Belabored

By Dissent

What's Belabored about?

A podcast about labor organizing, hosted by Sarah Jaffe and Michelle Chen. Presented by Dissent magazine since 2013.

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Belabored episodes:

06.02.2023
Belabored: How Workers Escape, with Saket Soni
In The Great Escape, Saket Soni recounts how he organized a group of Indian migrant workers to free themselves from a human trafficking scam and hold their captors accountable. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-how-workers-escape-with-saket-soni
05.19.2023
Belabored: Reviving the Strike in Britain, with Morag Livingstone and Joe Rollin
The strike is back in Britain but the Conservative government is out to crush the unions. What lessons should labor learn from the 1980s? For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-reviving-strike-britain-morag-livingstone-joe-rollin
05.05.2023
Belabored: Los Angeles, 1992, Revisited with Tobias Higbie and Kent Wong
On working-class Los Angeles before and after the civil unrest of 1992—and how structural inequities continue to shape the city's labor struggles from the classrooms to the docks. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-la-1992-higbie-wong
04.21.2023
Belabored: How to Bargain for Power, with Jane McAlevey
The longtime organizer and theorist discusses tactics that unions can use to win major gains at the table and in the contract. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-how-to-bargain-for-power-with-jane-mcalevey
04.10.2023
Belabored: Child Labor, Child Strikes, with Jack Hodgson
Healthcare and education have been at the center of pandemic labor struggles. Two rank-and-file leaders from these fields join the podcast for a live episode. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-essential-workers-in-crisis-with-elizabeth-lalasz-and-jia-lee
12.23.2022
Belabored: Essential Workers in Crisis, with Elizabeth Lalasz and Jia Lee
Healthcare and education have been at the center of pandemic labor struggles. Two rank-and-file leaders from these fields join the podcast for a live episode. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-essential-workers-in-crisis-with-elizabeth-lalasz-and-jia-lee
12.09.2022
Belabored: When COVID Never Ends
Long COVID is a labor rights issue. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-when-covid-never-ends
11.25.2022
Belabored: Pandemic Black Fridays are Twice as Tiring, with Cynthia Murray and Lisa Harris
Delivery workers from New York and London join the podcast to talk about organizing during the pandemic. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-courier-class-war
11.11.2022
Belabored: Courier Class War
Delivery workers from New York and London join the podcast to talk about organizing during the pandemic. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-courier-class-war
10.28.2022
Belabored: Mental Health Workers’ Double Pandemic, with Kellie Benson
A mental healthcare provider discusses the pandemic's effects on her work. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-mental-health-workers-double-pandemic-with-kellie-benson
10.14.2022
Belabored: The Death and Life of Labor Journalism
Labor journalists discuss media coverage of the recent strike wave in Britain. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-the-death-and-life-of-labor-journalism
09.30.2022
Belabored: The Union on the Hill, with Janae Washington and Taylor Doggett
Two congressional staffers discuss the push to unionize Capitol Hill. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-the-union-on-the-hill-with-janae-washington-and-taylor-doggett
09.16.2022
Belabored: Shutting Down the Ports, with Steve Gerrard and Liverpool Dockworkers
British dockworkers join the podcast to talk about ongoing strikes in Liverpool and Felixstowe. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-shutting-down-the-ports-with-steve-gerrard-and-liverpool-dockworkers
09.02.2022
Belabored: Strippers Seek Justice at Work, with Velveeta
A group of strippers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood hopes to break new ground in organizing their field nationwide as part of the Actors’ Equity Association. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-strippers-seek-justice-at-work
08.19.2022
Belabored: Wildcat Oil Strikes and the Energy Crisis, with Ewan Gibbs
The president of the RMT joins the podcast to talk about the union's recent strike and what's next for rail workers in the UK. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-train-strikes-revive-british-unions-with-alex-gordon-of-the-rmt
08.05.2022
Belabored: Delivery Workers Stuck in Searing Heat
The president of the RMT joins the podcast to talk about the union's recent strike and what's next for rail workers in the UK. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-train-strikes-revive-british-unions-with-alex-gordon-of-the-rmt
07.22.2022
Belabored: Train Strikes Revive British Unions, with Alex Gordon
