The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee is helping workers organize. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll talk to a Trader Joes worker from New York City and a social […] The post The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee Helps Demystify How to Organize and Doug Genens – Oral Labor Historian appeared first on KKFI.

The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee is helping workers organize. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll talk to a Trader Joes worker from New York City and a social […] The post The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee Helps Demystify How to Organize and Doug Genens – Oral Labor Historian appeared first on KKFI.

Trade policy is very political. Find out this week on the Heartland Labor Forum what happens when workers are ignored. Author James Benton will talk about his book Fraying Fabric: […] The post The Politics of Trade Policy and Do We Need More Militarized Police? appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll interview Michael Zweig whose new book Class Race & Gender; Challenging the Injuries and Divisions of Capitalism explains how our capitalist economy is the root of many of our […] The post Michael Zweig and his New Book Class Race & Gender; Challenging the Injuries and Divisions of Capitalism and Jenny Agee: Truck-Driving Woman appeared first on KKFI.

Ever wonder how workers move mountains of dirt or lift tons of steel to the tops of buildings? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Aaron Brown, […] The post Operating Engineers Local 101 Union Leader Aaron Brown and Vets and Unions Go Fishing for Freedom appeared first on KKFI.

In a landslide victory, faculty and academic staff at the University of Kansas voted to unionize with the American Federation of Teachers.  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll […] The post Jayhawks Flock to the Union and Labor Song Covers appeared first on KKFI.

If we could grade them, this year’s Missouri and Kansas legislatures both flunked. Missouri gets an F minus with less than 30 non-appropriation bills passed, but Kansas bombed out on […] The post The Legislative Sausage Grinder: What happened This Year in Jeff City and Topeka? appeared first on KKFI.

Ken Grossinger, author of Art Works: How Organizers and Artists Are Creating a Better World Together believes activism needs art to imbue social struggles with purpose and solidarity.  We’ll hear […] The post Art Works: How Art Enlivens Social Struggles appeared first on KKFI.

The Labor Notes Conference last month was chock full of almost 8,000 union troublemakers. A highlight was UAW President Shawn Fain and dozens of members who are rebuilding a more […] The post Reassessing the Legacy of Walter Reuther appeared first on KKFI.

Ron Carey was the first Teamster President elected directly by the members. A new book gives us the inside scoop on the enormous challenges this union reformer faced. Author Ken […] The post Ron Carey: From UPS Driver to Teamster President and What Constitutional Rights Do Corporations Have? appeared first on KKFI.

Across the country proponents of school vouchers promise choice, freedom and upward mobility. Nicole Abshire of Mothers for Democracy Institute says vouchers are a scam on students, teachers, unions and […] The post The Voucher Scam and the Construction Contractor Tax Dodge appeared first on KKFI.

Heartland Labor Forum listeners know that U.S. labor law sucks. Are there places in the world where workers have real rights and employers can’t violate the law with impunity? This […] The post Comparing Our Labor Law with Europe and Canada and Gerald Epstein: Busting the Bankers’ Club: Finance for the Rest of Us appeared first on KKFI.

Libertarians and fans of Ayn Rand would like to dismantle our labor laws and any regulations that interfere with the rights of corporations. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum […] The post ZEDE Prospera: A Libertarian Fantasy with Nightmare Results and Bob Bruno’s What Work Is: How Worker See Work appeared first on KKFI.

Third parties are busting out all over this Spring and on this week’s Heartland Labor Forum.  Do 3rd parties “spoil” our elections or strengthen democracy? Labor leader and Socialist candidate […] The post Third Parties: Are They Spoilers or Do They Strengthen Democracy? appeared first on KKFI.

A year ago, a Norfolk Southern train derailed and blanketed East Palestine Ohio with vinyl chloride? We’ll talk to a union rep about the lives impacted, the cleanup and threats […] The post East Palestine: Still Derailed One Year Later and Blood in the Machine: Workers vs. Automation appeared first on KKFI.

The debate is raging between labor and activist groups on whether or not to support the 40-year ½ cent sales tax for the Royals to build a new stadium in […] The post The 3/8th cent sales tax pro and con appeared first on KKFI.

Two years ago, Missouri lawmakers passed a law to criminalize librarians for giving students books that the legislators think are obscene. As a result, public school libraries have purged science […] The post Librarians vs. the Book Ban and Kansas City Labor’s 40 Political Club appeared first on KKFI.

It’s women’s history month and time for some feminist labor history on the Heartland Labor Forum. We’ll ask Mary Ellen Miller how stewardesses at TWA became flight attendants and split […] The post The Flight Attendant Rebellion: A History of the Independent Federation of Flight Attendants at TWA appeared first on KKFI.

Longtime labor activist and writer Les Leopold has a new book: Wall Street’s War on Workers, which delves into how mass layoffs and stock buybacks enrich shareholders at the expense […] The post Les Leopold: Wall Streets War on Workers and What’s the Kansas Legislature Cookin’ Up for Us? appeared first on KKFI.

What’s the Missouri legislature cookin’ up this session?  Bills are being proposed that would assault people’s rights and attack public education.  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask […] The post What Are they Cookin’ up This year in Jeff City? and Marijuana Dispensary Workers Organize appeared first on KKFI.

Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez goes on trial this month in New York for drug trafficking. Honduran workers faced repression, corruption and forced migration during his reign. We’ll ask whether […] The post A Dictator Goes on Trial and Hamilton Nolan: The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor appeared first on KKFI.

We all remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his legacy in the civil rights movement. Maybe you know he was shot while supporting a strike of garbage collectors in […] The post Organized Labor and the Civil Rights Movement appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll find out what it’s like to work and support your family as refugees in your own land. We’ll talk to two Palestinians about jobs, wages, and the war. Then […] The post Work Under Occupation and Unions Come Out for Ceasefire in Gaza appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll have a tribute to music, labor and musicians. The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra is a tuition free cultural immersion education and performance non-profit orchestra. We talk with bandleader Pablo […] The post The Work of a Jazz Musician and Some Great Labor Songs appeared first on KKFI.

Is Trump a Fascist? More and more experts are saying “yes he is.” So, what’s a fascist? And how, if Trump wins in November, could working people be hurt by […] The post Is Trump a Fascist? and Kevin Hendrickson of Pipefitters Local 533 appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll talk to journalist Lawrence Tabak, author of Foxconned, on how the Taiwanese company conned former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and how corporations transfer taxpayer money to themselves benefitting consultants, […] The post Foxconned by Lawrence Tabak and The Chevron Deference Case: A Corporate Power Grab? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ve got a rerun of our Thanksgiving show, which we’re betting you missed. Tune in and appreciate the work of our volunteer programmers […] The post The Best of 2023 on the Heartland Labor Forum appeared first on KKFI.

Last January the Heartland Labor Forum volunteers and labor programmers from as far away as England looked in their crystal balls to predict what would happen to workers in 2023. […] The post Labor’s Crystal Ball for 2024 appeared first on KKFI.

Despite a number of attempts by the UAW to organize foreign-owned Southern auto plants, there’s been stiff resistance from the foreign companies, politicians, community, and workers themselves.  This week on […] The post UAW’s Southern Strategy – an Assessment and Nanni Balestrini’s We Want Everything – A Strike Novel appeared first on KKFI.

From the Gilded Age to the 1920s, employers and allies used terrorism to control workplaces and communities. We’ll talk to Chad Pearson, author of Capital’s Terrorists: Klansmen, Lawmen & Employers […] The post Chad Pearson, Capital’s Terrorists: Klansmen, Lawmen & Employers . . . – and – from Prison Guard to Union President Lynn Fields Is Making Prisons Safer for All appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll talk about organizing and labor’s future with New Yorker writer Eleni Schirmer who thinks labor guru Jane McAlevey has transformed the labor movement and then with former ILWU organizing […] The post Can Labor Seize the Movement Moment? – and – How Jane McAlevy Transformed the Labor Movement appeared first on KKFI.

Kansas City’s Alise Martiny is one of the highest ranking women in building trades union history.  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to her and find out […] The post Alise Martiny: Woman at the Top – and – Steve Gercone of the Roofers Union appeared first on KKFI.

It’s Thanksgiving and we thought it would give us an opportunity to appreciate the work of our volunteer programmers on the Heartland Labor Forum throughout 2023 by playing clips of […] The post Best of 2023 on the Heartland Labor Forum appeared first on KKFI.

Teamsters for a Democratic Union or TDU has for almost half a century led the fight for rank-and-file union democracy and been a leader fighting back against increasingly greedy corporations. […] The post Teamsters for a Democratic Union: Is It in the Vanguard of Labor? appeared first on KKFI.

In May 2022, the Heartland Labor Forum reported on censorship in public schools. We’ll follow up with KCMO school librarian, Rebecca Parker about the escalation of book bans and the […] The post Banned but not Forgotten; The State of KCMO School Libraries – and – Challenges and Opportunities in the Midwest Since COVID – EPI appeared first on KKFI.

Amazon is a serial labor law violator. In fact, there is a veritable river of decisions holding the company guilty of violating its workers rights, but last we checked Amazon […] The post Amazon Delivers — Bad Faith and What’s in the New Auto Contracts? appeared first on KKFI.

First they were essential, then they were exhausted, then they were enraged. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Jamie McCallum about his new book Essential: How […] The post Two Books: Essential: How the Pandemic Transformed the Long Fight for Worker Justice and Migration As Economic Imperialism appeared first on KKFI.

Did you see the film Oppenheimer? If so, did you wonder who built the buildings where the Manhattan Project did its work or who cleaned up the radioactive waste or […] The post What the Oppenheimer Film Missed appeared first on KKFI.

Reggie Thomas leads Laborers local 264. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum as part of our Labor Leader Series we’ll ask him about the work members of the Laborers […] The post Reggie Thomas – What do Laborers Do? and Jason Roberts: Why the Shortage of Teachers and Other School Personnel? appeared first on KKFI.

We used to call them sailors. Now they’re seafarers who work the ships that transport goods around the world. From the days of mutinies and striking the sails to today they’ve […] The post The Lives of Maritime Workers and Does the Jones Act Really Protect Their Jobs? appeared first on KKFI.

When we talk about labor organizing these days, we rarely talk about farm workers, who have been left in the dust in wages working conditions and rights. This week on […] The post When Will Farmworkers Get Labor Justice? and JwJ’s Erika Smiley: The Future We Need; Organizing for a Better Democracy in the 21st Century appeared first on KKFI.

What’s the matter with Kansas Workers Compensation Law? Well, it’s possibly the worst program in the country.  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll talk to labor lawyer Keith […] The post What’s the Matter with Kansas Workers Comp? and The New McCarthyism appeared first on KKFI.

On June 27th, the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act went into effect with new protections for women workers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum learn who is covered and what […] The post The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and How to Blow the Whistle on Unsafe Conditions at Work and Not Get Fired appeared first on KKFI.

In July an undocumented laborer working at night without lights fell 12 floors to his death when the elevator malfunctioned. Ever wonder what other immigrant construction workers face each day […] The post The Perils of Working Non-Union and Immigrant and Heartland Women in Trades Need for Childcare appeared first on KKFI.

Is there such a thing as philosophy of labor? Find out this week on the Heartland Labor Forum for a lively discussion with retired AFSCME member Richard Mellor. Then, Harry […] The post Worker Philosophy – Philosophy of Work and Robert Cherny: Harry Bridges; Labor Radical, Labor Legend appeared first on KKFI.

The United Autoworkers, in its first direct election, threw out the caucus that ran the union for decades and elected Shawn Fain President. Now Fain is riding a wave of […] The post Shawn Fein, Bernie Sandeers and UAW 31 President Dontay Wilson on the Auto Negotiations appeared first on KKFI.

When there’s a life-threatening emergency at your house who sends help? It’s a dispatcher. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we present a day in the life of a […] The post The Life of a Dispatcher and Machinists Leader Scott Brown appeared first on KKFI.

Two books for your summer reading. First long-time labor guru Bill Fletcher Jr’s second novel: The Man Who Changed Colors is a mystery where a shipyard worker falls to his […] The post Summer Reading: Bill Fletcher, Jr. The Man Who Changed Colors and Working Class Giant: The Life of William Z. Foster appeared first on KKFI.

Should the labor movement endorse reproductive justice, including abortion rights, as a working families’ issue?  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask union women who are leading a […] The post Should the AFL-CIO Endorse the Right to Abortion? and UPS: What Do the Workers Think? appeared first on KKFI.

There’s a growing chorus of workers demanding more democracy in their unions. We talk to leaders of Essential Workers for Democracy – EW4D who have formed the rank & file […] The post Essential Workers for Union Democracy: a Growing Movement and The Ghost Workers Behind AI appeared first on KKFI.

What do Starbucks, and Trader Joes have in common? Right their workers are organizing unions and some with great success. What else do they all have in common? They both […] The post Organizing Starbucks and Trader Joes appeared first on KKFI.

Union busting has been around since the Pharaohs. Today’s “union avoidance” methods may be more sophisticated, but they’re still union busting, and the busters are getting rich off it. We’ll […] The post 21st Century Union Busting and What’s in the Meany Labor Archives? appeared first on KKFI.

As Red State Governors and legislatures ban books and dictate to schools and colleges what they can’t teach, we’ll take a look at the damage to young minds from the […] The post Whitewashing Labor and American History appeared first on KKFI.

