In this episode of The Labor Force Podcast, we dive deep into America’s worsening affordability crisis and the growing worker uprisings pushing back against it. We start with new data showing that nearly one in three low-income households lives paycheck to paycheck, unable to keep up with inflation as wages stagnate and basic costs climb.
From there, we explore a revealing local debate in Watertown, NY, where shopping carts used by unhoused residents have become a flashpoint—highlighting the failures of U.S. housing policy far more than “city cleanliness.”
In the Fightback segment, we break down:
A bipartisan effort to restore collective bargaining rights for federal employees Trump moved to eliminate.
The ongoing strike at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where dealers and pit supervisors continue their push for Teamsters recognition.
A major union drive inside the Columbus Metropolitan Library, as librarians and staff fight for livable wages, safer workplaces, and a voice on the job.
The expanding Starbucks Workers United strike, now the largest in the company’s history.
We then turn to the future of work:How will AI, automation, and rising productivity reshape employment? Will these gains help workers—or leave millions behind? We examine historical parallels, expert perspectives, and what a fair future of work could look like.
Finally, we close with Vivek Chibber’s argument that the Left is emerging from a decades-long neoliberal dark age—and what it will take to rebuild real working-class power in America.

This week on the Labor Force Podcast:
The federal government may have reopened, but for thousands of workers, the real impact of the shutdown is far from over. We dig deep into the lives of furloughed workers—from maxed-out credit cards to food bank lines—and the stress that lingers long after paychecks resume.
In Pittsburgh, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh celebrates a landmark victory after three years on strike against the Post-Gazette. We highlight emotional reactions from the picket line and the profound sense of solidarity sustaining the workers through the grind.
Starbucks Workers United turns Red Cup Day red-hot with a nationwide unfair labor practice strike. Meanwhile, corporate heads call it premature. We break down what's at stake and why baristas say “no contract, no profits.”
Boeing machinists in St. Louis vote—grudgingly—to accept the company’s fifth contract offer. A strike may be over, but the bitterness lingers. Is this a win or just fatigue?
And in Durham, NC, Amazon workers are seeding a second union campaign—this time with city support, multilingual outreach, and lessons learned from past defeat. They’re betting big on community, history, and hope.
Plus: the resurgence of U.S. labor power with a new book by Dave Kamper, author of Who’s Got the Power, and why even small cracks in the system are giving workers fresh hope.

In this episode, we trace the through-line connecting a historic political upset in New York City, the grinding federal shutdown, a wave of labor actions across the country, and the everyday financial pressure bearing down on working people. From Zohran Mamdani’s stunning mayoral victory to the strain on air traffic controllers, we dig into the conditions pushing workers to the brink and the movements rising to meet the moment.
We also break down Boeing’s escalating conflict with IAM District 837, the anti-union messaging aimed at UAW workers in Chattanooga, and the growing militancy at Starbucks as baristas prepare for a potential Red Cup Day strike. Plus, a personal snapshot of what it means to navigate bills, gas money, and family responsibilities while the larger economy buckles.
The episode wraps with a deep dive into “greedy work,” unpredictable schedules, and the boundaries workers desperately need in order to live actual lives beyond their jobs.
Topics covered:• The political shockwave of Zohran Mamdani’s election• The nation’s longest government shutdown and its acute impacts• Boeing’s strike, union proposals, and corporate intransigence• Anti-union targeting of VW workers in Tennessee• Starbucks workers gearing up for November 13 strike action• The research behind “greedy work” and the fight for real boundaries

In this episode, we unpack the growing crisis sparked by the government shutdown and the Trump administration’s attack on SNAP benefits—threatening food security for millions of working families. We break down the court fight over federal worker layoffs, the latest mass job cuts at Amazon, and the Boeing machinists still holding the line in St. Louis.
Then, we turn to the rising tide of resistance—from the “No Kings” movement and Freedom Fridays walkouts to the UAW’s new push at Volkswagen in Chattanooga. We close with a look back to Terre Haute, Indiana, where Eugene Debs’ legacy burns bright—and Bernie Sanders, Sara Nelson, and working people from across the country carry that torch of solidarity into today’s struggles.
This is a call to action: organize where you are, stand with those fighting back, and keep that line of human solidarity unbroken.
Episode Highlights:
The human cost of the ongoing government shutdown and SNAP funding crisis
A federal court ruling halts mass layoffs of public workers amid shutdown chaos
The “No Kings” protests and Freedom Fridays: grassroots organizing against authoritarianism
Amazon’s sweeping corporate layoffs and the growing reach of AI automation
Boeing machinists in St. Louis continue their strike for fair wages and retirement security
UAW members at Volkswagen in Chattanooga vote to authorize a strike
Reflections from the Eugene V. Debs Banquet in Terre Haute — and what true solidarity means today
Closing thoughts on courage, organizing, and building a movement that lasts

