Working People

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Lights, Camera, STRIKE! (w/ Marisa Shipley, David McMahon, & Fae Weichsel) Oct 02, 2021

Show notes

Tens of thousands of members of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) are currently voting on whether or not to authorize a strike. If passed, the vote could lead 60,000 workers to walk off the job and bring the entertainment industry to a halt. As consumers, we tend to associate the entertainment industry with acting stars, elite directors and producers, and big studio executives, but hundreds and and even thousands of workers make every production possible, and many of them are grossly underpaid, overworked, and denied basic necessities like breaks and time to sleep between shifts. Combined with the explosion of streaming services and ever-increasing demands for studio-quality productions, workers in the entertainment industry are being run into the ground, and they have reached a breaking point.

IATSE represents over 150,000 technicians, artisans, and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada. The union is composed of many different locals, not all of which are currently voting to authorize a strike. According to Deadline, "there are actually two separate strike authorization votes going on—one among the union's 13 Hollywood production locals covered by the Basic Agreement, and the other covering 23 different locals outside Los Angeles who work under the Area Standards Agreement." In this urgent Working People episode, we talk to a panel of IATSE members about the work they do and the significance of the strike vote currently underway. Panelists include Marisa Shipley (Local 871), David McMahon (Local 52), and Fae Weichsel (Local 600).

Additional links/info below...

Petition: Tell AMPTP to Give Film and Television Workers a Fair Deal
IATSE website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
IATSE Stories on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
IATSE Film & TV Negotiations Toolkit
IATSE Press Release: "AMPTP Film and Television Negotiations Stalled, Union to Hold Nationwide Strike Authorization Vote"
Marissa's Twitter page and Instagram
David's Twitter page
Fae's Twitter page
Alex N. Press, Jacobin, "Film Industry Workers Are Fed Up With Long Hours"
Brendan Gallagher, Jacobin, "If Hollywood Workers Strike, the Entertainment Industry Will Grind to a Halt"
Gene Maddaus, Variety, "Everything You Need to Know About Hollywood's IATSE Strike Vote"
Dominic Patten & David Robb, Deadline, "IATSE Members 'Deserve Respect' Says Union As Strike Authorization Ballots Hit Inboxes This AM"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

Kristy Lynn Allen Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

A proposed concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in Burnett County, Wisconsin, is slated to house 26,000 hogs and produce millions of gallons of liquid manure every year. Residents fear the irreparable damage a facility of that size could do to their air, land, and waterways, as well as to their property values and the local economy, and many fear there's nothing they can do to stop it. But a diverse coalition of farmers, community members, and environmental advocates are fighting back to protect their homes, their ways of life, and what remains of the independent farming economy. As part of a special collaboration between The Real News Network and In These Times magazine for "The Wisconsin Idea," Max, Cameron Granadino (TRNN), and Hannah Faris (In These Times) travelled to Burnett County over the summer to speak with residents about their concerns and about their struggles against Big Agriculture and the factory farming industry. In this interview, Max talks with local farmer and beekeeper Kristy Lynn Allen about the damage the industrialization of farming has done to agriculture in general, and about the damage the new CAFO would do specifically to farmers like her. Allen is the founder of The Beez Kneez, LLC, and serves as president of the local chapter of the Wisconsin Farmers Union.

Additional links/info below...

The Beez Kneez website and Twitter page
Working People, "Hog Wild (w/ Lisa Doerr, Forest Jahnke, Hannah Faris, & Maeve Conran)"
Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino, & Hannah Faris, The Real News Network, "Factory Farms Pose an 'Existential Threat' for Rural Wisconsin Communities"
Maeve Conran, Just Solutions, "Rural Wisconsin Communities Battle Industrial Scale Hog Farms"
Simon Davis-Cohen, In These Times, "'In for a Fight': Rural Wisconsinites Resist Influx of Industrial Hog Facilities"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

Hog Wild (w/ Lisa Doerr, Forest Jahnke, Hannah Faris, & Maeve Conran) Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Over the summer, Max traveled to Wisconsin to report on a crucial struggle that has been largely ignored by corporate media. Residents of rural Polk, Burnett, and Crawford counties in Western Wisconsin have been embroiled in battles over the proposed construction of industrial "hog factories" in their communities, which would collectively house roughly 34,000 hogs. These concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) would also produce millions and millions of gallons of liquid manure a year, and residents fear they could cause irreversible damage to their land, air, water, property values, and ways of life.