The Industrial Workers of the World or IWW is remembered as militant and creative. Its vision was one big union where workers decide what to produce, working conditions, and pay. […] The post Ahmed White: Under the Iron Heel: The Wobblies and the Capitalist War on Radical Workers and Isn’t It Time to Nationalize the Railroads? appeared first on KKFI.

State legislatures including Iowa and Arkansas are rolling back child labor law protections. Ultra conservative groups, including the National Restaurant Association, are pushing bills that allow 14-year-olds to work the […] The post The Return of Child Labor — Again??? appeared first on KKFI.

IT’S PLEDGE DRIVE. PLEASE CALL OR GO ONLINE TO MAKE A PLEDGE Should the slogan “Good Jobs for All” include the disabled?  In Missouri it’s not so clear. This week […] The post Sheltered Workshops and 22¢ an Hour The Fight to Ban the Subminimum Wage appeared first on KKFI.

The Kansas City Labor Beacon is under new ownership – the Kansas City AFL-CIO.  We’ll hear from Labor Beacon editor Tristen Amezcua- Hogan and publisher Abril Negrete about the past, […] The post The New Labor Beacon under KC AFL-CIO Ownership and Labor Leader Profile: United Steelworker District 11 Director Emil Ramirez appeared first on KKFI.

As the largest collective bargaining unit in North America, the National UPS agreement with the Teamsters Union is a classic Labor vs Capital stand-off.   Both sides are heavily dug-in […] The post Teamsters Team Up to Fight UPS appeared first on KKFI.

Wage theft is more common than we think, especially against immigrant workers whose employers often skip out without paying them for their work. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, […] The post The Fight Against Wage Theft and Jon Carpenter on the Clay County Fair Contracting Ordinance appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll delve into two hot Kansas City – City Council races – the 5th district at-large featuring Darrell Curls and Mike Kelley and in the 1st district Chris Gahagan. We’ve […] The post Candidates in Two Hot KC City Council Races: Darrell Curls and Michael Kelly and Chris Gahagan and Nathan Willett (invited) appeared first on KKFI.

Robert Pollin what it will cost as we phase out the fossil fuel industry to provide a just transition for fossil fuel workers into other jobs without major losses in […] The post Robert Pollin: Just Transitions to a Green Economy and New Stadium: Who Will Pay? Who will Benefit? appeared first on KKFI.

“We don’t trust teachers to teach, we’re banning books, we’re doing educational gag orders, but now because of the politics, we trust them to carry a loaded firearm.” So says […] The post American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten with Local 691’s Jason Roberts on the Attack on Teachers and Whitewashing of Education appeared first on KKFI.

There’s an apprenticeship program for people who want to find work in the industrial sewing and garment trades. Indeed, Kansas City’s Sewing Labs offers the only apprenticeship program in sewing […] The post Inside the Sewing Lab Apprenticeship Program and Traveling Musicians Local 1000 appeared first on KKFI.

We take a ride on the bad bills clown car through Kansas and Missouri. Get on board to find out what’s happening in the legislatures.  Bills are being proposed that […] The post What Happens When Work Disappears? and Management Rights vs Workers appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll be riding the bad bills clown car through Kansas and Missouri. Get on board to find out what’s happening in the legislatures.  Bills are being proposed that would assault […] The post Riding the Bad Bills’ Clown Car through Kansas and Missouri appeared first on KKFI.

Meet Saul Schniderman American labor’s culture maven, founder of the Great labor Arts Exchange, assembler of the national inventory of American labor landmarks, author of the Friday Labor Folklore newsletter, […] The post Labor’s Friday Folklorist, Saul Schniderman appeared first on KKFI.

Did any of you listeners wonder whether the Ohio rail derailment could happen here? Do we have bomb trains coming through KC? On the show we’ll find out from the […] The post Derailed in Ohio! What About Kansas City? What’s Coming Thru A Rail Near You? appeared first on KKFI.

The Kansas City Building Trades – the union of construction unions – has a new leader: Ralph Oropeza. We’ll ask Ralph about himself and whether he’s expecting a building boom […] The post New Building Trades Council Leader Ralph Oropeza and SMART Local 2’s Greg Chastain appeared first on KKFI.

There’s a new book out on how organized labor can build its power to take on corporate America and win. It asks how we get the leverage necessary to force […] The post Labor Power & Strategy: Organizing around the Choke Points appeared first on KKFI.

The National Nurses United represents the RNs at Menorah and Research Hospitals. Does HCA want to bust their union? Find out this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Then, one […] The post Staffing Our Hospitals: Nurses vs HCA and The Cost of Worker Misclassification appeared first on KKFI.

Between attacks on our public schools and what LGBTQ folk called “hate week” the Kansas legislature is full of bizarre agendas. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum well ask […] The post Sherman Smith, Reflecting on the Kansas Legislature and Kansas City Public Schools Update from AFT Local 691 – New Superintendent and big Contract Win! appeared first on KKFI.

Many workers today work in teams. That sounds great because workers know how to run things, but more often than not their knowledge is used against them by management. This […] The post Beyond Team Management and Teamsters Delivering a New UPS Contract appeared first on KKFI.

Do rural working-class people vote against their economic interests because of cultural issues, or could something else be pushing them to vote conservative? Shane Hamilton’s book, Trucking Country: The Road […] The post Trucking Country; The Road to America’s Wal-Mart Economy by Shane Hamilton and Labor Leader Series: Amber Gibson Navigating the Future for Argosy Casino Workers appeared first on KKFI.

Despite a Democratic majority for 18 months, the National Labor Relations Board has moved at a glacial pace. Recently though, there’s been a flurry of new decisions.  Is it too […] The post New NLRB Rules for Organizing and Fighting Times by Jonathan Melrod appeared first on KKFI.

Tonight, on the Heartland Labor Forum:  Last November, AFT and AAUP announced they were organizing 1500 faculty and staff at the Un iversity of Kansas.  This week on the Heartland […] The post Rock Chalk Union – Organizing at KU and M-Power – The Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment, and Rights appeared first on KKFI.

Are you one of those people who thinks that the kids are lazy? That they can’t get to work on time? No work ethic. Are going to make the U.S. […] The post Busting the Myth of Lazy Youth appeared first on KKFI.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond and retired AFSCME and civil rights leader Bill Lucy on labor and Martin Luther King. Then we’ll ask Missouri’s freshman legislator Jaime Johnson about the new […] The post Fred Redmond and Bill Lucy on MLK and Rep Jamie Johnson on the MO Leg appeared first on KKFI.

We have an inspiring story of retirement. After 31-years at the post office Willa Robinson turned her passion for reading into a gem of a bookstore uplifting black history, music […] The post Ex-Postal Worker Willa has a Passion for Books and New Rules for Gig Workers appeared first on KKFI.

Labor radio programmers and podcasters from around the country, from Kansas City and from as far away as England will get out their union made crystal balls and tell us […] The post Labor’s 2023 Crystal Ball: Will It Be Good for Working People appeared first on KKFI.

Justin Akers Chacon author of The Border Crossed Us argues that our polices of open borders for goods and closed borders for people hurt all American workers. He makes the […] The post Justin Akers Chacon: The Case for Opening th Border and Why Doesn’t the NLRB Cover Ag and Domestice Workers? Might I Have to Do with Race? appeared first on KKFI.

Y’all know the story of Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. What if it were a musical put on by the San Francisco Mime Troupe? Huh? Mime on the […] The post The San Francisco Mime Troupe’s Red Carol appeared first on KKFI.

Tonight, on the Heartland Labor Forum:  Has your metropolitan newspaper turned into a zombie? Is local news coverage just a fading memory? We’ll look at the corporatization of the media […] The post The Fading of Local For-profit Print Media and Rise of the Non-Profits and Independence Firefighters’ Fight for Health Care appeared first on KKFI.

Do you ever think about the fact that just about everything you buy passes first through a warehouse? Then it gets delivered in a truck to a store or your […] The post Jerry Wood of Teamsters Local 955 and Stories from the 1970s of Women in Non-Traditional Jobs with Jenny Agee – Trucker and Teamster Organizer appeared first on KKFI.

Ellen Cassidy was a founder of 9 to 5 the working women’s organization that became a union and and a movie with Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. We’ll […] The post Ellen Cassedy, Working 9 to 5 and The UAW’s First Direct Election for Top Officers appeared first on KKFI.

The Kansas City labor community lost Herb Johnson over a year ago on October 18th 2021. On this Thanksgiving the Heartland Labor Forum will remember Herb’s life and honor him […] The post Remembering Herb Johnson a Year after his Death appeared first on KKFI.

Have you dreamt of a world where your job gives you fulfillment and respect? Where income inequality and discrimination have disappeared? Where we have health care for all? We will […] The post Work Work Work: Labor, Alienation & Class by Michael Yates and Will Jay Ashcroft Take Away Your Right to Read? appeared first on KKFI.

The US Supreme Court is about to hear a case that could have devastating consequences for unions. The issue is whether unions can be sued in state court for economic […] The post Will the Supreme Court Preempt the Right to Strike? and The Return of OSHA appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll find out why zookeepers in Salina Kansas (yes there’s a zoo there) just voted to be represented by a union. Then, railway track workers in the BMWE voted against […] The post The Zookeepers’ Union and Why the BMWE Rejected the Rail Contract appeared first on KKFI.

School librarians weigh in on recent book banning, how students are affected, and the recently proposed rule by the Missouri Secretary of State to ban books at public libraries. Are […] The post Librarians Speak Out about Book Banning and the Kansas City Fair Contractor Alliance appeared first on KKFI.

The Kansas City Missouri School District just announced its Blueprint 2030, an ambitious plan of transformation including the closing of ten schools. We’ll talk to Jason Roberts, president of the […] The post What’s the Teachers’ Union Have to Say about the KCMO School Closings? and Ironworkers’ Dave Coleman appeared first on KKFI.

On Labor Day ROC United introduced the Restaurant Worker Bill of Rights, with model local, state, and federal legislation. Find out how they want to add some rights to your […] The post ROC United’s New Restaurant Bill of Rights and KC Tenants New Political Arm appeared first on KKFI.

We talk with Daisy Pitkin, organizer, about her book On the Line which takes us into a union organizing drive in an industrial laundry in Arizona. You’ll see joys, obstacles […] The post Daisy Pitkin: On the Line and Does the State Department Union Bust? appeared first on KKFI.

As outrage at oppressive and exhausting working conditions grows among rail workers, they’re pushing for a showdown with the carriers, but the Biden administration has switched the track for that […] The post Will There Be a National Railway Strike? And Wire Women Lighting It Up – What It’s Like to Be a Female Union Electrician appeared first on KKFI.

Do you get lost in all the mumbo jumbo of incentives for developers and wonder what they cost taxpayers, local government, school districts and even the public library? This week […] The post TIFs and Other Incentives: Welfare for Rich Developers? appeared first on KKFI.

The Alliance for Retired Americans, a grassroots labor organization with 4.4 million members in 39 states, has just expanded to Kansas. We’ll talk to its leader Rich Fiesta. Then labor […] The post The National Alliance for Retired Americans Goes to Kansas and What Liberals Get Wrong about the New Deal appeared first on KKFI.

If you’re working class, and you’re wondering if the political class has done anything for you lately, tune in to this week’s Heartland Labor Forum where Rep. Sharice Davids and […] The post Rep. Sharice Davids and KS AFL-CIO’s John Nave on What Has Congress Done for Us Lately appeared first on KKFI.

Large classrooms and too few teachers are nothing new to education, but this year as shortages pile up, we’re asking, “Where have all the teachers gone?  We’ll try to answer […] The post Where Have All the Teachers Gone? and Tales from the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum appeared first on KKFI.

School shootings have us all on edge, but as school starts up again this month, our educators are speaking out strongly against guns in schools. Should teachers be armed? Should […] The post Teachers with Guns/Students with Guns appeared first on KKFI.

When the economy goes south, or there’s a war or pandemic, rather than hunker down, American workers organize. Former NLRB Chairman William Gould has written a book called For Labor […] The post Former NLRB Chair William Gould, and Carson Pope on Missouri labor politics appeared first on KKFI.

Why is it so hard for workers to win unions? CWA organizer Jeff Hayes will debunk many of the antiunion lies that bosses tell their workers and explain what’s in […] The post Profile of two union leaders: CWA organizer Jeff Hayes and ATU 1287 President Will Howard appeared first on KKFI.

Last month over 4,000 rank and file labor activists met in Chicago for the biannual Labor Notes Conference. There were 250 workshops teaching how to make good trouble, plenaries with […] The post 4000 Union Troublemakers – A Report from the Labor Notes Conference appeared first on KKFI.

The Federal Reserve is trying to slow inflation by raising interest rates. At the same time corporate profits are at an all-time high. We’ll ask UMKC economists if our monopolized […] The post Inflation and Monopoly: What’s the Connection? And David Bacon: More Than a Wall – 30 Years of Photos appeared first on KKFI.

Max Alvarez of the Real News has a new book, The Work of Living. In it, he dives deep into the lives of essential workers and how they survived being […] The post Max Alvarez-The Work of Living and Revisiting Joy Silk – can the NLRB Make It Easier to Organize? appeared first on KKFI.

When a Heartland Labor Forum programmer became pregnant, she began investigating maternity and family leave to find out how her pregnancy would impact her financial health. Turns out pregnancy in […] The post A Pregnant HLF Volunteer Investigates Maternity Leave and The New AFL-CIO Leadership appeared first on KKFI.

