Working People

Latest Episodes:

Angela Prigge Aug 20, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we talk to Angela Prigge, who has been a hospitality worker in Hawaii, on the island of Kauai, for 18 years. Angela has lived in Hawaii her whole life, and we talk about her love for her home and her deep family roots there. We talk about how Angela's grandparents moved to Hawaii from the Philippines, how her father and grandfather worked and lived on sugar plantations. We talk about Angela's memories of the bakery her mom worked at in Kauai, and we talk about how her parents instilled in her, from a young age, an appreciation for the necessity and power of unions. We also discuss what it was like to witness firsthand the major changes that have happened to Hawaii's economy, as farming and small businesses gave way to a tourism and hospitality industry that has come to dominate life on the islands. We talk about the ongoing struggles for workers who can hardly afford to live in Hawaii, which has the highest cost of living out of any state in the U.S. And we talk about how Angela, who is on the executive board of her union, UNITE HERE Local 5, and her coworkers are banding together to fight not only for better wages and fair treatment, but for a more dignified and enjoyable life—one that doesn't completely revolve around work and bills.

Additional links/info below...

UNITE HERE Local 5's website
Hawaii News Now ongoing series, "Priced Out of Paradise"
Jed Smith, Stab Magazine, "Priced Out of Paradise: The Reality of Gentrification on the North Shore"
Cultural Survival Quarterly, Issue 24-1, "Problems in Paradise: Sovereignty in the Pacific"

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive)

- Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"

- Ayla Nereo, "Waves"

- We Is Shore Dedicated, "Home"

- Monplaisir, "First"

Lauren Schandevel Aug 13, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we talk to Lauren Schandevel, a low-income student at the University of Michigan who grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Warren, Michigan. Lauren is a really remarkable person, and in our interview we chat about what it was like to grow up in her part of Macomb County, which always seems to crop up every election cycle whenever news outlets want to figure out what's happening in the Rust Belt. We talk about Lauren's experience moving back and forth between worlds, between her working-class home and the school she transferred to, where she took classes and hung out with people from wealthier backgrounds. We talk about school, family, friends, and the ecstatic and dismal pangs of adolescence.

We spend a fair amount of time talking about what it's like being a low-income student attending a public university where the median family income for students' families is over three times what it is for families in Lauren's hometown. And we also talk at length about what Lauren has been doing to bring a class-based analysis to higher education, including starting "Being Not Rich at UM," an open-source guide for low-income students like herself who are trying to navigate college life at UM. We discuss what it means to Lauren, and what it means for class politics in higher education, that this guide went viral, drew national attention, and has even inspired students at other universities to author similar guides.

Additional links/info below...

Being Not-Rich at UM guide
Jennifer Meer, The Michigan Daily, "University ranks last in economic mobility and diversity among elite public colleges"
Gregor Aisch, Larry Buchanan, Amanda Cox, & Kevin Quealy, The New York Times, "Some Colleges Have More Students From the Top 1 Percent Than the Bottom 60. Find Yours"
#RealCollege
Christopher Newfield, Johns Hopkins University Press, The Great Mistake: How We Wrecked Public Universities & How We Can Fix Them

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive)

- Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall" - Cosmo, "No Gods, No Masters" - Steve Combs, "Motown Rehearsal" - Strong Suit, "Derby Day"

Adrienne Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we talk to Adrienne, a teacher in Michigan, single mother of three, and a grievance officer in her local union. Adrienne is an incredible person whose devotion to caring for others, and whose ability to juggle multiple full-time jobs at once, is astounding. In our conversation, we talk about many facets of Adrienne's remarkable life, including her time growing up in cooperative housing in Lansing and her lifelong love of books and reading, which have always been a refuge for her. We also discuss her family and the the tragic death of her brother, Jamie, whose undiagnosed, lifelong pain shaped Adrienne's decision to become a teacher. We talk about her union work and about why it's so important for others to get involved, now more than ever, in the fight for social and economic justice in the workplace and beyond.

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive)

- Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall" - David Szesztay, "80s" - Audiobinger, "Summer Nights" - Love Hustler, "Sinderella (Instrumental)"

Glynndana Shevlin Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, I have the great pleasure of talking with Glynndana Shevlin, a Disney Resort worker and member of UNITE HERE Local 11. We talk about her life, her time working at Disney, and the struggles she and her co-workers face to make ends meet. Disney workers' wages, like the wages of workers around the country, have stagnated as inflation and the cost of living have exploded. While the Walt Disney Company continues to record yearly profits in the billions, the workers who "make the magic" for visitors from all over the world are struggling with homelessness, food insecurity, medical bills, etc. I talk to Glynndana about this and about the ballot initiative in Orange County to raise worker wages. Glynndana is an incredibly lovely person and I was really moved hearing her love for what she does as well as her commitment to ensuring that she and her fellow workers are treated fairly and get the dignity and respect they give to others on a daily basis.

Additional links/info below...

Local 11's website
Union-coalition survey of Disney Resort workers
Daniel Miller, LA Times, "Is Disney Paying It's Share in Anaheim?"
Michelle Chen, The Nation, "Are Disney Workers Having a Hard Time Making Ends Meet?"
Thy Vo, Voice of OC, "Anaheim $18 Minimum Wage Initiative Advances to November Ballot"

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive)

- Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall" - Pat Broderick, "Bluebird" - Lobo Loco, "Good Thoughts" - Brock Tyler, "Meeting You There"

Jesus Alvarez Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

In this inaugural episode of Working People, we talk to Jesus Alvarez: a Mexican immigrant who became a US citizen in 1980; a shy kid who met his wife, Regina, while working at a Sizzler; a life-long Republican voter; a family man; a realtor who, like so many of us, lost just about everything during the Great Recession; a sports-lover with a quirky sense of humor; a devoted father; and an amazing human being who has lived such an interesting, beautiful life.

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive)

- Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall" - Lia Nadja, "Soy Como el Espacio" - The Trumpeteers, "Little Wooden Church" - Alvaro Peña, "La Boca Seca"