What's happening in Wisconsin is part of a larger historical shift that has seen Big Agriculture and factory farming take over an industry that used to be dominated by small and mid-sized farms. The government-aided rise of industrial agriculture and meat production has pushed the independent farmers who still remain in operation today to the brink of extinction. As part of a special collaboration between The Real News Network and In These Times magazine for "The Wisconsin Idea," Max, Cameron Granadino (TRNN), and Hannah Faris (In These Times) went to Crawford, Polk, and Burnett counties to speak with residents about their concerns and about their struggles to defend themselves against Big Agriculture and the factory farming industry. You can watch their full documentary report here.

In this special Working People episode, we follow up on the reporting Max, Granadino, and Faris did over the summer and speak with a panel of folks who were involved with producing and publishing those reports. We also update listeners on the ongoing struggles in Polk, Burnett, and Crawford counties to halt—or, at least, adequately regulate—the proposed CAFOs. Guests on this panel include: Forest Jahnke, Program Coordinator for the Crawford Stewardship Project; Lisa Doerr, an independent hay farmer & resident of Polk County; Hannah Faris, associate editor of "The Wisconsin Idea" at In These Times; and Maeve Conran, Program Director for Free Speech TV and host of Just Solutions.

Additional links/info below...

Crawford Stewardship Project website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
Free Speech TV website, YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Twitter page
Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino, & Hannah Faris, The Real News Network, "Factory Farms Pose an 'Existential Threat' for Rural Wisconsin Communities"
Maeve Conran, Just Solutions, "Rural Wisconsin Communities Battle Industrial Scale Hog Farms"
Simon Davis-Cohen, In These Times, "'In for a Fight': Rural Wisconsinites Resist Influx of Industrial Hog Facilities"
Hannah Faris, In These Times, "A Wisconsin Hog Farm Would Produce 9.4 Million Gallons of Manure a Year. Nearby Residents Live in Fear"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

Work to Live (w/ Matt Aubrey) Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Around 400 union distillery workers in Bardstown, Kentucky, hit the picket line yesterday after rejecting a contract offer from Heaven Hill Distilleries, which included healthcare price hikes that reduce take-home pay, cuts to overtime, and drastic scheduling changes. Heaven Hill produces some of the most popular bourbon brands in the world, including Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, and Old Fitzgerald. According to Inc. Fact, the company averages annual profits of over $500 million. In this mini-cast, we talk with Matt Aubrey, president of UFCW Local 23D to get an update on the strike and what listeners can do to show support.

Additional links/info below...

Bruce Schreiner, AP News, "Big Bourbon Producer Heaven Hill Faces Strike in Kentucky"
WLKY, "Employees on Strike at Heaven Hill in Bardstown Demanding Better Working Conditions"
Inc. Fact, "Heaven Hill Distilleries: Revenue, Growth & Competitor Profile"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

Evan Seyfried (w/ Ken, Linda, & Eric Seyfried) Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

(C/W: bullying, harassment, suicide) Evan Seyfried was a loving son, brother, friend, and a dedicated worker. For 19 years, with a virtually spotless record, Evan worked at a local Kroger grocery store in Milford, Ohio, where he eventually became the dairy department manager. From October 2020 to March 2021, however, Evan suffered a torturous litany of bullying, harassment, and sabotage, according to a lawsuit filed by the Seyfried family. As the lawsuit alleges, it was this treatment, which was the result of a "conspiracy" involving numerous actors, including management-level supervisors at the Milford store, that caused Evan to eventually suffer a "transient episodic break" and take his own life. In this episode, we talk with Evan's mother Linda, his father Ken, and his brother Eric about the beautiful person he was, the horrific treatment he endured, and the need to hold those who wronged him accountable

Additional links/info below...

Justice for Evan Facebook page, Twitter page, and Instagram
National Workplace Bullying Coalition website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
#NotMe App
"Lawsuit: Kroger Manager Drove Employee To Suicide" (PDF)
Julian Mark, The Washington Post, "Former Kroger Grocery Store Employee's Suicide Was a Result of 'Torturous Conditions,' Lawsuit Says"
Jessica Schmidt, Fox News 19, "Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed against Kroger, Company Employees after Former Manager Took His Own Life"
Alex N. Press, Jacobin, "At Kroger and Amazon, Capital Is Going on the Offensive"
Anonymous, VICE, "They Call Me a Hero Because I Work at Kroger, So Why Do I Feel Disposable?"
Outro Music by Squire Tuck, "A Journey into the Great Unknown"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Casey Scully Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

