its eyes and saying, “Whatever, man.”</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p></p>

<p>From trash piling up in Massachusetts to machinists walking out in St. Louis, the fight for fair pay and respect is raging coast to coast. This episode takes you inside the standoffs, the backroom games, and the political stonewalling—plus a look at the federal government’s latest assault on collective bargaining rights.</p><p>We dig into the immigration crackdown gutting factory floors, hear from the union leaders watching skilled crews disappear overnight, and ask the question no one in power wants to answer: who’s going to do the work when the workforce is gutted by politics?</p><p>Then, we look at a hard truth—hundreds of thousands of Americans in their 80s are still clocking in, not for fun, but because the system won’t let them stop. Their stories are raw, inspiring, and infuriating.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Six weeks of garbage and growing pressure in Massachusetts’ trash strike</p></li><li><p>Boeing machinists in St. Louis stand their ground for pay, respect, and security</p></li><li><p>Trump-era “national security” excuses strip union rights from federal workers</p></li><li><p>The New York prison officers’ illegal strike and the fallout</p></li><li><p>How immigration crackdowns are ripping holes in manufacturing crews</p></li><li><p>Why retirement is out of reach for so many—well into their 80s</p></li></ul><p></p>