We interview 9 to 5’s Ellen Bravo and Rethinking Schools’ Larry Miller about their new novel based on their lives as labor activists. Then after years of inaction to expand […] The post Ellen Bravo and Larry Miller: Tales of Struggle and The Long Wait for Missouri Medicaid appeared first on KKFI.

President Biden signed The Postal Service Reform Act April 6th. It will provide much needed financial and operational changes to the US Postal Service. Learn what improvements to your service […] The post The Postal Reform Act and UMKC Student Tenant Union appeared first on KKFI.

The leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court tells us that overturning women’s right to abortion is likely, and soon. Meanwhile anti-abortion politicians in Kansas put an amendment on the […] The post Is the Right to an Abortion a Working Women’s Issue? Is it Common Sense? appeared first on KKFI.

What would happen if a global social media empire merged with the world’s largest online retailer? Would everything become company business? Join award-winning author Dave Eggers, author of Heartbreaking Work […] The post Dystopian Novelist Dave Eggers, Author of The Every and the Circle appeared first on KKFI.

The National Labor Relations Board’s General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo wants to bust the union busters. She’s moving to outlaw anti-union captive audience meetings where employers push workers to vote against […] The post The Need to Ban Anti-Union Captive Audience Meetings appeared first on KKFI.

We ask a teacher why unions matter in public schools. We’ll talk to AFT Local 691 member Jennifer Gwinner and ask how do we stop privatization of schools and what […] The post Why Teachers Need Unions and Starbucks Update appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ve asked educators to comment on and slam the suppression of teaching about race and gender and book banning. As politicians direct curriculum […] The post Teachers and a Librarian Slam CRT and Book Banning appeared first on KKFI.

The Kansas Legislature isn’t done yet, but there’s plenty to talk about, like workers compensation, food sales tax, redistricting, voter suppression, sports gambling, and how to spend a $3 billion […] The post Kansas Legislative Wrap-up with the Kansas AFL-CIO’s John Nave and Union Leaders Series: Chris Fairbanks – Independence Firefighter appeared first on KKFI.

Thinking about a career as a skilled trades person? Need some prep to qualify? We’ll talk to Rudy Chavez about the new Missouri Apprentice Ready Program. Then Kim Kelly, labor […] The post The Missouri Apprentice Ready Program and Kim Kelly with her new Untold History of American Labor appeared first on KKFI.

In the early 1990s, just before NAFTA was rammed through Congress, two unions – one in Mexico and one in the U.S. formed a solidarity partnership to organize workers on […] The post Solidarity Without Borders – the Partnership of UE and FAT and Ranked Choice Voting appeared first on KKFI.

In 1922 Railway shopworkers went on strike against wage cuts and union busting in the largest and most violent rail strike of the 20th Century. This week on the Heartland […] The post Remembering the Railway Shopmen’s Strike and What’s the State of Current Rail Negotiations? appeared first on KKFI.

In January 1990 a gang of assassins invaded a Ford assembly plant in Mexico City and opened fire on the assembly line workers killing one and injuring several. The workers […] The post El Golpe: US Labor, the CIA, and the Coup at Ford Mexico – an Interview with Rob McKenzie appeared first on KKFI.

United Autoworkers Local 249 is the largest local union in KC. It represents Ford workers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we interview Jason Starr, President of Local 249 […] The post A Profile of Jason Starr of UAW 249 and The Labor Beacon’s New Faces appeared first on KKFI.

Nora Guthrie, daughter of America’s great folk singer, Woody Guthrie, has released a book called Woody Guthrie: Songs and Art, Words and Wisdom. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum […] The post Woody Guthrie- Songs and Art, Words and Wisdom and SEIU Healthcare and the Health Levy appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we will talk to the authors of two new books: first is Joe Burns with Class Struggle Unionism. He asks if the labor […] The post New Books: Joe Burns: Class Struggle Unionism & N. Iskander: Migrant Workers in Qatar appeared first on KKFI.

This week on The Heartland Labor Forum, we look into the explosion of bills attacking teachers and dumbing-down education across Missouri. We’ll cover bills expanding charter schools, banning critical race […] The post Is the Missouri Legislature Out to Destroy Public Schools? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, it’s New York Times reporter Peter Goodman on his new book Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World. Goodman lampoons ultra-rich guys […] The post Davos Man by Peter Goodman & An Interview with NLRB General Council Jennifer A. Abruzzo appeared first on KKFI.

In recent years, Missouri voters have bypassed a recalcitrant legislature to take burning issues directly to the voters through the initiative process. That’s how Missourians defeated right to work, raised […] The post Searching for Good Bills among the Bad in Jeff City appeared first on KKFI.

What’s it like to be on strike for almost a year? How do you stay hopeful? How do you pay the bills? What do you tell your kids? This week […] The post Warrior Met Coal: How to Survive a Strike and Coal Miner Songs appeared first on KKFI.

Who are the good people who do the bad jobs no one wants, and at what cost? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to the author of […] The post Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America and Unchecked Mergers with the Institute for Local Self Reliance appeared first on KKFI.

We recognize and honor the life of Bill Onasch who died last year. Son of a KC meat packing worker, Bill cut his teeth on radical unionism and grew up […] The post Remembering Bill Onasch appeared first on KKFI.

Irish immigrant silver miners in Colorado died penniless and were buried in pauper’s graves. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to an historian who dug up their […] The post The Leadville Irish Miners Memorial and Workplace Monitoring: Is Your Boss Spying on You? appeared first on KKFI.

Ever notice that the mainstream media rarely put the voices of workers on the air? Well, the Heartland Labor Forum does, and this week in our new union leaders series […] The post New Union Leaders: IBEW’s Todd Howerton and Firefighters’ Dan Heisman appeared first on KKFI.

As the mainstream media swells fears of inflation, blaming Biden, greedy workers, the supply chain and COVID, on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll ask economist Richard Wolff what’s the real […] The post Who Is to Blame for the Current Inflation? We’ll Ask Richard Wolff and KC Google Workers Organize appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, it’s Johnnie Kallas from Cornell University about his new Labor Action Tracker strike map of the US. It will help you see who […] The post Mapping the Current Strike Wave and Replacing Permanent Replacement appeared first on KKFI.

If you’re a wage earner in Kansas City, it’s very likely that you have been a victim of wage theft during your work life. This week on the Heartland Labor […] The post KC’s New Wage Theft Ordinance and Duke on Biden appeared first on KKFI.

“Racism in our politics and in our policy making is why all of us can’t have nice things. And by we who can’t have nice things, I mean the white […] The post Why Stamping Out Racism Is Good for White People (and everyone else too) Heather McGhee in KC with Terrence and Bridgette from Stand Up KC appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have another in our new union leaders series. We’ll talk to Kevin Gard, business manager of Cement Masons Local 518. His members […] The post New Union Leaders Series: Kevin Gard, Cement Masons & Who’s In the Working Class? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk about two victories for working people. First, pro-worker leftist Gabriel Boric won Sunday’s presidential election in Chile and may finally exorcize […] The post Two Victories for Workers: Chilean Workers Can Now Purge the Pinochet Constitution and Autoworkers Vote for Democracy appeared first on KKFI.

Will Santa be late for Christmas? Will his supply chain deficiencies leave your stocking empty? Some want to blame workers who don’t want to work or a global pandemic. On […] The post Getting There for XMAS: Supply Chain Blues and Will Santa Deliver? appeared first on KKFI.

It’s a hundred years since The Battle of Blair Mountain, the only union organizing attempt where the US government threatened to bomb workers. Hear about it, and find out where […] The post Teamsters Vow to Organize Amazon and the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial appeared first on KKFI.

The Kansas City labor community lost Herb Johnson on October 18th. Herb’s life was a non-stop fight for the rights of working people from his early days with the Machinists […] The post A Labor Tribute to Herb Johnson (1943-2021) appeared first on KKFI.

Twenty years ago, Transworld Airlines ceased operations, driven into bankruptcy by corporate raider Carl Icahn. The union that represented the thousands of Kansas City TWA maintenance base workers was Machinists […] The post Remembering Herb Johnson & Keith Nelson from the 2011 show on TWA appeared first on KKFI.

Vaccine mandates. Biden and OSHA are for them. Your company may be too, but what about unions and what about you? We’ll ask leaders of the Postal Workers and CWA […] The post Unions and Vaccine Mandates and Is CRT: Turning Parents Against Teachers? appeared first on KKFI.

Can toxic workplace culture contribute to deadly mass shootings? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll discuss this year’s deadliest workplace shooting and what unions can do to stop […] The post Workplace Shootings: One ATU Leader’s Plea for Workplace Mental Health and Remember, Remember Striketober in November? appeared first on KKFI.

There’s a new gang of labor reporters online. They want more justice, more accountability, more power for the people. They’re called More Perfect Union, and this week they’ll be on […] The post More Perfect Union: Labor News and Lessons for Labor from the Afghan War appeared first on KKFI.

How safe is your vote? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Sara Zorich of the Jackson County Election Board about your ballot’s journey from the voting […] The post Voting in Missouri: The Old Rules Again to Limit Voting and Asylum for Sale – Adrienne Pine’s book on the Asylum Industrial Complex appeared first on KKFI.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is facing a new era of leadership and perhaps some sweeping changes. Longtime President James P. Hoffa is retiring and the election for his successor […] The post Teamsters International: Is the Tide Changing? And Biden’s NLRB appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we mark Indigenous People’s day and pay tribute to our First Nations. Then, we’ll ask why many progressive organizations resist unionization. We’ll get […] The post CEOs Who “Love” Unions Everywhere but in Their Own Companies and Indigenous Peoples’ Day appeared first on KKFI.

We’ve heard a lot from the media about the new KC Airport: its design, its cost, its food choices, but little has been said lately about the workers – more […] The post AIRPORT! Who Is Doing the Work? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, meet Bo Moreno, the new Business Manager of IBEW Local 124 whose highly skilled members wire Kansas City. Then, we’ll talk to Tom […] The post Two New Union Leaders in KC appeared first on KKFI.

Workers of the World Unite! Let’s go to the movies. It’s the Workers Unite Film Festival, and this week on the  Heartland Labor Forum we’ll hear all about it. Then […] The post Workers Unite Film Festival and The Alabama Coal Strike appeared first on KKFI.

The AFL-CIO has a new president, the first woman – Liz Shuler, who got the job after the death of Richard Trumka. But elections are scheduled for next year, and […] The post What Direction for the Post-Trumka AFL-CIO? appeared first on KKFI.

Last year, under pressure from citizens, the city of Kansas City, Missouri conducted a Pay Equity Analysis Report. Did it find that women city workers have equal pay to men? […] The post Women, Equal Pay, Access to City Jobs and life support for the ERA appeared first on KKFI.

Ed Asner died on August 29th. He was Kansas City born and raised, and he made it big in Hollywood, winning a bundle of Emmys for The Mary Tyler Moore […] The post Ed Asner at KKFI in 2013 – a Heartland Labor Forum Special Program appeared first on KKFI.

It’s almost Labor Day, and the volunteers of the Heartland Labor Forum are celebrating by sharing our recommendations of our favorite books about working people. We’ll also share some favorite […] The post LABOR DAY! A Medley of our Volunteers’ Favorite Labor Books and Songs appeared first on KKFI.

For years, New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse was one of only a couple left in the US: then, he retired. Turns out, he’s still covering labor, and this […] The post Steven Greenhouse, Labor Reporter and UAWD – Will Autoworkers Win the Right to Vote? appeared first on KKFI.

As the workplace changes, so does resistance by workers to increased exploitation. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll interview Robert Ovetz on his book on Global Class Struggle: […] The post Robert Ovetz on Global Class Struggle and Remembering Chuy Negrete appeared first on KKFI.

They don’t get much notice, but union officers are important leaders of Kansas City’s working class. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’re catching them coming and going. We’ll […] The post Two Labor Leaders Coming and Going: Michael Bell and Jason Roberts appeared first on KKFI.

The KC Tenants Union fights to keep people housed amidst the pandemic and end of the eviction moratorium. They expose mega corporate slum lords and defend renters from being displaced. […] The post KC Tenants and the People’s Housing Trust appeared first on KKFI.

Last week, the Missouri Supreme Court gave a resounding YES to Medicaid Expansion. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask the lawyers about the decision and when uninsured […] The post Medicaid Expansion in Missouri AT LAST! appeared first on KKFI.

Wyandotte County is electing a new mayor and there are a lot of contenders for the job. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have highlights from this week’s […] The post Unified Government of Wyandotte County KCK Mayor/CEO Candidate Forum & Voices from the Frito-Lay Picket Line appeared first on KKFI.

Thomas Frank, author of What’s the Matter with Kansas, Listen Liberal, and Pity the Billionaire is in town this month visiting his Dad. He’ll be on the Heartland Labor Forum […] The post What’s the Matter with Thomas Frank? appeared first on KKFI.

In the past 6 months, Critical Race Theory has been at the front of a media storm of fear and misinformation about the role of racism in our history.  This week […] The post The Latest Scam Scare: Critical Race Theory appeared first on KKFI.

First it was five, then it was three, then two, and now the railroad companies want only one worker running an entire train. If they get their way, those one-man […] The post Are One-Man Trains Comin’ Down the Track? And Help Wanted: Heartland Labor Forum Volunteers appeared first on KKFI.