For many around the country, the new school year has already begun. And many districts are pushing through with in-person schooling, even though we are in the midst of another COVID-19 spike, with new cases around the country rising to their highest point since January. With large swathes of the population still unvaccinated, including 50 million children nationwide under the age of 12, with vaccine and mask mandates having become another contentious subject of culture war hysteria, and with the more contagious Delta variant spreading like wildfire, school districts around the country appear to be on yet another collision course with COVID spikes that will lead to panicked returns to remote learning after a large amount of students, teachers, staff, and parents get infected. This week, we talk with Casey Scully, a former elementary-school teacher and current high-school math interventionist in Charleston, South Carolina. We discuss the path that led Casey to become an educator, how she has navigated the past year and a half, and what she and her coworkers are currently experiencing with schools reopening.

Additional links/info below...

Casey's Twitter page
Dan Levin, The New York Times, "The U.S. Reaches a Daily Average of 100,000 Covid Hospitalizations for the First Time Since the Winter Peak"
Tina Hesman Saey, ScienceNews, "Schools Are Reopening. COVID-19 Is Still Here. What Does That Mean for Kids?"
Jeff Amy, AP News, "Schools Reopen with Masks Optional in Many US Classrooms"
AP News, "COVID: S. Carolina School District Back to Virtual Classes"
The New York Times, "Tracking Coronavirus in South Carolina: Latest Map and Case Count"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"
Jules Taylor, "Carolina King"

Listener Hang Session #1 Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

We're taking a much-needed break this week, but we'll be back with more worker interviews really soon! To hold y'all over, we're releasing a portion of the amazing group conversation we had on our first ever Working People Listener Hang Session last week. Thank you to everyone who joined us—and if you weren't able to join this time, be sure to call in for our second one next month. If you want to watch the full video version of the Listener Hang Session, go subscribe on Patreon!

Additional links/info below...

Working People, "Listener Hang Session #1 (full video version)"
Scott Stump, USA Today, "Nabisco Bakers Across the US Are on Strike, Potentially Disrupting Oreo Supply"
Stephen H. Norwood, The Journal of Southern History, "Bogalusa Burning: The War Against Biracial Unionism in the Deep South, 1919"
Food Finder website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
Strikewave website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Valley Labor Report YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter page, and Patreon
The Michigan Robin website and Twitter page
Joe Allen, Haymarket Books, The Package King: A Rank and File History of UPS

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

End Unfair Practices against Window Cleaners (w/ Eric Crone) Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

Repelling down skyscrapers to clean windows is already a very dangerous job. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, high-rise window cleaners with SEIU Local 26 in Minneapolis were also sent into office buildings to disinfect "hot spots" where outbreaks had occurred, resulting in many workers contracting the virus. Now, after their previous contract expired, 40 window cleaners have walked off the job, demanding pay increases, reduced health care costs, as well as a state-recognized apprenticeship program that would guarantee better training and safety measures for workers in their trade. In this mini-cast, we talk with Eric Crone, a window cleaner who works for Columbia Building Services and union steward. Additional links/info below...

SEIU Local 26 website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
Luis Feliz Leon, LaborNotes, "Striking Window Cleaners Want Their Dangerous Job Recognized as a Skilled Trade"
Pafoua Yang, CBS Minnesota, "'All We Want Is A Fair Wage, Some Respect & Proper Training': High Rise Window Washers Go On Strike"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

Striking Coal Miners Won't Back Down, Part II (w/ Kim Kelly & Jacob Morrison) Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

Over 1,100 union coal miners in Brookwood, Alabama, have been on an unfair labor practices strike against Warrior Met Coal for over five months. And for five months, the mainstream media has barely made a peep about the strike. Instead, a small collection of independent journalists and local and progressive media outlets have been working overtime to cover this important story. Jacob Morrison, David Story, and Adam Keller at The Valley Labor Report (Alabama's only weekly labor radio talk show), have been doing more than almost anyone to cover the strike and support striking miners and their families. There is one person, however, who has done more than anyone to lift the strike at Warrior Met into public consciousness for five months straight, and that is independent journalist and all-around badass Kim Kelly. In Part II of our special, two-part update on the miners' strike, Jacob from TVLR and Kim have a wide-ranging conversation about Kim's labor and writing background, the experience of covering the Amazon union drive and the Warrior Met strike in Alabama, and what it means to truly care about and be invested in the people and struggles we cover in labor media.

