Working People

In this special episode, we talk with three representatives of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades—Jim Williams (General Vice President), Kellie Morgan (Political Director & Community Organizer, District Council 77), and Salvador Herrera (Director of Organizing, District Council 88)—about labor's fight to pass the PRO Act. We break down what the PRO Act is, why passing it would institute a monumental shift in worker power, and how it would impact the daily realities of workers and organizers. Additional links/info below... Pass the PRO Act website The International Union of Painters & Allied Trades website, Facebookpage and Twitter page IUPAT District Council 88's website IUPAT District Council 77's website Jeremy Gantz, In These Times, "House Passes Bill to Dramatically Strengthen the Power of Unions" Jim Williams, In These Times, "It's Time for the Democrats to Deliver for Workers. Fighting for the PRO Act Is the First Step" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People theme song" Jules Taylor, "Working People transition song" IUPAT, "Pass the PRO Act" (link to video) Doctor Turtle, "One Person Listening Now"

This is Part II of our special two-part episode with Tacoma longshore workers Zack Pattin and Brian "Skiff" Skiffington. Zack and Skiff are both members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 23 and organizing leaders with the ILWU Young Workers Committee. In Part I of our conversation with Zack and Skiff, we talked about their winding paths to working on the waterfront and about the beauty and madness of longshore work. In Part II, we take a deeper dive into the politics and history of the ILWU. We talk about what being part of the union has meant to Zack and Skiff, their families, and their coworkers—and we talk about why fixtures like union hiring halls are so important that workers fought and died for them. Additional links/info below... Zack's Facebook page and Twitter page Brian's Facebook page ILWU Local 23's website and Facebook page The Ten Guiding Principles of the ILWU ILWU No. 23 Young Workers Committee Facebook page and Twitter page Zack Pattin & Brian Skiffington, LaborNotes, "Longshore Young Workers Come to the Aid of Tenants Facing Eviction" Stephen McFarland, "'With the Class-Conscious Workers Under One Roof': Union Halls and Labor Temples in American Working-Class Formation, 1880-1970 (dissertation)" Union Halls of the World Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People theme song" Docks, "Get Well"

We've got a Working People first! In this special two-part episode, we sit down to chat with not one but two longshore workers: Zack Pattin and Brian Skiffington from Tacoma, WA. Zack and Brian are both members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 23, and organizing leaders with the ILWU Young Workers Committee. In Part I of our expansive, multi-hour conversation with Zack and Brian, we talk about their backstories and the winding paths that brought them to where they are now, working together on the waterfront. We also talk about growing up in union families, their mutual love of punk music, and we talk about the fast pace, precision, adrenaline, danger, and skill of longshore work. Additional links/info below... Zack's Facebook page and Twitter page Brian's Facebook page ILWU Local 23's website and Facebook page ILWU No. 23 Young Workers Committee Facebook page and Twitter page Zack Pattin & Brian Skiffington, LaborNotes, "Longshore Young Workers Come to the Aid of Tenants Facing Eviction" The Docker Podcast, "EP# 38: Paul Finch (BCGEU) and Brian Skiffington (ILWU 23)" The Docker Podcast, "ILWU 37th Convention Portland Part 10: Zack Pattin (ILWU 23)" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People theme song" Tendinite, "More Whiskey"

We chat with Erek Slater, a bus operator for the Chicago Transit Authority, where he's been working for the past 15 years. Erek is a family man, a father, and a three-term elected shop steward and executive board member of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 241. We talk about his working life and all that goes into being a bus operator, all the things that passengers never see—even though we depend on workers like Erek every day to live our lives. We also talk about Erek's experience as a shop steward and about his unshakeable commitment to honor, justice, and to empowering the working class. In fact, it was because he stood up for these things that he was unjustly dismissed from his job in May. Additional links/info below... International Campaign to Reinstate Chicago Bus Driver Erek Slater PETITION: Drop All Charges and Reinstate Chicago Bus Driver Erek Slater Update on Campaign to Reinstate Chicago Bus Driver Erek Slater Erek's Facebook page and Twitter page ATU Local 241 website page Connecticut Workers Crisis Response Facebook page Sarah Lazare, Jacobin, "A Chicago Bus Driver Says He Was Retaliated Against for His Opposition to Transporting Police to Protests" WorkWeek Radio, ""We May Have To Shut It Down" Fight To Protect Health & Safety For Chicago ATU 241 Members & Public" Labor Beat, "São Paulo Is A Union Town: Travel Notes of a Chicago Trade Unionist" Labor Beat, "Joint Action in Tokyo and Seoul" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People theme song" Cletus Got Shot, "Justice Is My Name"