Jeremy Brecher has written fifteen books on labor and social movements. His best seller, Strike, originally written in 1972, was just updated for its 50th anniversary. We’ll interview him this […] The post Jeremy Brecher’s Updated ‘Strike’ appeared first on KKFI.

When you think of labor leaders, think women. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll profile two local women leaders. Alise Martiny leads the KC Building Trades. She’s making […] The post Two Women Labor Leaders: Alise Martiny and Antoinette Robinson appeared first on KKFI.

Once upon a time, you could work for one company your whole adult life, you could make a decent living, and you could buy your piece of the American Dream. […] The post Dan McCrory, How Capitalism Killed the Middle Class and Rigged the System and New AFSCME Local 500 President Reginald Silvers appeared first on KKFI.

As we reopen after a year of COVID, what’s happening to the so-called heroes who do essential work? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at how we […] The post How We Failed Essential Workers appeared first on KKFI.

The attack on public education is nothing new, but recent legislation coming out of the Missouri Legislature has public school teachers fighting back. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we […] The post Missouri’s School Voucher Problem & Eric Lotke: Union Made appeared first on KKFI.

After over a year of the pandemic and its resulting economic ruin, and as politicians now debate when to kick people off unemployment, isn’t it time to revisit the idea […] The post The Jobs Guarantee: Is Full Employment Possible? appeared first on KKFI.

Scabby the Rat, the iconic supersized symbol of anti-union employers across America, has been under attack by Trumpers in the NLRB. Find out on this week’s Heartland Labor Forum whether […] The post Long Live Scabby the Rat! and Sarah Lloyd Green and the Kansas City General Strike appeared first on KKFI.

KKFI has been discouraging the use of words that dehumanize people in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. So what about words like “illegal” and “alien?” This week […] The post A is for Asylum: How We Talk about Immigration and Judy Ancel: The Heart of the Labor Forum appeared first on KKFI.

Is organized labor up for the fight against climate change? Do climate activists get the importance of transitions to good clean jobs?  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we […] The post May the Earth Have Another Day – Celebrating Earth Day and May Day appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we spend the show with longtime successful organizer Jane McAlevey. We ask her what happened at Amazon, how to defeat the union busters, […] The post Jane McAlevey: A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing and the Fight for Democracy appeared first on KKFI.

It’s the last month of this year’s legislative session in Missouri. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Minority Leader Crystal Quade and Senator Barbara Washington about […] The post Missouri Legislative Sum-up with Rep. Crystal Quade and Barbara Washington appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll focus on radical unions. First, we’ll talk to Toni Gilpin about her new book The Long Deep Grudge: A Story of Big […] The post Toni Gilpin, The Long Deep Grudge and Organizing Google appeared first on KKFI.

Reporters at the Lawrence Journal-World have formed a union. In response, the bosses have hired one of the most expensive anti-labor law firms in the country to handle negotiations. This […] The post Organizing the Lawrence Journal-World & How the Ultra-Rich Profit from Racial Injustice appeared first on KKFI.

As the legislature considers expanding charter schools, The Heartland Labor Forum will look at the pros and cons of charters. Will they expand beyond St. Louis and Kansas City? What’s […] The post Charter Schools: Good or Bad for Teachers/Kids/Education? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, Judy Morgan interviews Tammy Queen, the Kansas City Missouri Finance Director about the KCMO earnings tax renewal. She ask how much our sales […] The post The Kansas City Earnings Tax Election & Lessons from the Last Stand of the Steelworkers in Homestead, PA appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we ask “What difference does a union make?” Prof. Mark Anner talked to union and non-union banana workers in Guatemala, we’ll talk to […] The post What Difference Does A Union Make & Organizing Amazon in Alabama appeared first on KKFI.

Anne Feeney was the most celebrated singer song writer of the labor movement for the last forty years. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll celebrate her life with […] The post Anne Feeney — A Musical Remembrance appeared first on KKFI.

There’s a lot going on in Congress. This week, the Heartland Labor Forum asks Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver where it’s all going. Then, tens of thousands of Indian farmers driving tractors […] The post Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver on the State of Congress & Reversing New Agricultural Policies in India appeared first on KKFI.

Tune in to the Heartland Labor Forum this week to find out what’s cookin’ in the Missouri and Kansas legislatures. Missouri Representative Wes Rogers and Kansas Senator Tom Holland will […] The post What’s Cookin’ In the Kansas & Missouri Legislatures? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: The not-yet-confirmed new Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh, will be the first in decades to actually come from organized labor.  What could that […] The post The Biden Administration’s New Labor Secretary & Policies On Latin America and Migration appeared first on KKFI.

Jenny Brown’s new book Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight over Women’s Work has been described as an audacious analysis of the falling U.S. birth rate. She uncovers the ugly truth […] The post Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women’s Work appeared first on KKFI.

One would think that during a pandemic workers who stock the grocery shelves, cook our take-out orders, and process our meat would at least get paid sick leave to get […] The post Isn’t It Time for Paid Leave? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, Steelworker Mike Stout chronicles the closing of the famous Homestead Steel Mill in a new book which is a manual for fighting plant […] The post Mike Stout: The Homestead Steel Mill: The Final 10 Years & Love & Solidarity, the Amazing Life of Rev. James Lawson appeared first on KKFI.

“History isn’t made by kings and politicians, it is made by us.” So say the people who wrote Working Class History: Everyday Acts of Resistance and Rebellion. This week on […] The post Working Class History Podcast & Milan, MO’s Rural Workers Community Alliance appeared first on KKFI.

Exhausted hospital and healthcare workers continue to be in the front lines fighting COVID-19. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, join healthcare workers and Tim Sheard, a nurse turned […] The post Nurses & Techs Still Fighting COVID appeared first on KKFI.

This week’s Heartland Labor Forum is on New Year’s Eve. Our volunteer producers are picking short clips of our favorite interviews to air as we bid good riddance to the […] The post New Year’s Eve: Looking Back/Looking Forward appeared first on KKFI.

It’s almost Christmas Eve, and Santa is loading the sled with toys. But, hark! The elves are on strike and will tell all on the Heartland Labor Forum about what […] The post The Truth About Santa’s Workshop appeared first on KKFI.

After all the alarm about votes lost in the mail, we’ll ask Andy Tuttle, Kansas State President of the union of Letter Carriers, if all the votes got delivered and […] The post How Did the PO Do in the Election & COVID Slams Youth & Women Workers appeared first on KKFI.

First, he was an electrician. Next, he served in the Missouri House and Senate. Now Jake Hummel is President of the Missouri AFL-CIO. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, […] The post Jake Hummel & The PRO Act appeared first on KKFI.

Who were the Europeans at the first Thanksgiving? Were they Pilgrims or colonizers? Were they religious Freedom Riders or Religious Tyrants?  And what about the myth of the welcoming soon-to-be […] The post Two Lies & A Truth About Thanksgiving appeared first on KKFI.

While labor is celebrating Joe Biden’s win, the election results in Kansas and Missouri are a disaster for the working class. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll do […] The post Election Results & How Did the Working Class Vote? appeared first on KKFI.

Almost a decade ago, Democracy Now!’s Juan Gonzalez published his path breaking book, Harvest of Empire. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll update it on how US imperialism […] The post Revisiting Harvest of Empire & The Hard Road of Hope appeared first on KKFI.

As companies downsize in a bad economy, workers on temporary furloughs are being fired. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Jim Kolve, coordinator of the Missouri […] The post Options for New Employment & Are We Ready for A Shorter Work Week? appeared first on KKFI.

Wine and aspirin sales are skyrocketing for parents. What’s to blame? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll sing the “Virtual School Blues”. Then, what? A political party based […] The post School’s Back, or Is It? & The Historical Role of Labor Parties appeared first on KKFI.

It’s all politics. First we’ve got some candidates for the Kansas legislature who are in hot races. We’ll ask them questions important to the working class. We’ll hear from Sen. […] The post Election 2020 – More Interviews & Dirty Missouri appeared first on KKFI.

What’s the world going to look like after the pandemic? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have a roundtable panel discussion with economists, labor and business leaders and […] The post Imagining A Post-COVID Future: Roundtable appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll hear from candidates in seven races for the Missouri General Assembly. We’ll ask them how they stand on key issues for working […] The post Election 2020: Interviews with Candidates appeared first on KKFI.

How did politicians get obsessed with saving the middle class, and when did middle class become just white guys while the economy increasingly failed to work for the diverse working […] The post David Roediger: The Sinking Middle Class & Rose Feurer: Mother Jones-Her Monuments & Museums appeared first on KKFI.

When workers at nonprofit organizations unionize, they often get grudging acceptance from their bosses, and sometimes they face union busting. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to […] The post Outrageous! Non-Profit Union Busters & MO Cuts for Kids appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we welcome back John Boyd, a leading attorney for labor. We’ll talk about what’s at stake for working people in this election year. […] The post John Boyd: Labor Defender & KC Tenants ROCK! appeared first on KKFI.

Since the pandemic began, Cuba has had only 88 deaths from COVID-19. Their doctors have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll […] The post Cuba & Scalia’s DOL appeared first on KKFI.

The new head of the post office, Louis DeJoy, told Congress last week that despite the predicted dramatic increase in mail voting, elections won’t be a problem for the starved […] The post Louis DeJoy & Privatizing the USPS appeared first on KKFI.

Shut up and dribble. Shut up and play! Millionaires don’t have the right to speak! Do we believe in the “I’m not black, I’m O.J.” sentiment when it comes to […] The post Sports Unions & Black Lives Matter appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’re celebrating a hundred years since some women won the right to vote. What can we learn from that struggle for today’s fights, […] The post 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage & Ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment in Missouri appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Communications Workers Union District 6 VP Claude Cummins, who also heads the union’s nationwide Human Rights department. We’ll find out […] The post CWA in a Time of Change & Solidarity Under Siege: Labor in El Salvador appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Are we going back to school? How? Will it be virtual or in person? What are teachers saying about how safe it is? […] The post Teachers’ Views On School Reopenings appeared first on KKFI.

Planning a road trip? Want to learn if your travels may take you near some of Labor’s Sacred Places? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Saul […] The post A Travel Guide to Labor Landmarks & Killing Asylum appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll profile a hero, a woman who fought for indigenous rights, the environment and democracy. We talk to Guardian reporter Nina Lakhani about […] The post Who Killed Berta Caceres & UMKC’s Budget Crisis: The Workers Pay appeared first on KKFI.

Cuba is world famous for its healthcare system and for sending doctors to poor countries around the world. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Missouri author […] The post Cuba Healthcare & Migrants In A Pandemic appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we ask an organizer and a lawyer: are Smithfield and other meat and poultry plants a danger to their workers and the public? […] The post Is Smithfield A Public Nuisance & It’s Not Police Unions, It’s Police Repression appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have “The CORONA Report” – news and analysis from comedian and host of RT America’s Redacted Tonight – Lee Camp. Then, in […] The post Comedian Lee Camp with the Corona Report and Pandemic & Climate Change appeared first on KKFI.

Join us Thursday, June 18, at 6:00 PM on the Heartland Labor Forum as we learn if the state budget cuts imposed by the COVID-19 virus shortfalls in Missouri and […] The post No Money, Not Funny: Budget Cuts in Kansas & Missouri appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Ray Brescia, author of The Future of Change; How Technology Shapes Social Revolutions. We’ll ask him about how communications technology […] The post Future of Change: How Technology Shapes Social Revolutions & Who’s Not Workin’? Getting Unemployment appeared first on KKFI.

The federal deficit has shot up like a SpaceX rocket because of Trump’s tax cuts and the COVID-19 Recession. Does it matter? And what happened to all the Deficit Hawks […] The post The Deficit! So What? & Why America Needs Socialism appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: As COVID-19 cases go up in the U.S., we’ll look at Cuba with journalist Reed Lindsay for a different take on how to […] The post Cuba: How Socialists Fight A Pandemic & Christopher Martin: No Longer Newsworthy appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we explore a new book called Politics of the Pantry which tells the history of protest of the high cost of food by […] The post Emily Twarog: Politics of the Pantry & Jessica Podhola Paints the Future for Labor appeared first on KKFI.

Who is tending our crops during the pandemic? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Baldemar Velazquez of FLOC, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. Then, what happens […] The post Picking Crops In A Pandemic & Honduras: How Not To Fight A Pandemic appeared first on KKFI.

We’re celebrating May Day from Quarantine by remembering labor’s struggle and the extraordinary contributions of some ordinary folks who led us. Then, we’ll do a primer on the FFCRA – […] The post May Day from Quarantine and A Primer on the New Pandemic Paid Leave Law, the FFCRA appeared first on KKFI.

How do you rig an election? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we investigate the playbook for voter suppression with activist William Waheed and Mac Heller, producer of the […] The post “Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook” appeared first on KKFI.

Since she retired as a union rep for the teachers union, Pat Jones Maclin has built bridges between organized labor in Kansas City and the Black community, working to overcome […] The post Pat Jones Maclin – KC Labor’s Conscience COVID 19 and your rights as workers appeared first on KKFI.

Opponents of Medicare for All say it would be inferior to union negotiated health care plans. Tune in to the Heartland Labor Forum this week to find out if Medicare […] The post Can Medicare for All Beat Union Healthcare? and Dismantling Labor Rights at the NLRB appeared first on KKFI.

Giving corporate developers your tax dollars has long been a controversial issue in the Metro.  This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk with members of the League of […] The post Is TIF Socialism for Corporations? appeared first on KKFI.

