Belabored

This week, a special discussion of Sarah's investigation into temping in manufacturing. Plus, SeaTac's fight for $15 an hour, Portland teachers' fight for a fair contract, and Congress's fight over whether the unemployed should get their benefits, and a labor uprising in South Korea.

The post Belabored Podcast #36: Forever Temp appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

Sarah and Michelle look back over the year in labor: the good news and the grim, the under-the-radar stories and the big wins. They also look forward to next year and make some (hopeful) predictions. Sarah and Michelle also bring you up to date on the latest labor news, including unexpected unions gaining a toehold in fast food.

The post Belabored Podcast #35: Highs and Lows of the Year in Labor appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

Sarah and Michelle talk about Washington's epic fail on unemployment benefits, rampant labor violations by companies operating on federal contracts, Chris Hayes and the union drive at an NBC subsidiary, and a recap of last week's #LowPayisNotOkay protests. Plus voices from 32BJ and the Alliance for Quality Education.

The post Belabored Podcast #34: Communities Rise Up For Public Ed appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

Justin Timberlake is "bringing unions back," sushi workers win a settlement for wage theft, France may be cracking down on sex work, and last week's strikes. Sarah and Michelle discuss discuss this and more, featuring interviews with Walmart worker organizer Colby Harris and Greg Jones of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers.

The post Belabored Podcast #33: Pension Theft and Beating Big Brands appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

This week, Michelle and Sarah share some good and bad news, including suggestions from listeners and a look forward to the Black Friday actions at Walmart next week. Journalist Liza Featherstone joins them to talk about Walmart's corporate culture and the challenges it poses to organizing. They conclude with thoughts on Seattle's new socialist city council member and the value of solidarity.

The post Belabored Podcast #32: Black Friday appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

This week, Sarah and Michelle consider tough questions about academic labor, free speech, technology, and incarceration. Plus an interview with Bonnie Castillo on the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan and the role of labor in disaster relief.

The post Belabored Podcast #31: Relief Work appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

This week on Belabored: looking forward after the elections, Walmart workers on strike again, and the dangers of trading tax breaks for "job creation." Then, an in-depth look at the world of outsourcing: labor struggles in China and Bangladesh, the shady world of global temp agencies, and outsourcing right here at home. Featuring an interview with Bangladeshi labor organizer Kalpona Akter

The post Belabored Podcast #30: Out (and In) Sourcing appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

This week on Belabored, Sarah Jaffe and Michelle Chen look at New York after Superstorm Sandy. Who did the work of the recovery and how has it affected them, who's out of a job, what did Sandy teach us about what a union can do? Featuring NYSNA president Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, with her thoughts on how Sandy made people look at their union--and the world--differently. They also look at some scary stuff for Halloween: a candy factory explosion, inside an anti-union captive audience meeting, and more.

The post Belabored Podcast #29: After the Storm appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

This week on Belabored, Sarah and guest co-host Peter Frase discuss international solidarity campaigns with American workers and give an update on the situation in Detroit. Then, independent journalist Susie Cagle joins them to talk about labor unrest in the Bay Area, where solidarity can be hard to come by.

The post Belabored Podcast #28: Solidarity appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

This week, Sarah Jaffe and guest host Michelle Chen discuss retail organizing, the fallout of government shutdown, standardized test insanity, and solidarity in higher education.

The post Belabored Podcast #27: Retail Revolution? appeared first on Dissent Magazine.