The Workers' Mic

On this Easter Sunday edition of The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Phil Davidson joins live while stuck in Kansas City alongside his wife and the Director or Media Relations for the Illinois Education Association Bridget Shanahan. They kick off the show by chatting about TSA and how TSA union leaders are reporting that workers, as of April 2026, are receiving paychecks following a 39-day partial government shutdown. Then, Phil and Bridget then talk about the late former IEA President Reginald “Reg” Weaver and all he did for the labor movement as well as the AFL Coalition around the Unemployment Equity Act. Next, Phil and Bridget welcome the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council’s Safety Director Al Jotautas to the show to reiterate the need for safety on all job sites. To close out the show, Phil and Bridget discuss the latest union news pertaining Workers Memorial Day occurring on April, 28th, the May Day Strong movement and more.

This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ken Edwards and Ed Maher kick off the show by sharing another story for their new weekly ‘Barely Legal‘ segment. This week’s story pertains to the NLRB’s Cemex decision. Then, Ken and Ed welcome to the show John Warner, President of the IBEW Local 146, to talk about the creation of the Mid-Illinois Labor Council. Next, the guys are joined by agents and staff with Teamsters Local 727. Listen in while Teamsters Local 727’s Secretary-Treasurer and Principal Officer John Coli, Teamsters Local 727 member and Brookfield Zoo employee Carrie Sapienza and Local 727 Business Representative Sean McGough about Carrie’s unjust termination from Brookfield Zoo and how Local 727 fought to get her job back. To close out the show, Ken and Ed also discuss the latest union news pertaining to Starbucks, Ottawa Storage LLC, and more.

This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ken Edwards, Ed Maher and Phil Davidson kick off the show by sharing their sadness for the loss of the iconic action star Chuck Norris earlier this week. The guys also discuss the latest union news pertaining to Cesar Chavez facing sexual abuse accusations, the BP lockout, National Football League referees potentially being on strike for the 2026 season, the several lawsuits filed against Amazon regarding COVID-19 safety measures during the pandemic, Joliet City Council passing the 795-acre AI data center development project and more.

This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ed Maher and Phil Davidson kick off the show by talking about the success of this year’s Working Families Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Next, the guys are joined by Brian Andersen, Business Manager at IBEW Local Union 601, to share details surrounding a private project happening on the University of Illinois campus which caused union workers to protest the construction company being utilizing for overseeing the project. Then, to close out the show, the guys discuss the latest news pertaining to union cards for federal workers, details surrounding a new Senate Bill 2202 which would tie union organizing restrictions to economic development incentives, and more.

This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ken Edwards and Ed Maher  kick off the show by talking about Kristi Noem being relieved of her role as United States Secretary of Homeland Security. Then the guys share some light-hearted labor news from the week. To wrap up the show, Ken and Ed talk about the latest jobs report and share about the Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade happening Saturday, March 14th!

This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ken Edwards and Phil Davidson kick off the show by talking about the negative comment President Trump made to the Olympic gold-winning U.S. men’s hockey team after their big win. Then, Casey Martin, President of the Midwest Coalition of Labor Credit Union joins the show to share details surrounding a new balance transfer promotion the credit union is offering to members with a Midwest Coalition of Labor Credit Union credit card. To close out the show, the guys discuss the latest news pertaining to contractual agreement wins within the union world, layoffs, the Chicago Bears’ potential relocation to Indiana, Burger King and more.

This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ken Edwards, Ed Maher and Phil Davidson kick off the show by discussing the recent news that came out on Friday pertaining to the Supreme Court striking down tariffs and how this news effects union workers. The guys also share some good news for labor. Then, to close out the show, Chris Flett, Business Manager and Anthony Noseworthy, Assistant Business Manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 955 (IUOE Local 955) join the show to discuss details involving IUOE Local 955 raiding out CLAC (Christian Labour Association of Canada) in the largest liberation campaign in Canadian history.

UnitedHealthcare‘s Chief Growth Officer of Labor and Trust Steven Sadlon joins Ken and Ed on The Workers’ Mic to discuss the current cost of health insurance and how UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to providing a variety of custom solutions built to make accessing care and saving money a whole lot easier.

This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ken Edwards, Ed Maher and Phil Davidson kick off the show by chatting with the President of the Rockford Education Association (REA) Claudia Marshall. Listen in while Claudia shares details pertaining to the almost year-long negotiation between The Rockford Education Association and Rockford Public Schools District 205 that has finally reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. Then, the guys are joined with UnitedHealthcare’s Chief Growth Officer of Labor and Trust Seven Sadlon who joined to discuss the current cost of health insurance and how UnitedHealthcare’s model is different and more effective than other health insurance companies. To close out the show, the guys discuss the latest union related news pertaining to Pam Bondi, Conn Selmer and more.

Megent Financial’s Co-Chief Executive Officer Ron Whittingham joins Ken Edwards and Ed Maher on The Workers’ Mic to stress the importance of having a financial advisor even when having a pension. Ron also remind listeners that the time to start saving was yesterday and shares some tips on how you can start saving.