It’s 55 years since 600 voting rights marchers attempted to cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma Alabama on their way to Montgomery 50 miles away.  They were brutally beaten […] The post Selma at 55 and How Bad Is Voter Suppression? appeared first on KKFI.

A private for profit company named Vision Quest is seeking a zoning change to set up a jail for immigrant youth whose only crime is coming to America, and immigrant […] The post Should KC Agree to Zone in Vision Quest? Understanding Socialism appeared first on KKFI.

The federal government is investigating TEH Realty, but it’s the organized KC Tenants who exposed the foreign company and its infested apartments. Hear the story this week on the Heartland […] The post KC Tenants take on TEH Realty and Kansas Legislature’s Bad Bills for Workers appeared first on KKFI.

Kansas City Mayor Lucas and the City Council want to make KC the first large city with free buses. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll find out how […] The post Interviews with Riders on the Free Buses and Can We Afford Free Bus Rides? appeared first on KKFI.

It’s one of the most common crimes in the U.S. today. Its victims lose more to this kind of theft than robbery, burglary, auto theft, and larceny combined, yet government […] The post Wage Theft: How Do I Protect Myself? appeared first on KKFI.

Work teams, team concept, employee involvement are now over 30 years old and not as controversial as they were initially. But despite this, workers still ask, “Are we all on […] The post Union Neutering Through Team Concept appeared first on KKFI.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration, or EBSA enforces your pension rights and employer-based health plans under ERISA – the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.  They do a lot more, too, […] The post The Employee Benefit Security Administration: Their Mission Is to Protect Your Pension appeared first on KKFI.

Very few newspapers have labor reporters any more, but these days there’s a proliferation of podcasts and blogs on the internet. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll find […] The post www.organizing.work – a Website about Unions and an Interview with UAW Local 31’s Clarence Brown appeared first on KKFI.

Last year saw a record number of strikes in this century. Are American workers experiencing an inspired new militancy, or have even the most timid reached a breaking point? Tune […] The post A Record Year for Strikes: Are We Seeing a New Labor Militancy? and Eric Washington on Football Injuries appeared first on KKFI.

Recently, workers in France and Colombia have shut down their economies when confronted with pension reforms, which attacked their livelihoods. Tune in Thursday to the Heartland Labor Forum to hear […] The post Worker Rebellion in France and Colombia appeared first on KKFI.

The Missouri and Kansas legislative sessions begin this week and next. The Heartland Labor Forum usually anticipates them with dread. Thursday, we’ll find out from Rep. Judy Morgan for Missouri, […] The post What’s Ahead in the Missouri and Kansas Legislatures? appeared first on KKFI.

You hear a lot of critiques of the economic system we live in on the Heartland Labor Forum. Well, this week we’ll talk about alternatives with Ted Howard, coauthor of […] The post A Book and a Movie: Democracy Collaborative: The Making of a Democratic Economy and Harriet the Movie appeared first on KKFI.

The word neoliberalism gets tossed around, but do you really know where it comes from and what it means? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to UMKC […] The post Neoliberalism 101 and the Very Un-Neoliberal Bike Co-op appeared first on KKFI.

Roofing is a tough, dangerous job that takes skill. If you don’t have a union, it’s brutal. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll talk to Kevin King, Business […] The post Roofers Union Centennial and Youth in the Trades appeared first on KKFI.

The Chicago Teachers Union is a leader in today’s labor movement, not just in bargaining for the common good in education, but also showing the country that unions play a […] The post Chicago Teachers Union Bargaining for the Common Good appeared first on KKFI.

Do you think the Supreme Court’s 2018 anti-worker Janus Decision killed public sector unions? Nope. Think again. They have survived, and this week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we give […] The post Thanks ILCA for Giving Us that Award – HLF 2019 Radio Winner appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at what happens to American workers when the company is owned by foreigners. We’ll talk to filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven […] The post American Factory: The Clash of Cultures or Just Bare-fisted Capitalism? and New Report on European Investors in the American South appeared first on KKFI.

Last month, the Heartland Labor Forum looked into the Trump administration’s disappearing act on poor people. This week on the show, we’ll explain the statistical trick they want to use […] The post Disappearing Poverty 2 and The Tenants Bill of Rights appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at current contract fights. First, it’s auto – what did GM workers get? Will Ford workers take less? Then, the Metropolitan […] The post Contracts-Contracts – Auto and Metropolitan Community College appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll do a primer on Medicare for All. We’ll ask Dr. Anand Bhat how it would work, whether taxes will go up, if […] The post How Good is Employer-Paid Healthcare? appeared first on KKFI.

The Trump Administration wants to redefine who is poor. Experts say they want to disappear the poor. Find out about it this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Then, Mark […] The post Redefining Poverty and The Servant Economy appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: trucking safety impacts all of America’s motoring public. Will the Department of Transportation’s new proposed changes in hours of service rules improve safety […] The post Truckers: How Is Government Allowing Increased Hours of Service and Taking a Tax Bite, Too? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask what’s Trump is up to with his apprenticeship proposal. We’ll find out from a union leader who knows what a real […] The post Apprenticeship at Risk and When at Times the Mob is Swayed appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk about impeachment. Prof. Max Skidmore will explain the constitution and law on it and we’ll take your call-ins and questions. Two […] The post Should Trump Be Impeached? – A Debate appeared first on KKFI.

What would happen to a school teacher who thinks she has the answer to the world’s problems and starts teaching in parks and on street corners, and people stop to […] The post Is This a Test? – How Does A Lifetime of Teaching Affect You? An Original Radio Drama appeared first on KKFI.

Thinking of taking a cruise? Ever wonder about the hours the staff works or their pay? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll find out from the International Transport […] The post Cruise Ship Blues and Two Bills to Protect the Right to Organize and to End Tax Breaks for Outsourcing appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, it’s 38 days and counting that the Blackjewell coal miners of Harlan County Kentucky are occupying the tracks saying “No Pay, We Stay!” […] The post Miners on the Tracks and Revisiting PATCO appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’re going to cover some labor news – most of it local that you hear little about anywhere else. Then, we preview Kansas’s […] The post News in Depth and Kansas Troublemakers School appeared first on KKFI.

Before he was a socialist, Eugene Debs was an avid railroad unionist with a dream of one union for all rail workers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we […] The post Heartland Labor Forum • Aug. 29, 2019 appeared first on KKFI.

Before he was a socialist, Eugene Debs was an avid railroad unionist with a dream of one union for all rail workers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we […] The post Heartland Labor Forum • Aug. 29, 2019 appeared first on KKFI.

Hear Maine Iron Workers Local 7 business agent Grant Provost tell why the Maine AFL-CIO adopted their own Green New Deal to avert climate catastrophe. Then author and labor historian […] The post Heartland Labor Forum • Aug. 22, 2019 appeared first on KKFI.

Missouri’s motto is “Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law,” but the legislature still hasn’t passed Medicaid Expansion. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk […] The post Isn’t It Time for Medicaid Expansion? And The Attack on Federal Workers appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview Jim Kolve about Missouri Labor’s Rapid Response Program to help laid off workers. Then, why can’t Kansas school bus drivers collect […] The post Who You Gonna Call When Your Job Disappears? and Kansas School Bus Drivers: Starving in the Summer? appeared first on KKFI.

Every three years, the Big 3 auto companies – Ford, Chrysler and GM – negotiate a new contract with the United Auto Workers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, […] The post Next Auto Contract: Is the UAW A House Divided? appeared first on KKFI.

Affordable housing was a major issue in the mayor’s race. That’s due in part to a new group in town – KC Tenants. We’ll hear from them this week on […] The post KC Tenants Organize and The Moral Budget appeared first on KKFI.

It’s a July 4th special on the Heartland Labor Forum this week. We’ll ask an ACLU attorney who worked on the Supreme Court census case, who should count in the […] The post Special for July 4th: Who Counts in the US and What To do If ICE Comes appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to David Van Arsdale about his book on temp work. It’s a chilling look and argues that temp agencies should have […] The post Temps and The Poverty of Work and Here We Go Again – War in Iran: A Labor Viewpoint appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we feature a mystery writer, Tim Sheard, whose hero is a hospital union shop steward who tracks down a killer at work in […] The post One Foot in the Grave – Another Shop Steward Mystery Novel and American Roots: Union Made in the USA Clothing appeared first on KKFI.

Earlier this month, the Cross Border Network organized a delegation to Honduras to investigate why so many families were leaving on a risky journey to Trump’s America. What we found […] The post Honduras: Report Back from Delegation Investigating Why Migrants Come appeared first on KKFI.

Trump wants to privatize the U.S. Postal Service. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask some postal workers why that’s a really bad idea. Then, comedian Lee Camp […] The post Don’t Privatize Our Postal Service! And Lee Camp on the Democratic Candidates appeared first on KKFI.

Herb Johnson led the fight against Carl Icahn at TWA, then went on to a leadership position in the Missouri AFL-CIO. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, Herb reflects […] The post Herb Johnson: Still Kickin’ for Labor and Eric Blanc: Red State Revolt appeared first on KKFI.

The Green New Deal promises environmental transformation and jobs, but the AFL-CIO and energy unions fear lost jobs and only empty promises of a just transition. We’ll explore these issues […] The post Labor and The Green New Deal and A Cousin remembers Fannie Lou Hamer – PLEDGE DRIVE!!! appeared first on KKFI.

The Missouri Legislative has wrapped-up its work for the year. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask legislators what happened for the working people of the state. Then, […] The post Missouri Legislative Wrap-up and A New Book About a Model Labor Leader appeared first on KKFI.

What do you know about bananas? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, listen to author Peter Chapman peel the layers of corruption and ruthlessness to reveal the origins of […] The post United Fruit Company: Rotten Bananas and Keeping America White: US Immigration Policy appeared first on KKFI.

Kansas has a new Secretary of Labor. She’s Delia Garcia, the first Latina to serve in a Cabinet post. We’ll get to know her this week on the Heartland Labor […] The post Kansas’s New Secretary of Labor, Delia Garcia and Kansas City’s Pay Gap Study appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we explore our radical and socialist roots. Eugene Debs: American Socialist is a new movie-we’ll talk to the film maker. Then, Herb and […] The post Eugene Debs: American Socialist – The Movie and Herbert March: 1930’s KC Organizer appeared first on KKFI.

Jenny Brown’s new book Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight over Women’s Work has been described as an audacious analysis of the falling U.S. birth rate. She uncovers the ugly truth […] The post Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women’s Work appeared first on KKFI.

It’s May Day 1886 in Chicago, and 12-year-old Addie is witness to the general strike for the 8 hour day and the following Haymarket bombing. This week on the Heartland […] The post Celebrating May Day with a book for teens about Haymarket and Centennial of The Seattle General Strike appeared first on KKFI.

The Disabilities Integration Act will push more people out of institutions and into home care. That should be good news for home care workers, but has unionization of them  stalled […] The post The Disabilities Integration Act Could Create Jobs and the Attack on Missouri Initiatives II appeared first on KKFI.

Much has been written about the Trump tax cuts and their effects on the federal budget, as well as the economy, but what is less known is how those tax […] The post Feel the Trickle: the Tax “Cuts” appeared first on KKFI.

Much has been written about the Trump tax cuts and their effects on the federal budget, as well as the economy, but what is less known is how those tax […] The post Feel the Trickle: the Tax “Cuts” appeared first on KKFI.

One-man trains are not a dystopian nightmare; they’re the near future. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview Bruce Campbell on his new book on a one-man train […] The post Bruce Campbell: The Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster: Public Betrayal, Justice Denied and A New Labor Caucus for Missouri Democrats appeared first on KKFI.

One-man trains are not a dystopian nightmare; they’re the near future. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview Bruce Campbell on his new book on a one-man train […] The post Bruce Campbell: The Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster: Public Betrayal, Justice Denied and A New Labor Caucus for Missouri Democrats appeared first on KKFI.

We’re celebrating Heartland Labor Forum’s 30th Anniversary this week on air with something old and something new. The old is our first show: it’s about the Eastern Airlines Strike 30 […] The post Celebrating Heartland Labor Forum’s 30th Anniversary with our first show: The Eastern Airlines Strike and Railway Workers Speak Out on Safety appeared first on KKFI.

Last month, teachers met in El Paso to demand an end to child detention. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll hear about their teach-in at the border – […] The post A Teach-In at the Border appeared first on KKFI.

Before last year, pundits had declared the strike to be dead. You couldn’t win, they said, and added that unions would soon die, too. Wrong! Guess who has revived the […] The post Teaching the Labor Movement How to Strike appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ve got the last of our interviews of mayoral candidates, this time with Phil Glynn, who thinks the mayor’s projects need to start […] The post Mayoral Candidate Forum with Phil Glynn & the Attack on Missouri Initiatives I appeared first on KKFI.

