Heartland Labor Forum

By KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community RadioTV & Film Film Reviews

Heartland Labor Forum episodes

January 12 United Electrical Workers: 1st Union to Come Out Against War with Venezuela and Have Politicians and the Media Lied Us into War on Venezuela?
UE, The United Electrical Workers, was the first US union to denounce Trump’s attacks on Venezuela. Other unions have now joined them demanding “no more blood for oil.” This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we talk to UE President Scott Slawson about why and how union leaders talk to members about controversial political issues. Then, we’ll interview author Joe Embersberger about how the media has failed to report the real and complex story of how the US has undermined Venezuelan democracy for years. Thursday at 6pm, rebroadcast Friday at 5am. Our feature is Know Your Rights with Michael Amash.
1 hr
January 07 Our Annual Crystal Ball Show: What's in Store for the Working Class in 2026?
A year ago on the Heartland Labor Forum we predicted what was in store for working people in 2025. This week we’ll look in our 2026 crystal ball and ask How will workers and unions do this year? Will organizing surge despite a paralyzed NLRB? Will Missourians reject gerrymandered maps? Will unions join the No Kings coalition? Will the Chiefs get a deal in Kansas?
1 hr
December 31, 2025 Best of Heartland Labor Forum in 2025 - part 2
It’s our Best of 2025 part 2 show. We'll hear interesting interviews, features, and songs from the last year, including the labor system that built the Panama Canal, how an independent labor union is succeeding in the current anti-labor environment, and a catchy tune about Jimmy Hoffa.
59 min
December 24, 2025 Best of HLF n 2025 - part 1
It’s our Best of 2025 part 1 show. We'll rediscover a long-lost labor leader, hear from the most successful NLRB general counsel in years, and listen to a famous labor song written by a lawyer plus much more. Catch up on what’s happened to the working class this year.
1 hr
December 16, 2025 Resistance Teach-In with the Guy from ET (aka Peter Coyote)
What do you get when you cross two of the most popular concepts in modern-era: mindfulness and resistance? You guessed it: a teach-in by Hollywood film actor and Zen Buddhist priest Peter Coyote. He’ll be radicalizing us this week on the Heartland Labor Forum and telling us about the Theatre of Protest. Our feature is Know Your Rights with Michael Amash.
1 hr 1 min
December 09, 2025 We Ask: What Are Unions Doing about Members’ Mental Health?
Mental health problems are on the rise, and finding help can be tough. To make matters worse, people often don’t want to talk about it. So, this week on The Heartland Labor Forum we’re going to talk about it and ask what our local unions do to support union leaders’, members’ and their families’ mental health. We’ll talk with two unions – the Plumbers Local 8 and Firefighters Local 42 that both have model programs. Our feature is Labor Song of the Month with Mark Galus.
1 hr
December 03, 2025 Randi Weingarten: Why Fascists Fear Teachers and Wage Theft: Employers Steal Billions from Workers’ Wages Each Year
Authoritarians fear teachers. Why? Because propaganda and fear lose their grip when students become critical thinkers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will talk about her book "Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy.” Then, one of the most common and underreported crimes in the US is wage theft. It costs workers some $50 billion a year. We’ll get some true crime stories from attorney Ray Salva. Our feature is Safety First with Mary Erio.
1 hr 1 min
November 25, 2025 Thanks for the Labor and Work Songs
As we did last Thanksgiving, this week we are giving thanks for labor songs and working music on the Heartland Labor Forum. Work songs would alleviate boredom and synchronize the work, while also providing important social commentary about working conditions and progressive ideals. We'll hear tracks from old favorites Pete Seeger and Anne Feeney, as well as some unexpected working music from Devo and Eddie Rabbit.
1 hr
November 20, 2025 KU Med Hires Union Buster to Stop Pharmacy Techs from Organizing and Union Leader Series: Joey Flickner of the Painters Union
Pharmacy techs at KU Medical Center want a union. The Med Center has hired a union busting law firm. It’s not the first time. We’ll ask workers why they’re organizing. Then, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, or IUPAT, is one of the most progressive in the country. That goes for the KC Painters as well. We’ll talk to Painters District 3 leader Joey Flickner as part of our union leader series. Our feature is Know Your Rights with Michael Amash.
1 hr 1 min
November 11, 2025 Bernie Sanders and AOC at the Eugene Debs Foundation Award Ceremony on Debs’ Vision for Labor and Human Solidarity
“While there is a lower class, I am in it. While there is a criminal element, I am of it. While there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” That’s the credo of the visionary labor leader Eugene Victor Debs. Last month Senator Bernie Sanders was awarded the 2025 Eugene V. Debs Award. AOC introduced him, and this week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll learn about Debs from both and why he still inspires workers today. Our feature is Labor Song of the Month.
1 hr

About Heartland Labor Forum

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Heartland Labor Forum is Kansas City's only program about the workplace. It is produced by and for our working people. We have been agitating on the air since 1989. Find out who is busting unions and…