The president of the RMT joins the podcast to talk about the union's recent strike and what's next for rail workers in the UK. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-train-strikes-revive-british-unions-with-alex-gordon-of-the-rmt
07.08.2022
Belabored: Reproductive Justice Is Labor Justice
What does the fall of Roe mean for workers? Asha Banerjee of the Economic Policy Institute discusses the economic impacts of abortion bans. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-reproductive-justice-is-labor-justice
06.24.2022
Belabored: Working Time Struggles, Live from Labor Notes
Donna Jo Marks, Carlos Perez, and Jessica Wender-Shubow join Belabored for a live discussion about the politics of time spent at work. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-live-from-labor-notes
06.03.2022
Belabored: Game Workers Unite and Win, with Emma Kinema
Workers at a division of games conglomerate Activision Blizzard shocked the industry by becoming one of the first collective bargaining units in the U.S. gaming industry. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-game-workers-unite-and-win-with-emma-kinema
05.20.2022
Belabored: Women Leading the Labor Movement
Organizers of unionization efforts at Amazon, Starbucks, and the New York Times discuss how their experiences as women shape their work. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-women-leading-the-labor-movement
05.06.2022
Belabored: What’s Up With Inflation, with J.W. Mason
Economist J.W. Mason joins the podcast to talk about inflation, and what it means for workers. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-whats-up-with-inflation-with-j-w-mason
04.22.2022
Belabored: Abolish Student Debt, with the Debt Collective
With a pandemic pause on student loan repayments set to expire this year, debt abolitionists have stepped up their campaign to get Washington to cancel education debt entirely. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-abolish-student-debt-with-the-debt-collective
04.08.2022
Belabored: Winning in Logistics Work, with Michelle Valentin Nieves and Laleh Khalili
A two-part episode on logistics labor, with Michelle Valentin of the Amazon Labor Union, and Laleh Khalili, author of Sinews of War and Trade. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-winning-in-logistics-work-with-michelle-valentin-and-laleh-khalili-amazon
03.25.2022
Belabored: Retail Organizing at REI
This week teachers and education workers went on strike in Minneapolis for the the first time in fifty years. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-teacher-strikes-in-the-age-of-covid
03.11.2022
Belabored: Teacher Strikes in the Age of COVID-19
This week teachers and education workers went on strike in Minneapolis for the the first time in fifty years. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-teacher-strikes-in-the-age-of-covid
02.25.2022
Belabored: Cyborg Taylorism in the Warehouse, with Beth Gutelius
How close are we to fully automated robot logistics? For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-cyborg-taylorism
02.11.2022
Belabored: Public Goods, Private Harms with Donald Cohen
Over the past several decades, the shift of public goods and services into the control of corporations has taken a toll on their quality, increased inequality, undermined labor and civil rights, and made government less accountable. How can we restore...
01.28.2022
Belabored: Trucker Supply Crisis? With Steve Viscelli
Long-haul trucking went from being one of the best blue-collar jobs to one of the toughest in America. What does this transformation mean for the ongoing supply chain crisis? For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-trucker-supply-crisis
01.14.2022
Belabored: Dangerous Work, with Debbie Berkowitz and Xian Barrett
A discussion on global shipping, just-in-time manufacturing, and why fixing the supply chain means rethinking endless growth. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/supply-chain-chaos-charmaine-chua
12.17.2021
Belabored: The Great Resignation
Rebecca Kolins Givan and C.M. Lewis look back at the year in labor. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-the-great-resignation
12.03.2021
Belabored: Supply Chain Chaos, with Charmaine Chua
A discussion on global shipping, just-in-time manufacturing, and why fixing the supply chain means rethinking endless growth. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/supply-chain-chaos-charmaine-chua
11.19.2021
Belabored: Our Neglected Human Infrastructure, with Sadé Dozan
Sadé Dozan of Caring Across Generations discusses the Build Back Better bill, which would put some $150 billion into Medicaid-supported homecare services. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/homecare-neglected-human-infrastructure-with-sade-dozan
11.05.2021
Belabored: Work Without the Workers, with Phil Jones
