On today’s episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Tom Buffenbarger, retired President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, reflected on the state of the American workforce, the escalating cost of living fueled by rising healthcare premiums, misleading unemployment data and the growing importance of unions in turbulent times.

On the second installment of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast’s Best of 2025, we highlight the interview with Lee Saunders, President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, from his Martin Luther King Jr. Day appearance, where he discussed the role AFSCME played in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike and shared his thoughts on Dr. King’s lasting legacy.