Graduation weekend may be over, but the education continues—on the picket lines, in courtrooms, and on the factory floor. In this episode, we hear from high school seniors with big dreams and sharp insights, then take a hard look at the growing wave of labor action rippling across the country. From nurses in Wisconsin to trash collectors in Boston, grocery clerks in Colorado to beer vendors at Fenway Park, workers are fed up—and fighting back.We also dive into the rise of automation, AI companions, and the looming impact on working-class jobs—and ask: what’s the human cost of convenience?Plus, we spotlight grassroots efforts to fight ICE raids and build an independent political movement for working people, beyond the two-party trap.Topics:Opening Segment: Reflections from two high school seniors on work, hope, and the future.Wisconsin Nurses: the fight to restore collective bargaining in a post–Act 10 landscape.Colorado Grocery Strike: UFCW Local 7 escalates action against Safeway and over understaffing and benefits.Garbage & Grit: Strikes in Boston and Philadelphia put essential services on hold—and low wages in sharp focus.Victory in Texas: Teamsters at Tyson Foods win massive gains after threatening to strike.Automation Anxiety: From robotaxis to self-checkout lanes—where does that leave working people?Fenway on the Brink: Vendors and staff resist job-erasing technology at “America’s most beloved ballpark.”Union Members Against ICE: The growing movement to link immigrant rights with labor power. Sign the petition.A New Political Home?: Exploring the case for an independent workers’ party.

In this wide-ranging episode, I dive deep into the latest battles over labor rights, the disruption caused by AI, and the fight for dignity in the modern workplace. From political power grabs aimed at crushing unions to billion-dollar tech firms casually announcing mass layoffs via AI, the threats are real—but so is the resistance. Plus, we end with an inspiring look at how worker cooperatives are reclaiming power from the ground up.Topics covered:Union-Busting in Utah and the FightbackTrump’s War on Civil ServantsSignificance of Zohran Mamdani's NYC primary winThe AI Disruption Is HereRemote Work and Real PrioritiesOverwork as Identity?Worker Co-ops as the AlternativeKey question:How do you feel about the rise of AI in the workplace—hopeful, worried, or both? And what would a fair, empowering future of work look like to you? Leave a comment. I look forward to seeing your thoughts.

In this episode of The Labor Force Podcast, I travel from the apple orchards of upstate New York to a corporate warehouse in Syracuse to NFL stadium sidelines—uncovering the common threads in modern labor struggles. I begin with a landmark union win at Cahoon Farms, where both year-round and seasonal H-2A guest workers have secured New York’s first-ever farmworker contract under the United Farm Workers. Then I zoom out to examine the systemic roots of worker exploitation—from immigration policy to NAFTA to the myth of corporate “perks.”I break down the story of TCGplayer workers who used collective power to win real severance after eBay pulled the plug. And we hear from the women of America’s Sweethearts, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, as they push for better pay in the most profitable franchise in pro sports. Topics Covered:The historic union contract at Cahoon FarmsH-2A guest workers and the immigration-labor connectionThe impact of NAFTA and U.S. immigration enforcementCorporate “perks” vs. real worker benefitsTCGplayer workers' union win in the face of corporate closureThe fight for fair pay by the Dallas Cowboys CheerleadersThe bigger picture: capitalism’s impact on working people across sectorsQuote of the Episode:"At the end of the day, this whole economy runs on our backs... And if we don’t fight for each other, no one else will in this dog-eat-dog system in which we live."