Sorry to Bother You may have been snubbed at the Oscars, but not on the Heartland Labor Forum. This magical social satire is about a white collar worker uprising, and […] The post Sorry to Bother You, Boots and Lessons of the LA Teachers Strike (Rebroadcast) appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we will bring you another interview with a candidate for mayor. This time it is Henry Klein. He’s a banker who chairs Habitat […] The post Mayoral Candidate Interview: Henry Klein and Rebuilding Power in Open Shop America appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have another candidate for Mayor: Steve Miller, a construction lawyer who says it’s all about connections like transportation, infrastructure and neighborhoods. Then, […] The post Mayoral Candidate Steve Miller & Worker Co-ops appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Medea Benjamin is speaking February 16th for KKFI, we’ll give you a preview and ask her why the U.S. has made Iran one […] The post Medea Benjamin on Iran & Mayoral Forum III with Candidates on Economic Justice Issues appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at what’s in store for workers in the 2019 Missouri and Kansas legislature sessions. Will Missouri continue with unpopular bills that […] The post New Threats and Promises from Missouri and Kansas Legislatures appeared first on KKFI.

Cuba gets demonized all the time by Republicans and Democrats alike, but 95% of Cuban workers voluntarily belong to unions, and women get a year of paid maternity leave. Find […] The post Labor in Cuba and Trump’s Screw Job on Workers appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have another in our series of talks with candidates for Mayor of Kansas City. We want to ask each of them their […] The post Mayoral Forum II with Candidates on Economic Justice Issues appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll hear about a labor classic from 1969, The Ink Truck, an award-winning first novel by William Kennedy which recounts the doomed efforts of […] The post William Kennedy’s Ink Truck and What Do LA Teachers Want? appeared first on KKFI.

It’s called NAFTA 2.0. Is it much of a change over the old NAFTA, which was a disaster for most working, people in North America? Will it stop the bleeding […] The post NAFTA 2.0 & Why Labor Radio appeared first on KKFI.

Trump claims his new NAFTA will stop companies from moving to Mexico. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at what companies like Oreo Cookies gained from their […] The post Will the New NAFTA Stop Oreo–Mexico from Sickening Its Workers? appeared first on KKFI.

Amid all the talk of walls and caravans, few ask why families are fleeing Honduras. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to labor historian Dana Frank on […] The post Dana Frank: The Long Honduran Night and Barry Eidlin, Labor and the Class Idea in the US and Canada appeared first on KKFI.

An answer to budget-strapped school districts? Listen to education activists talk about public schools called community schools this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Tune in Thursday at 6pm, rebroadcast […] The post Community Schools appeared first on KKFI.

An answer to budget-strapped school districts? Listen to education activists talk about public schools called community schools this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Tune in Thursday at 6pm, rebroadcast […] The post Community Schools appeared first on KKFI.

Earlier this year, the Missouri legislature passed a bill aimed at gagging and crippling the unions that represent public employees at the state and local level. This week on the […] The post Undoing Missouri’s Public Sector and Erik Loomis – A History of America in Ten Strikes appeared first on KKFI.

All we ever hear from the corporate media since 2000 is negative about the government of Venezuela. This week on the Heartland labor Forum, we’ll get the other side of […] The post Venezuela: The Other Side of the Story and Tex Sample: Working Class Rage appeared first on KKFI.

Your Thanksgiving turkey may have had no rights, but thanks to Missouri voters last August, workers didn’t get served up for dinner. The Thanksgiving edition of Heartland Labor Forum will […] The post Rebroadcast from Sept. 20: How We Defeated Right to Work and Now What? appeared first on KKFI.

If there was a blue wave in last week’s elections, it missed Missouri’s Democratic candidates. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we talk to Rep. DaRon McGee about prospects […] The post Election Recap on Worker Issues and People Before Profit: The Inspiring Story of the Founder of Bob’s Red Mill appeared first on KKFI.

If there was a blue wave in last week’s elections, it missed Missouri’s Democratic candidates. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we talk to Rep. DaRon McGee about prospects […] The post Election Recap on Worker Issues and People Before Profit: The Inspiring Story of the Founder of Bob’s Red Mill appeared first on KKFI.

It’s over a month now that Marriott workers from Boston to Honolulu have been on strike. They say “one job should be enough,” but many have to work more because […] The post One Job Should Be Enough: The Marriott Strike and ATT Legacy: How about One Contract? appeared first on KKFI.

Two ballot initiatives in the November 6th election in Missouri affect our democracy and economy. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll explore Amendment 1 CLEAN Missouri, which limits […] The post Ballot Initiatives: CLEAN and Raise Up Missouri appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll ask economist Richard Wolff how the economy is doing. Is it blowing bubbles? Then railway workers belong to a bunch of different unions. Their disunity costs them at the […] The post Is the Economy Blowing Bubbles? and Rail Workers Uniting appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll do two different takes on the undoing of the American working class. First, Sweat: a play about rustbelt America which opens this week […] The post Sweat: A Play about Rustbelt America and The Fall of Wisconsin appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask: Is work as we know it disappearing as the middle class gets squeezed, and then gigged? We talk to two authors […] The post Two Books about the Decline of Work and the Middle Class: Gigged: The End of the Job and the Future of Work and Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll hear local Kansas City Missouri Middle School students discuss the history of child labor and what it means for students today. Then, […] The post Middle School Kids Talk Labor History and Bill Fletcher has a novel: The Man That Fell from the Sky appeared first on KKFI.

The workplace depends on the willingness of the worker to follow the rules and comply with orders. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll explore the Psychology of Obedience. […] The post Exploring the Psychology of Obedience and Wobs in KC appeared first on KKFI.

Last month, Missouri labor and its allies shocked the nation with a 2-1 vote on Proposition A, repealing the right to work law passed by the legislature. How did they […] The post Prop A: How We Defeated Right to Work and Now What? appeared first on KKFI.

Have you seen the movie BlacKKKlansman, about a black police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan forty years ago? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll take a […] The post BlackKKlansman: HLF Looks Under the Hood and The Killing of DST appeared first on KKFI.

Cities around the country are befuddled by what to do with a flood of electronic scooters in the streets. Are they safe? Do they create good jobs? Tune in to […] The post Is the Sharing Economy for the Byrds? and Street Fight Radio-WCRS appeared first on KKFI.

Think the Supreme Court’s anti-worker Janus decision will kill public sector unions?  Think again. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll air voices of resistance from the American Federation […] The post The Attack on Public Employee Unions and How They’re Resisting appeared first on KKFI.

We’re celebrating Women’s Equality Week on the Heartland Labor Forum with an interview with National Organization for Women’s president Toni Van Pelt. We’ll ask her about how the ongoing conspiracy […] The post Voter Suppression of Women and Bernie’s ‘Our Revolution’ appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, it’s Trump’s Federal Remix: A New Department of Child Labor and a Private Postal Service? We’ll talk to union leaders from the departments […] The post Trump’s Federal Remix: A New Department of Child Labor and a Private Postal Service? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, frequent guest, Professor Chuck Ross joins the show again as the football season nears. Will the anthem policy hold? Will Trump’s fight with […] The post Downtown Shakedown and Bringing Football to Its Knees appeared first on KKFI.

This week on The Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll preview KKFI’s upcoming conference Kicking the Koch Habit and Expanding Democracy for All. We’ll be joined by Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy […] The post Kicking the Koch Habit Conference Preview appeared first on KKFI.

This week on The Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll preview KKFI’s upcoming conference Kicking the Koch Habit and Expanding Democracy for All. We’ll be joined by Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy […] The post Kicking the Koch Habit Conference Preview appeared first on KKFI.

Missourians go to the polls August 7th to vote on two initiatives that are important to working people. Question 1 for Kansas City about rental property inspections and Question A […] The post Heartland Labor Forum appeared first on KKFI.

Missourians go to the polls August 7th to vote on two initiatives that are important to working people. Question 1 for Kansas City about rental property inspections and Question A […] The post Heartland Labor Forum appeared first on KKFI.

Many people think that getting young workers to think or care about retirement is impossible. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll do a pension primer for young workers. […] The post A Pension Primer for Young People and AT&T: No Legacy of Respect for Workers appeared first on KKFI.

Buster Brown – alias UPS – and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have a tentative agreement on the biggest contract since the ’97 strike. Will they end two tier? Will […] The post UPS: What will Brown Do to You? And The Harvey Girls appeared first on KKFI.

Candidate Trump said NAFTA was the worst trade agreement ever and promised to fix it and bring the jobs back to the USA. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, […] The post What Trump Gets Wrong about Trade and What They Didn’t Teach You in School about Black and Latinx History appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we explore our disappearing right to vote with Kansas ACLU Executive Director Micah Kubic. Then we ask, “Would you knowingly break a law […] The post Our Disappearing Right to Vote and Is Civil Disobedience Still Relevant? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to two authors. First, what are choke points and how can logistics workers use them to build global worker power? We’ll […] The post Choke Points: Logistics Workers Disrupting the Global Supply Chain and After the Cheering Stops Cyndy Feasel on Sports Concussions appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we take a look at Trumpism in Latin America. Has our policy changed much since Obama? How are workers faring? We’ll look at […] The post Trumpism in Latin America: Stolen Elections and More Guns, Prisons and Immigrants appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll take you to Quindaro, which made Kansas City Kansas a gateway to freedom. It was the next to last stop on the […] The post Quindaro: A Gateway to Freedom and Meet the HLF Feature Writers appeared first on KKFI.

There’s a hot race for State Senate in the Northland. It’s Lauren Arthur vs Kevin Corlew, and they’ll be with us this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Also, in […] The post Lauren Arthur vs. Kevin Corlew and Tiff over TIF in Raytown appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at Missouri lawmakers’ relentless attempts to assassinate our labor rights and our battle to save them. Representative Judy Morgan will detail […] The post A Day in the Life of a Right to Work Ballot Activist and Missouri Legislative Post Mortem appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we look at upcoming changes in how people in Kansas City get around. What’s the latest on naming something after Martin Luther King? […] The post Getting Around Town: Street Cars, Buses, and Street Names appeared first on KKFI.

The Inaugural Workers Revival Fest kicks off May 11 and 12 at the recordBar – two days of music, art and workshops celebrating working people.  On this week’s Heartland Labor […] The post Workers’ Revival Festival – A Preview appeared first on KKFI.

We’ve heard that unemployment is really low, but where are the pockets of jobless workers? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk with Jacqueline Midkiff from the Bureau […] The post Where Unemployment Isn’t Low and Gerald Horne on the Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy and Capitalism in Our Colonial Past appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we hear about an amazing labor hero from the past from author Jacqueline Jones, talking about her book Goddess of Anarchy — The […] The post Choke Points; Logistics Workers Disrupting the Global Supply Chain and Goddess of Anarchy; The Life and Times of Lucy Parsons, American Radical appeared first on KKFI.

Two weeks ago more than 2,500 grassroots labor activists, “worker center” leaders, union members, union officers, and community activists gathered in Chicago for the semi-annual Labor Notes Conference. This week […] The post Highlights from Labor Notes and Bill Fletcher on How to Beat Right to Work appeared first on KKFI.

The post Highlights from Labor Notes and Bill Fletcher on How to Beat Right to Work appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll ask if the new airport is ready for lift off after it’s bumpy start. What are the challenges, obstacles and opportunities that come with such a complicated and expensive […] The post Comp Time or Overtime Pay? And What’s Up with the Airport Deal? appeared first on KKFI.

We’ll ask if the new airport is ready for lift off after it’s bumpy start. What are the challenges, obstacles and opportunities that come with such a complicated and expensive […] The post Comp Time or Overtime Pay? And What’s Up with the Airport Deal? appeared first on KKFI.

Don’t miss a very special Heartland Labor Forum this week called “Lives on the Line – Stories of Survival, Grit and Determination” as told by low wage workers about their […] The post Lives on the Line Story Slam appeared first on KKFI.

Don’t miss a very special Heartland Labor Forum this week called “Lives on the Line – Stories of Survival, Grit and Determination” as told by low wage workers about their […] The post Lives on the Line Story Slam appeared first on KKFI.

When Harley Davidson announced the shutdown of its Kansas City plant, they blamed declining motorcycle sales. Is that it? We’ll ask the two union presidents if there’s more to the […] The post The Unions Speak Out on the Harley Shutdown and NCAA Players: Workers, Students or Slaves? appeared first on KKFI.

We’ve heard a lot lately about arming teachers to protect our schools.  Is this a good idea or a really bad idea?  On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask […] The post General Gym and Major Math: Teachers with Guns appeared first on KKFI.

Some Missouri GOP officials want to gut prevailing wage laws. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask why they’re important for contractors, workers and the economy. Then, we […] The post Will Missouri Gut Prevailing Wage Laws and Class War USA: Dispatches from Workers’ Struggles in American History appeared first on KKFI.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that cutting state university budgets is bad for faculty, staff and students, but this week on the Heartland Labor […] The post The Gutting of Our Universities and Forced Arbitration: Surrender Your Rights appeared first on KKFI.

Is it Charter Smarter or Charter Schmarter? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we ask: shouldn’t we give charter schools more scrutiny before we expand them in Missouri? Then, […] The post Charter Schmarter and Triangle Factory Fire Project Play appeared first on KKFI.

When you watch TV or go to a play, or the symphony or to Starlight, do you ever wonder what the working conditions are for the people who put on […] The post KC’s Entertainment Unions and Charter Schmarter appeared first on KKFI.

Today’s analysts and commentators describe Britain as being nearly in a state of civil war over Brexit. Will Britain be able to hold it together in these turbulent times, and […] The post Brexit and British Workers and The Polk School appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll take a look at Dollar General. Its CEO is betting on increased income inequality to make him billions. During the last year […] The post Generation Dollar General and the New Poor People’s Campaign appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to authors of two books: Black Detroit A History of Self-Determination by Herb Boyd, who will discuss the impact the labor […] The post Two Books: Black Detroit and On New Terrain: How Capital Is Reshaping the Battleground of Class War by Kim Moody appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we will explore the term “going postal.” But violence at work is not limited to postal workers. We’ll interview Jeremy Milloy about his […] The post Blood, Sweat and Fear: Violence in the Auto Industry and The Golden Shower of Tax Cuts appeared first on KKFI.

