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Working People

Working People

By: Working People
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Working People: A podcast by, for, and about the working class today (now in partnership with In These Times magazine and The Real News Network). Working People is a podcast about working-class lives in 21st-century America. In every episode, you'll hear interviews with workers from around the country, from all walks of life. We'll talk about their life stories, their jobs, politics, and families, their joys and hopes and frustrations. Overall, Working People aims to share and celebrate the diverse stories of working-class people, to remind ourselves that our stories matter, and to build a sense of shared struggle and solidarity between workers around the country. Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • "Shut everything down": Minnesota calls for mass strike on Jan. 23

    "Shut everything down": Minnesota calls for mass strike on Jan. 23
    Jan 21 2026
    The state of Minnesota is under siege by our own federal government, and residents—immigrant and US-born alike—are living in fear. With the deployment of over 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota in recent weeks, this is the Trump administration's largest and most violent so-called "immigration enforcement" operation yet—and with President Trump threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota in response to protests over ICE's terror campaign, the situation on the ground is extremely volatile. Amid this federal invasion, unions, community organizations, faith leaders, and small businesses in Minnesota are calling for a statewide day of "no work (except for emergency services), no school, and no shopping" on January 23.

    In this urgent episode, we speak with three union members and organizers in the Twin Cities—Daniel Troccoli, Douglas Williams, and Janette Corcelius—about the situation on the ground in Minnesota, and about the proposed mass strike this Friday.

    Additional links/info:
    • 1/23: ICE OUT OF MN call to action and Facebook event page
    • 1/23 ICE OUT OF MN Org Sign Up
    • Sarah Lazare & Amie Stager, In These Times, "'We are facing a tsunami of hate': Amid ICE crackdown, unions and community groups call for Minnesota shutdown in 10 Days"
    • Luis Feliz Leon, Labor Notes, "Will ICE ignite a mass strike in Minnesota?"
    • Suzanne Gamboa, Shaquille Brewster, & Colin Sheeley, NBC News, "Immigration officers around Minneapolis are approaching people and demanding proof that they're U.S. citizens"
    • Rachel Leingang & Maanvi Singh, The Guardian, "'Make no mistake, this is an occupation': ICE's deadly presence casts long shadow over Minneapolis"
    • Joseph Cox, 404 Media, "Inside ICE's tool to monitor phones in entire neighborhoods"
    • John Hamilton, Democracy Now!, "ICE vs. People of Minnesota: A special report on community resistance to Trump's militarized crackdown"
    Featured Music:
    • Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song
    Credits:
    • Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor
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    57 mins
  • The longest-running strike in the US is over—and the workers won

    The longest-running strike in the US is over—and the workers won
    Dec 18 2025
    On Monday, Nov. 24, after more than 1,100 days on strike, Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh members were cheered on by supporters at a rally in downtown Pittsburgh before returning to work at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Even though strikers have returned to work, however, many issues at the center of the strike are still in legal limbo—and their fight for a fair contract is not over. In this episode of Working People, we speak with three Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh members—Bob Batz. Jr, Natalie Duleba, and Steve Mellon—about where things stand now, how their lives have changed since returning to work, and what it takes to hold the picket line for over three years.

    Additional links/info:
    • Pittsburgh Union Progress website
    • Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh website, Facebook page, and Instagram
    • Bob Batz Jr. & Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Union Progress, "Pittsburgh journalists vote to end country's longest strike and notify the PG they are returning to work"
    • Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, "Post-Gazette strikers send company return to work offer"
    • Sara Scire, Nieman Lab, "What newsroom organizers learned from the years-long strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"

    Featured Music:
    • Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song

    Credits:
    • Audio Post-Production: Alina Nehlich
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • What does it mean to be a union member in these dark times?

    What does it mean to be a union member in these dark times?
    Nov 20 2025

    Making ends meet in today's economy is difficult enough, but with so many societal crises affecting working people's lives on and off the shop floor—from mass layoffs to untenable costs of living, from an authoritarian federal government to AI and the climate crisis—it can feel all but impossible. What does it mean to have a union job, to be a union member, and to be part of the labor movement in these overwhelming times? What role do unions and other labor organizations have to play, not just in the fight for economic justice, but in the fight for democracy, civil rights, the rule of law, and a livable planet? We posed these questions to a range of emerging labor leaders from different unions and worker centers enrolled in the 2025-26 Minnesota Union Leadership Program (MULP). Here's what they told us…

    Additional links/info:

    • Minnesota Union Leadership Program website

    • Workday Magazine website

    • Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, "What good is a union in Hell?"

    Featured Music:

    • Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song

    Credits:

    • Audio Post-Production: Alina Nehlich
    Show more Show less
    58 mins
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