Additional links/info below...

Join our Working People listener hang session on Monday, August 16, from 8-9:30pm ET! Here's the zoom link
UMWA 2021 Strike Fund
Donate to the UMWA Auxiliary Strike Pantry
United Mine Workers of America website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
Jacob's Twitter page
The Valley Labor Report YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter page, and Patreon
Working People, "On Strike at Warrior Met Coal (w/ Jacob Morrison & Lee Bains III)"
The Valley Labor Report, "Bad News and Good News for Striking Miners & HOW YOU CAN HELP"
The Valley Labor Report, "Violence from Bosses and Scabs at the UMWA Picket Line in Alabama"
The Valley Labor Report, "Breaking Down the Alabama Coal Miner Strike"
Luis Feliz Leon, LaborNotes, "Striking Alabama Coal Miners Want Their $1.1 Billion Back"
Kim's Twitter page and Patreon
Kim Kelly, The Real News Network, "The True Price of Coal"
Kim Kelly, The Real News Network, "Don't Mess with a Coal Miner's Wife"
Kim Kelly, The Nation, "Alabama's Coal Miners Are Striking for Their Lives"
Pre-order Kim's book: Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor
Democracy Now!, "From Black Lung to BlackRock: Striking Alabama Coal Miners Protest Wall St. Financiers of Warrior Met"
Elwyn Lopez, Ashley Schwartz-Lavares, & Lulit Tadesse, ABC News, "Alabama Coal Miners on Strike Since April Say They're Fighting for Working Americans Everywhere"
Jaisal Noor, The Real News Network, "Striking Alabama Coal Miners Hit Streets of NYC to Protest Corporate Greed"
Hamilton Nolan, In These Times, "At a Massive Union Rally, the Promise of a Better South"
Your Call Radio, "Worker Uprisings Continue Making Waves Across The Country"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

Striking Coal Miners Won't Back Down, Part I (w/ Jacob Morrison) Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

Over 1,100 union coal miners in Brookwood, Alabama, have been on an unfair labor practices strike against Warrior Met Coal for over five months. For five months, workers and their families have been holding the line, demanding to get back what was stolen from them with their last contract, demanding to actually have time to spend with their families, demanding to be treated with the respect they deserve for making this mine more productive than ever. The UMWA's strike motto is "One day longer, one day stronger," and workers are showing no signs that they plan to back down. In Part I of this special two-part update on the miners' strike, our brother-in-arms Jacob Morrison from The Valley Labor Report interviews striking workers and supporters who attended a solidarity rally that the union held in Brookwood last week.

Additional links/info below...

Join our Working People listener hang session on Monday, August 16, from 8-9:30pm ET! Here's the zoom link
UMWA 2021 Strike Fund
Donate to the UMWA Auxiliary Strike Pantry
United Mine Workers of America website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
Jacob's Twitter page
The Valley Labor Report YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter page, and Patreon
Working People, "On Strike at Warrior Met Coal (w/ Jacob Morrison & Lee Bains III)"
The Valley Labor Report, "Bad News and Good News for Striking Miners & HOW YOU CAN HELP"
The Valley Labor Report, "Violence from Bosses and Scabs at the UMWA Picket Line in Alabama"
The Valley Labor Report, "Breaking Down the Alabama Coal Miner Strike"
Luis Feliz Leon, LaborNotes, "Striking Alabama Coal Miners Want Their $1.1 Billion Back"
Kim's Twitter page and Patreon
Kim Kelly, The Real News Network, "The True Price of Coal"
Kim Kelly, The Real News Network, "Don't Mess with a Coal Miner's Wife"
Kim Kelly, The Nation, "Alabama's Coal Miners Are Striking for Their Lives"
Pre-order Kim's book: Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor
Democracy Now!, "From Black Lung to BlackRock: Striking Alabama Coal Miners Protest Wall St. Financiers of Warrior Met"
Elwyn Lopez, Ashley Schwartz-Lavares, & Lulit Tadesse, ABC News, "Alabama Coal Miners on Strike Since April Say They're Fighting for Working Americans Everywhere"
Jaisal Noor, The Real News Network, "Striking Alabama Coal Miners Hit Streets of NYC to Protest Corporate Greed"
Hamilton Nolan, In These Times, "At a Massive Union Rally, the Promise of a Better South"
Your Call Radio, "Worker Uprisings Continue Making Waves Across The Country"

Permanent links below...

Working People Patreon page
Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

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