As anti-immigrant elected officials turn Dreamers into bargaining chips for more border walls, the Heartland Labor Forum this week talks to three citizens who live at the U.S.- Mexico border, […] The post Living in the Shadow of the Border appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll explore the secret history and moral cost of the iPhone, its global supply chain and why it’s called the one device. Then: […] The post The One Device: The Secret History (and Moral Cost) of the iPhone and Panic Buttons for Hospitality Workers appeared first on KKFI.

Join us this week on the Heartland Labor Forum for revolutionary poet, musician and citizen journalist Eleanor Goldfield, who will discuss NAFTA, worker’s rights, fighting the man and the power […] The post Eleanor Goldfield: Paradigm Lost and Religious Freedom May Cost You Your Job appeared first on KKFI.

Before you click on Amazon.com to find the perfect gifts this holiday season, tune in to the Heartland Labor Forum to find out how poor working conditions, unfair competition and […] The post Amazon: Walmart of the Internet and Jobs with Justice’s Amazon Wish List appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we ask: what exactly is a “green job” and how do we move our economies and our workers into an environmentally sustainable world? […] The post Peter Poschen: Decent Work, Green Jobs and the Sustainable Economy: Solutions for Climate Change and Sustainable Development and DACA Workers appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to two authors about books on working class women. Emily Twarog’s new book, Politics of the Pantry: Housewives, Food and Consumer […] The post Emily Twarog: Politics of the Pantry: Housewives, Food and Consumer Activism in the 20th Century and Sarah Adler-Milstein & John M. Kline: Sewing Hope appeared first on KKFI.

David Roediger teaches American Studies at KU. He’s an expert on the history of the working class in the U.S. and its peculiar race relations. This week on the Heartland […] The post A Conversation with Historian David Roediger on Race, Labor and Management appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Thomas Kochen about his new book, Shaping the Future of Work. We’ll ask him what became of the postwar social […] The post Thomas Kochen: Shaping the Future of Work and Public Defenders Need a Bailout appeared first on KKFI.

Most labor experts predict that the U.S. Supreme Court is about to deal a death blow to America’s public sector unions causing them to go bankrupt. The case is Janus […] The post Janus vs. AFSCME – The Threat to Public Sector Unions appeared first on KKFI.

Uber wants its drivers to pay to work on Halloween. Does this make it harder to get a ride home after a night out? Is it fair to the drivers? […] The post Uber’s New Pay to Drive Scheme and Janitors Speak Out appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we ask about Japanese workers: Do they have unions? What are their rights?” How do they try to make a difference? We’ll find […] The post Do Japanese Workers Have Rights? And Al Gore’s Inconvenient Sequel appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview Greg Leroy of Good Jobs First about their new database of corporate tax giveaways and a clever accounting rule that could […] The post The Great Job Creation Scam: Wisconsin’s New “FoxCon” and Subsidizing Robot Jobs appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Remember when we couldn’t bring signs to demonstrations because they could be used as weapons? Since Charlottesville, people are bringing weapons!! What happens […] The post The Right to Protest: A Roundtable Discussion appeared first on KKFI.

ADAPT took hundreds to DC twice to break the back of Trumpcare. They succeeded. Hear about it this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Then, isn’t it about time to […] The post Disabling Medicaid and The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Uniting Rail Workers appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Lane Windham, whose new book, Knocking on Labor’s Door: Union Organizing in the 1970s and the Roots of the New […] The post Lane Windham, Knocking on Labor’s Door: Union Organizing in the 1970s and the Roots of the New Economic Divide and The NAACP Travel Advisory appeared first on KKFI.

When Trump cuts the federal budget, he’s cutting pensions for federal workers including postal employees. How bad are they, and what are federal worker unions doing to push back? We’ll […] The post Trump Attack on the Federal Workforce and Does It Pay to Go to College? appeared first on KKFI.

Missouri Labor faces an existential crisis in the passage of a so-called Right to Work bill, but they’re fighting back with teams of determined volunteers, armed with petitions aimed at […] The post The Right to Work Signature Campaign and Greitens’ Dark Money appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Carl Icahn is an old foe in Kansas City, but he’s back in national news. As an investigation of his conflict of interest […] The post Shame on Carl Icahn and Preemption and the Minimum Wage appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, our guest is Micah Kubic, executive director of the Kansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He tells us, “We exist for […] The post The ACLU: Immigrant Rights appeared first on KKFI.

The post Women’s Equality Week: Why Can’t Women TV Anchors Reach Retirement on the Job? And What Does Roe v. Wade Have To Do with Women’s Equality? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, comedian and social commentator Lee Camp asks not if robots will get your job but who will benefit when they do. Then, with […] The post Will Robots Get Your Job? And Blackballed: Race, Politics, and Football appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, the topic is workers across borders and workers who cross borders. We’ll ask David Wilson, who has just updated The Politics of Immigration, […] The post The Politics of Immigration and Invisible Hands: Voices from the Global Economy appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask, “Is vocational education disappearing or coming back?” Have we made a false choice between college and skills training? Later, we go […] The post Is Vo-Tech Shrinking? and Street Medical Care for All appeared first on KKFI.

Why do we have extreme economic inequality in the richest country in the world? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Les Leopold about his new book, […] The post A Plan to Put the Brakes on Runaway Inequality and Countering Hate without Feeding The Trolls appeared first on KKFI.

Taxi Drivers on Strike! Tune to the Heartland Labor Forum for a special broadcast of Waiting for Lefty, a play by Cliff Odets performed by UMKC Theatre students and faculty. […] The post “Waiting for Lefty” by SAVE UMKC THEATRE Students & Faculty appeared first on KKFI.

Amid budget shortfalls, so-called “non-core” programs are under attack from UMKC administrators, but faculty, staff, students and community members are fighting back. Tune in to the Heartland Labor Forum for an […] The post UMKC’s Latest Round of Layoffs~SAVE UMKC THEATRE and Labor Studies Program Suspended: What Now? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we take another look at how the Labour party is reshaping politics across the pond in the UK. What does the rise of […] The post The British Elections: What Do They Mean for Labor and Big Bucks for the Boot Heel: Good Deal or Not? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum:  How can we grow and improve our cities without the threat of gentrification? This week, we talk to Peter Moskowitz about his book […] The post Peter Moscowitz, How to Kill a City and Jonathan Rosenblum, Beyond $15 appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll interview Gordon Lafer about his new book which asks what elites are doing with all their new-found power. We’ll review with him […] The post Gordon Lafer: The 1% Solution and Builidng the Kansas City Skyline appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask about Detroit: Are the Engines Restarting? We start with a history tour of Detroit labor from its heyday in auto and […] The post Detroit: Are the Engines Restarting? appeared first on KKFI.

Who is protecting our pensions and what’s fiduciary responsibility, anyway? We’ll find out on this week’s Heartland Labor Forum when we talk to the Employee Benefits Security Administration. Then, the […] The post EBSA-Employee Benefits Security Administration and Trumping the Disabled appeared first on KKFI.

Should college be affordable for All? Join us this week on The Heartland Labor Forum for an in-depth analysis of two high-profile state and federal initiatives to make college tuition-free.  […] The post New York College for Some and How Anti-Hunger Programs Are Constrained by Their Funders appeared first on KKFI.

On May Day 2017, workers filled the streets all over the world for international workers day. In the US, many immigrants protested and struck. Here in Missouri, no one was […] The post May Day: The Original Labor Day appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, our show is called “Hate Has No Home Here.” We’ll cover reaction to the Olathe shooting at the Solidarity In Community meeting there […] The post Hate Has No Home Here appeared first on KKFI.

Does your zip code determine how long you’ll live? Find out this week on the Heartland Labor Forum about a new health report on Wyandotte County. Then, some local history: […] The post WYCO: Pick Your Zipcode to Live Longer and Reconstructing the Quindaro Ruins appeared first on KKFI.

Why Is Donald Trump President? What did union members have to do with him winning the electoral college? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum three labor educators from Michigan, […] The post Why is Donald Trump President? appeared first on KKFI.

Why Boycott Driscolls & An Economy Without Immigrants. It’s strawberry season, but before you bake that pie, look for the Driscoll label and don’t. There’s a boycott by workers in Mexico […] The post Why Boycott Driscolls & An Economy Without Immigrants appeared first on KKFI.

Ben Tulchin, Bernie Sanders’ pollster, and head of Tulchin Research, will join us on this week’s Heartland Labor Forum to discuss whether millennials who voted progressive in 2016 will continue […] The post Why Are So Many Millennials Socialists? And Refinery Town appeared first on KKFI.

In India, 40% of construction workers are women. Last January, a delegation of American tradeswomen traveled to India to build bridges and fight for the rights of women in the […] The post Tradeswomen Building Bridges to India and Kids March for One Race-Human Race appeared first on KKFI.

Last month, a diverse group of workers at Challenge Manufacturing near the airport showed Kansas City that even in the era of Trump, you can win a strike. Find out […] The post The Challenge Manufacturing Strike Victory and From Male to Female: How One Engineer Learned About Discrimination appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: In her new book Chow Chop Suey, food historian Anne Mendelson traces the history of the Chinese in America through food in Chinese […] The post Chow Chop Suey: Food & the Chinese American Experience and The One-Eighth-Cent Sales Tax: Pro and Con appeared first on KKFI.

Unless Missouri unions develop a way to block it, Missouri will become the 28th right to work state on August 28th. How can our unions – and workers – survive […] The post Surviving and Fighting Right to Work appeared first on KKFI.

Republicans in Jefferson City are gunning for unions. Now that right-to-work has passed, they’re going after the standard of living of construction workers and the rights to representation of public […] The post The Jeff City Firing Squad Aims at Prevailing Wage Workers & Public Employees appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to AFT union leader Scott Ciafullo about how a group of school bus drivers organized and about some of the challenges […] The post Wentzville School Bus Drivers Organize and Federal Workers in the Cross Hairs (Again) appeared first on KKFI.

“And then this magical amazing policy came around that we started talking about. We started talking about the ACA, where they decided that, ‘hey, maybe being born is not something […] The post Repeal and Replace the ACA: One Giant Death Panel? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we bring you the hidden history of women workers in the 1800s. In Gunpowder Girls of the Civil War, poor immigrant girls and […] The post Gunpowder Girls of the Civil War and Fannie Never Flinched appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum—“Women Rising Up To Put Hatred and Oppression Down”. We’ll hear from women at the Washington, DC march Jan. 21st and find out how […] The post The Million Women March on the Inauguration and Fixing the Pipelines: Plenty of Jobs appeared first on KKFI.

President Trump was elected largely on the promise to bring good jobs back to the US, but do his nominees for the Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education reflect that […] The post Meet Trump’s Cabinet Picks for Labor and Education appeared first on KKFI.

Kansas City workers: do you have a boss at your job making your daily life a living hell? Never fear. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, tune in for […] The post What to Do About Bad Bosses: A Labor Notes Tutorial appeared first on KKFI.

Did you know that almost 45 percent of charges received by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are for retaliation for filing a complaint? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, […] The post Unlawful Retaliation: EEOC’s New Rule for Workers Who File Complaints and the 1986 Flight Attendants Strike against TWA appeared first on KKFI.

Missouri Republicans are poised to deliver a body blow to the state’s private sector unions. It’s called right to work although it has little to do with either rights or […] The post Which Side Are You On? Right to Work or Right to Freeload appeared first on KKFI.

The Heartland Labor Forum, in its first show of 2017, asks, how stacked is U.S. labor law against workers? We’ll talk to author and attorney Julius Getman about his new […] The post The Supreme Court On Unions & Trump Tweets On Carrier appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have a condensed version of the musical Pray for the Dead: A Musical Tale of Morgues, Moguls, and Mutiny, in which workers […] The post Pray for the Dead: A Musical Tale of Morgues, Moguls, and Mutiny appeared first on KKFI.

Campus workers from dining halls to grad students are organizing. On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look into how they’re Serving Up Justice On Campus. The post Serving Up Justice on Campus appeared first on KKFI.

Last September, inmates in prisons across the nation went on strike against exploitative work, saying it’s a lot like slavery. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll find out […] The post Prisoners on Strike and Stress on the Line appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, our show is “Oil vs Water: The Dakota Access Pipeline Debate”. Is this another Blue-Green standoff of jobs versus the environment? We’ll look […] The post Oil vs Water: The Dakota Access Pipeline Debate – Another Blue-Green Standoff? appeared first on KKFI.

Women are now the majority of the workforce. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we ask how money, work, marriage and divorce mix these days. Then, you’ve probably seen […] The post All the Single Working Ladies and BRIDJ to Gig or a Good Union Job? appeared first on KKFI.

Are you exempt from overtime pay on your job? New rules going into effect December 1st may entitle you to extra pay if you work more than forty hours in […] The post The New Overtime Rules and Don’t Leave Your Friends Behind appeared first on KKFI.

Are you looking at a lifetime of debt slavery to pay off your college education? Tune in this week to the Heartland Labor Forum as economist Hossein Bahmaie and researcher […] The post Student Debt: The New Indentured Servitude appeared first on KKFI.