How do you take industrial action when your workplace is your computer? In his new book, Work Without the Worker, Phil Jones considers the millions of "microworkers" around the world who process data for digital platforms. For links and...
10.22.2021
Belabored: Can the United Auto Workers Be Democratized? With Justin Mayhugh
For decades, the United Auto Workers has been controlled by a tight-knit group of insiders. Now members are voting in a historic referendum on how the union elects its central leadership. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit:...
10.08.2021
Belabored: Toward a Liberatory Unionism, with Eve Livingston
Eve Livingston's new book, Make Bosses Pay, aims to get young people connected to unions and to push unions to engage more with the working class as it is today: diverse, precarious, and perhaps on the brink of rebellion. For links...
09.24.2021
Belabored: The Legacy of Occupy Wall Street, with Ruth Milkman and Nastaran Mohit
Though the occupation didn’t last long, it shaped many subsequent campaigns and movements, including in organized labor. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-the-legacy-of-occupy-wall-street
09.10.2021
Belabored: Occupy’s Ten-Year Anniversary, with Stephen Lerner and Jonathan Westin
How did Occupy change the labor movement? And what lessons might it still hold for unions struggling to find their footing in an ever more crisis-prone world? For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-occupys-ten-year-anniversary
08.27.2021
Belabored: Washington Retreats from a Just Transition, with Joe Uehlein
As hopes for ambitious climate policy fade, Joe Uehlein, Founding President of the Labor Network for Sustainability, talks about why we must decarbonize the economy while protecting workers. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-washington-retreats-from-a-just-transition-with-joe-uehlein
08.13.2021
Belabored: Lost in Work, with Amelia Horgan
Amelia Horgan's new book, Lost in Work: Escaping Capitalism, asks what work is, and what we can do to make it change it. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-lost-in-work-with-amelia-horgan
07.30.2021
Belabored: Why “Corporate Social Responsibility” Fails Workers
A close look at what happens when corporations police themselves. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-why-corporate-social-responsibility-fails-workers
07.16.2021
Belabored: Critical Race Panic in Schools, with Jesse Hagopian
A new right-wing campaign to ban "critical race theory" aims to crack down on teachers who teach honestly about racism. How can teachers protect themselves and their students? For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-critical-race-panic-schools-jesse-hagopian
07.02.2021
Belabored: Labor Solidarity in China, with Tobita Chow and Kevin Lin
A conversation about what rising U.S.-China tensions mean for workers and the labor movement in both countries. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-labor-solidarity-in-china-with-tobita-chow-and-kevin-lin
06.18.2021
Belabored: Strike Averted at the New Yorker, with Gili Ostfield
Reflections on what The New Yorker Union won, how they did it, and what other workers can learn from their victory. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-strike-averted-at-the-new-yorker
06.04.2021
Belabored: Back to Work
If you're nervous about going back to work, you're not the only one. Workers and labor advocates discuss what the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions might mean for workplace safety and labor rights. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit:...
05.21.2021
Belabored: General Strike in Palestine
Political economy researcher Riya Al-Sanah joins us from Haifa to talk about this week's historic general strike. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-general-strike-in-palestine-with-riya-al-sanah
05.07.2021
Belabored: The Value of Care, with Alyssa Battistoni
The author of A Planet to Win talks about Biden's infrastructure proposals and why care jobs are green jobs. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-the-value-of-care-with-alyssa-battistoni
04.23.2021
Belabored: The Power of Alt-Labor
Worker centers organize workers excluded from labor regulations and disconnected from mainstream unions. They have brought fresh energy to the labor movement. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-worker-centers-pushing-the-edges-of-the-labor-movement
04.09.2021
Belabored: Black Against Amazon, with Steven Pitts and Robin D.G. Kelley
Steven Pitts and Robin D.G. Kelley discuss Amazon and the state of the Black working class. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-black-against-amazon-with-steven-pitts-and-robin-d-g-kelley
03.19.2021
Belabored: Women on Labor’s Frontline, with Jo Grady
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union in the United Kingdom, talks about the prospects for a truly feminist labor movement. For links and articles mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-women-on-labors-frontline-with-jo-grady