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, the ground feels like it’s shifting under everyone’s feet. As the government shutdown stretches on, its ripple effects are hitting far beyond Washington—federal workers without pay, contractors closing up shop, and small businesses left hanging by a thread. We look at how this slowdown is grinding down working people across industries and communities.
But while government action stalls, worker action surges.
Kaiser Permanente staff across California and Hawaii walk out for safe staffing and fair pay.
Boeing defense workers in St. Louis weigh a contract offer after an 80-day strike.
Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga push toward a strike authorization vote.
Starbucks baristas ramp up organizing and declare, “No Contract, No Coffee.”
We then turn to coal miners rallying in D.C. for stronger protections against black lung disease—and the long history of promises broken by both industry and politicians.
In tech and gaming, Activision Blizzard developers join the growing union wave, proving that creative work and collective power can go hand in hand.
Finally, economist Paul Krugman warns that the “strong” economy might not be so strong for workers, and the show closes with a question many are asking: Is a college degree still worth it?
From shutdowns to strikes, organizing to education—this episode digs deep into how working people are holding the line in unstable times.

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, we cover a country in motion—from federal workers trapped in a shutdown to Jamaican farmworkers fighting for their rights, Houston hotel staff winning big, and healthcare and aerospace workers holding the line. We also look at Volkswagen’s union showdown, the rise of white-collar organizing, and Shawn Fain’s call for a unified working-class movement built on fair wages, healthcare, retirement, and time.Topics Covered:Government Shutdown Fallout: Federal workers locked out, laid off, and fighting back as the shutdown grinds on.Houston Hilton Victory: Historic 40-day strike by UNITE HERE Local 23 wins major gains in Texas hospitality.Kaiser Permanente Strike: Tens of thousands of healthcare workers walk out for wages, staffing, and dignity.Boeing’s St. Louis Showdown: Strikers face replacement workers and silence from the national media.Volkswagen’s “Final Offer”: Unionized Chattanooga workers weigh transparency vs. pressure tactics.Jamaican Apple Pickers’ Stand: Farmworkers in upstate New York fight for a suspended contract and real rights.White-Collar Union Wave: Tech, legal, and office workers redefine what collective bargaining looks like.Shawn Fain & the Future of Labor: How “wages, healthcare, retirement, and time” could unify a fractured working class.

This week on The Labor Force Podcast, we’re taking a hard look at what happens when the system stops working — and workers don’t.The federal government shutdown continues to ripple through the lives of hundreds of thousands of public servants, forcing families to make impossible choices. In St. Louis, the Boeing strike enters its third month as machinists stand firm for fair pay and respect. Meanwhile, contagious organizing is spreading in Houston’s hospitality sector and California’s health care system, where Kaiser nurses are threatening one of the largest walkouts in company history.We also unpack California’s groundbreaking new law allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize — a major shift for gig workers nationwide. Then we close with a generational deep dive: from pension gridlock in Europe to Gen X’s fight for survival in an AI-driven job market.From shutdowns and strikes to questions of fairness across generations, this episode asks: what kind of economy are we really building — and who is it working for?Segments:“Surviving the Shutdown” – The human toll of Washington’s dysfunction“The Boeing Standoff” – Three months in, the fight for dignity on the line“Contagious Organizing” – Houston hospitality workers and California nurses rise up“The Gig Worker Breakthrough” – Sectoral bargaining comes to California“Nothing But Hot Air” – Former Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters’ attack on teachers’ unions“Gerontopia and Gen X” – Generational strain and the future of work

In this episode, we dive into the latest government shutdown and its very real impact on working families’ healthcare, explore the deepening crisis inside New York State’s correctional system six months after a wildcat strike, and spotlight a brand-new organizing effort at the Downtown Disney Lego Store in California.From the fight over Medicaid and CHIP, to prison staffing shortages and debates over solitary confinement, to workers demanding fair treatment in retail—each story highlights how policy, power, and organizing shape the everyday lives of working people.Topics:What a government shutdown means for healthcare, paychecks, and communities.New York’s correctional system: staffing shortages, rising violence, and the fight over solitary confinement.The first-ever union drive at a U.S. Lego retail store—and what it could mean for retail workers nationwide.