We chat with Michele, a clinical social worker in the Bronx with years of experience working in psychiatric emergency and crisis settings. We talk about Michele's life and the road that led her to being a social worker—we also discuss the history of social work itself, and we dive into the very real struggles and often harsh circumstances that are a daily reality for social workers and the people they serve. (C/W: This conversation does broach topics involving psychiatric distress and suicide.) Additional links/info below... Laura Abrams & Alan Dettlaff, Social Work, "Voices from the Frontlines: Social Workers Confront the COVID-19 Pandemic" J. Scott Janssen, Social Work Today, "Moral Distress in Social Work Practice – When Workplace and Conscience Collide" Mark Fisher, The Guardian, "Why Mental Health Is a Political Issue" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People theme song" The Shivers, "Only Mine"

We're back with Season Four of Working People! In this urgent episode, we talk with Dr. Amir Atabeygi, a physician at MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care in Thurston County, Washington. On Monday, November 23, amid a terrifying surge in COVID-19 cases around the country, Dr. Atabeygi will join his fellow physicians, physician assistants, and advanced registered nurse practitioners on the picket line as they strike for the basic safety measures their employer refuses to provide. We talk to Dr. Atabeygi about what he and his coworkers face on the job, the rise of "retail health" companies like MultiCare Health Systems, and the growing labor consciousness of traditionally non-unionized healthcare workers. Additional links/info below... PETITION: Doctors and Patients United for Safer Working Conditions Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) national website, Facebook page, and Twitter page UAPD Pacific Northwest Twitter page Zack Pattin, LaborNotes, "Will Urgent Care Doctors Be Forced to Strike in a Pandemic for the Right to Go Home?" Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), Chinook Observer, "Labor Negotiations Stall Between MultiCare and Indigo Urgent Care Doctors" Eric Topol, The New Yorker, "Why Doctors Should Organize" Jason Hanna & Daniel Wolfe, CNN, "These Charts Show How Serious This Fall's Covid-19 Surge Is in the US"" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People theme song" Fotos del Otoño, "Doctor McCoy"

The next time you see us, it will be the premier of Season Four of Working People! Until then, we wanted to share this interview Max did with Evan Matthew Papp of Empathy Media Lab about why Max started the show and how it's developed over the years. They also talk about why Working People is a proud member of the Labor Radio / Podcast Network, and about the importance of making labor- and human-centered media. Check it out (and check out all the great shows in LRPN)! Additional links/info below... Evan's Twitter page Empathy Media Lab's website, Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube channel Labor Radio / Podcast Network's website and Twitter page

We'll be back with Season Four of Working People very soon, but in the meantime, here's an interview Max did with Our Calgary, a great new Canadian podcast. Max talks with Lucas about the 2020 election and his hopes and fears for the country, the left, and for alternative media. Check it out (and give Our Calgary a follow!). Additional links/info below... Our Calgary's Twitter page, link tree, and Patreon Lucas' Twitter page

We talk to Hamilton Nolan, labor reporter for In These Times, about reporting on the Trump re-election campaign during a pandemic and seeing up close the rotting core of America. Additional links/info below... Hamilton's author page and Twitter page Hamilton Nolan, In These Times, "Risking Your Life For a Trump Rally Means There's Nothing Left to Lose" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Edith Frost, "Temporary Loan"

We're back with another installment of our ongoing series Working-Class Politics, where we talk to working-class folks and advocates who are running for office. We sit down with two members of California's Labor Slate, Eduardo Torres (running for Ambrose Recreation and Parks Board) and Gaelan Ash (communications director for Labor Slate). Additional links/info below... Labor Slate's website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Eduardo's candidate page Hamilton Nolan, In These Times, "In California, a "Labor Slate" Aims to Redefine the Relationship Between Unions and Politics" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"