What's Belabored about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Belabored episodes:

Belabored: How Workers Escape, with Saket Soni

Belabored: Reviving the Strike in Britain, with Morag Livingstone and Joe Rollin

Belabored: Los Angeles, 1992, Revisited with Tobias Higbie and Kent Wong

Belabored: How to Bargain for Power, with Jane McAlevey

Belabored: Child Labor, Child Strikes, with Jack Hodgson

Belabored: Essential Workers in Crisis, with Elizabeth Lalasz and Jia Lee

Belabored: When COVID Never Ends

Belabored: Pandemic Black Fridays are Twice as Tiring, with Cynthia Murray and Lisa Harris

Belabored: Courier Class War

Belabored: Mental Health Workers’ Double Pandemic, with Kellie Benson

Belabored: The Death and Life of Labor Journalism

Belabored: The Union on the Hill, with Janae Washington and Taylor Doggett

Belabored: Shutting Down the Ports, with Steve Gerrard and Liverpool Dockworkers

Belabored: Strippers Seek Justice at Work, with Velveeta

Belabored: Wildcat Oil Strikes and the Energy Crisis, with Ewan Gibbs

Belabored: Delivery Workers Stuck in Searing Heat

Belabored: Train Strikes Revive British Unions, with Alex Gordon

Belabored: Reproductive Justice Is Labor Justice

Belabored: Working Time Struggles, Live from Labor Notes

Belabored: Game Workers Unite and Win, with Emma Kinema

Belabored: Women Leading the Labor Movement

Belabored: What’s Up With Inflation, with J.W. Mason

Belabored: Abolish Student Debt, with the Debt Collective

Belabored: Winning in Logistics Work, with Michelle Valentin Nieves and Laleh Khalili

Belabored: Retail Organizing at REI

Belabored: Teacher Strikes in the Age of COVID-19

Belabored: Cyborg Taylorism in the Warehouse, with Beth Gutelius

Belabored: Public Goods, Private Harms with Donald Cohen

Belabored: Trucker Supply Crisis? With Steve Viscelli

Belabored: Dangerous Work, with Debbie Berkowitz and Xian Barrett

Belabored: The Great Resignation

Belabored: Supply Chain Chaos, with Charmaine Chua

Belabored: Our Neglected Human Infrastructure, with Sadé Dozan

Belabored: Work Without the Workers, with Phil Jones

Belabored: Can the United Auto Workers Be Democratized? With Justin Mayhugh

Belabored: Toward a Liberatory Unionism, with Eve Livingston

Belabored: The Legacy of Occupy Wall Street, with Ruth Milkman and Nastaran Mohit

Belabored: Occupy’s Ten-Year Anniversary, with Stephen Lerner and Jonathan Westin

Belabored: Washington Retreats from a Just Transition, with Joe Uehlein

Belabored: Lost in Work, with Amelia Horgan

Belabored: Why “Corporate Social Responsibility” Fails Workers

Belabored: Critical Race Panic in Schools, with Jesse Hagopian

Belabored: Labor Solidarity in China, with Tobita Chow and Kevin Lin

Belabored: Strike Averted at the New Yorker, with Gili Ostfield

Belabored: Back to Work

Belabored: General Strike in Palestine

Belabored: The Value of Care, with Alyssa Battistoni

Belabored: The Power of Alt-Labor

Belabored: Black Against Amazon, with Steven Pitts and Robin D.G. Kelley

Belabored: Women on Labor’s Frontline, with Jo Grady