2020 has been a year of reflection, mourning and perspective. This Labor Day, we look back at the last major fiscal crisis in New York City before delving into the history and experiences of the “essential workers” who have kept the city running during the COVID pandemic. Reporter Jenny Casas gets into the gritty work and history of “New York’s Strongest,” the Department of Sanitation. Ai-jen Poo, the co-founder and Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, joins us to talk about the state of care and domestic work today. Plus, we take calls from listeners who work in homes across the Tri-state.

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Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.