Our schools are under attack. Recently the Kansas City Call asked whether the KCMO School District, with its low test scores, should even have partial accreditation. This week on the […] The post Teachers and Administrators Defend the KCMO Schools appeared first on KKFI.

College teachers are organizing unions in St. Louis. In an age where over half of college teachers are part-timers, they’re organizing and winning representation elections. They’ve won recognition with SEIU […] The post St. Louis Higher Ed organizing: Is It Becoming a Movement? appeared first on KKFI.

Join us for this week’s Heartland Labor Forum as we focus on some of the earliest victims of the US War on Terror – Italian-Americans. We will talk with a […] The post The Mythology of Work: How Capitalism Persists Despite Itself and The First War on Terror 1919 appeared first on KKFI.

On August 16th 2012, thirty-four platinum mineworkers were gunned down by the police under the auspices of South Africa’s African National Congress. The ensuing outrage became a turning point in […] The post The South African Miner Massacre and the Spirit of Marikana and Hesitant Comrades: The Irish Revolution and the British Labour Movement appeared first on KKFI.

Four Generations: Life On The East Side, Family, Work and The Police Host David Bell talks with four Generations of the same family that have lived on the east Side […] The post Four Generations: Life On The East Side, Family, Work and The Police appeared first on KKFI.

There’s a real estate bubble in Kansas City and it’s swelling rents to supersize, especially for the working poor. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll find out why […] The post The KC Rent Bubble and Citizens for Community Benefits Agreements appeared first on KKFI.

Are we developing a global working class? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Immanuel Ness about his new book, Southern Insurgency. Then, Chiluba Musonda came to […] The post Manny Ness: Southern Insurgency; The Coming of the Global Working Class and Chiluba Musonda: From Zambia to KC appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: as ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft encroach on services provided by public transit systems, the KC Area Transportation Authority has contracted with […] The post Tim Sheard: Someone Has to Die and Will Uber Take Over the Bus System? appeared first on KKFI.

In his new book,The Making of Donald Trump, David Cay Johnston would wager that Trump actually has less money than the volunteers on the Heartland Labor Forum. While that may […] The post David Cay Johnston on Donald Trump and TPP: On a Roll; Still Flushable! appeared first on KKFI.

Across the country there’s a full-scale attack on voting rights. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Rev. Rodney Williams about why the issue of voting rights […] The post The Voting Rights Initiative and Will the Real Jesse James Please Stand Up? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we discuss Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Without a Home Everything Else Falls Apart. Then, why did Mexican police fire on unarmed teachers and community […] The post Evicted: Without a Home, Everything Else Falls Apart and the Struggle of Mexican Teachers against the State appeared first on KKFI.

There’s a new group in Kansas City and nationally of white people in support of racial justice, but first they’re working on understanding their own white privilege. Find out about […] The post SURJ-Standing Up for Racial Justice and Hillary on Labor appeared first on KKFI.

Kamala Lopez has just released the film Equal Means Equal which will be shown Friday as part of Women’s Equality Week. On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum, we interview her […] The post Kamala Lopez: “Equal Means Equal” appeared first on KKFI.

All the attention to police violence lately has prompted questions about the role of police unions and benevolent associations in a code of silence that blocks accountability. This week on […] The post How Police Unions Protect Their Own and Chuck Ross: Mavericks Money and Men: The AFL, Black Players and the Evolution of Modern Football appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we have North American Teachers fighting back. This summer there’s been growing unrest in public education. We will hear about the struggle of […] The post American and Mexican Teachers Fight Back appeared first on KKFI.

How would you survive on $2 a day? Find out this week on the Heartland Labor Forum how some people do survive – just barely. We’ll talk to Luke Shafer, […] The post Luke Shafer: $2 a Day; Living on Almost Nothing and “You’re Fired” – Trump on Labor (2nd in series on candidates) appeared first on KKFI.

Rosie does a lot more than riveting these days. Join us on the Heartland Labor Forum for “We Can Do It! Women in the Trades”. We’ll talk with a local […] The post We Can Do It! Women in the Trades appeared first on KKFI.

Last month, Kansas City based union Operating Engineers Local 101 opened its own healthcare facility, the Union Health and Wellness Center for union members and their families. The union says […] The post The New Operating Engineers Union Health Clinic: Will It Start a Trend? appeared first on KKFI.

Harley-Davidson used to be famous for its cooperative labor relations. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask union leaders if Harley’s dreams of personal freedoms still extend to […] The post Do Harley’s Dreams of Personal Freedom Include Its Workers? appeared first on KKFI.

The UAW now has 30,000 members who work at universities.  They don’t think like autoworkers. This week on The Heartland Labor Forum we’ll ask if the UAW is headed for […] The post The UAW Identity Crisis: Is It Still An Auto Union? Green Party Candidate Jill Stein on Labor, the Economy and Immigration (first of a series on candidates) appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Five reasons you should go to the People’s March for public education and social justice in Washington DC July 8-10. Then, what’s management […] The post Teachers March Again and The Management Myth appeared first on KKFI.

After the Civil War until World War II, one of the few good jobs open to African American men and a few women as Pullman Porter or Maid. To be […] The post Pullman Porters: The Making of the Black Middle Class in KC appeared first on KKFI.

KC area native Thomas Frank has written about why Kansans vote against their self-interest and about how the right wing took over America. Now he looks at the Democrats in […] The post Thomas Frank: Listen Liberal and Postal Banking: Is the Time Now? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, it’s two authors with two books. We’ll talk to Gerald Horne about his book on the great singer and activist Paul Robeson. The […] The post Paul Robeson: The Artist as Revolutionary and Jamala Rogers: Ferguson Is America appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, hear about the new partnership between UMKC’s Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design and the community to address the challenges facing neighborhoods […] The post The New Center for Neighborhoods and Disabilities Integration Act appeared first on KKFI.

Will Verizon never settle?. . . with its unions? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk about the strike and the stakes for workers in the communications industry. […] The post Will Verizon #NeverSettle? and The Peabody Cave-in appeared first on KKFI.

Standardized testing. Why are students and teachers around the country so critical of it? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, two teachers will discuss how testing strips important protections […] The post Corporate Raiders Crash the Classroom appeared first on KKFI.

Thursday on the Heartland Labor Forum: Did Senators go hungry today alongside the workers who feed them? We’ll hear about the strike in the Senate Cafeteria. It’s part of the […] The post U.S. Senate Cafeteria Workers Cookin’ Up Trouble and Tips: A Throwback to Slavery appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Hear about the remarkable march last week of Longfellow Elementary students with banners declaring “One Race -Human Race. Kids are learning to build […] The post Human Race – One Race and Teamsters on the Cutting Board appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: The Electoral College – that obstacle to direct election of the President put into the Constitution by the framers. Did they have a […] The post Should We Get Rid of the Electoral College? And Earl Wheeler: Lessons from KC Labor’s Past appeared first on KKFI.

On April 14th Teamsters will be in Washington protesting pension cuts. On April 17th and 18th labor, civil rights, environmental and student organizations will surround the Capitol with a Democracy […] The post Everyone’s Marching on Washington this Spring and Summer appeared first on KKFI.

Will jobs on the new KC streetcars be good jobs? We’ll find out from the union that represents the Area Transportation Authority bus drivers, ATU Local 1287 this week on […] The post A Streetcar Named Non-Union and MO Legislature to KC: “Bend Uber” appeared first on KKFI.

The exit of manufacturing jobs from Michigan in recent decades turned it into a rust belt, and now the rust is more than a metaphor. It’s in the poisoned water […] The post Welcome to “Pure” Michigan appeared first on KKFI.

Add one more black eye for The University of Missouri-Columbia: Refusal to bargain or recognize a union. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk with graduate teaching assistants […] The post MU Graduate Teaching Assistants Denied Union Representation Election and A Preview of the Upcoming Labor Notes Conference appeared first on KKFI.

The passing of Father John Wandless late last year left his What U Can Do program to politically empower minority youth in limbo. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, […] The post Father Lefty Empowering Youth and The New Education Reform: Will Children Still Be Left Behind? appeared first on KKFI.

In the past few years the Chicago Teachers Union has won a reputation as one of the most innovative and participative unions in the U.S. This week on the Heartland […] The post What’s New from the Chicago Teachers? and Xenophobia: Are We a Nation of Anti-Immigrants? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we look at two successful grassroots citizen campaigns in Kansas City. First in the wake of BNIM’s withdrawal from the Crossroads project, we […] The post TIFF: Arrested Development and Honeywell Not Well appeared first on KKFI.

Curious about Presidential candidate positions on labor issues? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we feature spokespeople and info about Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and the Donald […] The post The Presidential Frontrunners: Who Is a Friend of Labor? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: In the 1950’s St. Louis labor leaders Harold Gibbons and Ernest Calloway championed a new kind of labor movement embracing workers as “total […] The post Harold Gibbons and Ernest Calloway: Fighting for Total Person Unionism and Enemies in Blue appeared first on KKFI.

It was a take-no-prisoners kind of a fight. That’s the battle between US Attorney General Bobby Kennedy and Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa which filled the headlines and the courtrooms in […] The post Vendetta: Bobby Kennedy vs Jimmy Hoffa and Labor Responses to COP21 appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk about the Junior Rat-race in our schools known as testing. According to our guest, it’s over-testing and the harm it does […] The post Junior Rat-race: the Problem of Over-testing and Hippy Scabs Are Still Scabs appeared first on KKFI.

New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest cab hailing nights of the year, so on this week’s Heartland Labor Forum, it’s a good time to revisit one of the […] The post The Rise Of The “Sharing Economy” (ENCORE) & Top Labor Stories of 2015 appeared first on KKFI.

On Christmas Eve, on the Heartland Labor Forum, two union maids will bring you our annual Peace on Earth show. It’s not your typical peace on earth show though. It’s […] The post Race to Nowhere: Reforming K-12 and A Holiday Wish: No War but the Class War appeared first on KKFI.

Suddenly TIF is back in the news with the hotel and Crossroads projects. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll find out why citizens are once again mad about […] The post Welcome to Hotel TIF and Richard Wolff: Co-ops Work appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview David Cay Johnston, tax expert and investigative journalist. We’ll ask him about offshore tax loopholes, record breaking inequality, out of control […] The post David Cay Johnston: In-Shoring Prosperity and Why Are Canadian Unions Stronger? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we explore the conditions for child care workers and for Kansas teachers. Tune in to “Rock-a-bye Baby The Wages Is Crazy”; and then […] The post Rock-a-bye Baby The Wages Is Crazy and Why Are Kansas Teachers Fleeing? appeared first on KKFI.

A community health worker is a bridge between traditionally underserved populations and needed health information, support and care, as well as important basic and social services. It’s a new job […] The post Community Health Workers – Good Deal for Workers and Patients appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Sheet Metal Workers and Sierra Club Team Up to Demand Missouri Move toward Energy Efficiency – “Missourians are paying too much on our […] The post Sheet Metal Workers and Sierra Club Team Up to Demand Missouri Move toward Energy Efficiency and What’s Up with Auto Bargaining? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview Steven Hill about his new book Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers.Then, Adia Wingfield […] The post The Uber Economy; A Raw Deal and What’s in a Name? Profiling in Hiring appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we talk to labor radio producer Rick Smith about his new book Daddy, What’s the Middle Class? It’s about a cross country trip […] The post Daddy, What’s the Middle Class appeared first on KKFI.

Ai-Jen Poo, leader of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, has a new book: The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America. We’ll talk to her […] The post Ai-Jen Poo: Age of Dignity and Familias Unidas Take on Driscoll appeared first on KKFI.

Some want to kick them out; others want to welcome them in: what are the candidates’ positions on immigration? And on Pioneer Women, we interview Cindy Longaker, woman of steel and […] The post Where Do the Candidates Stand on Immigration? And Pioneer Women appeared first on KKFI.

Some unions have already endorsed in the 2016 presidential race. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask why unions are endorsing now? Should the members be polled? And […] The post When Should Unions Endorse? appeared first on KKFI.

Our Walmart is relaunching for the holiday season. Find out how this union buster could be affected this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Then, some union members are asking: […] The post Our Walmart Relaunch, & Should Police Unions Be in the House of Labor? appeared first on KKFI.

In the 1970s, there was a huge effort to pass an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. It narrowly failed, and Equality Now’s Jessica Neuwirth says it’s time to bring […] The post Jessica Neuwirth: Bring Back the ERA and Is Charter Partners Just Sneaky Privatization? appeared first on KKFI.

Like the Democrats in the U.S., the British Labour Party has been moving to the right. Now British unions are backing an outspoken socialist for leader of the Labour Party. […] The post Will There Be a British Labor Party Resurrection with JC? and More Than a Score: The New Uprising Against High-Stakes Testing appeared first on KKFI.

It’s Women’s Equality Week on the Heartland Labor Forum. We’ll interview two Pioneer Working Women. First, Janet Smith organized and became President of the Faculty Union at University of Illinois […] The post Women’s Equality Week – Two Pioneer Working Women Tell Their Stories appeared first on KKFI.

Reverend William Barber has inspired thousands in the Moral Mondays Movement in North Carolina and across the nation. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll hear why he says: […] The post Rev. William Barber: America Lacks Heart and Bad Ass Teachers Unite appeared first on KKFI.

Bullies. They’re on the playground, in our homes, in the workplace and government. Is bullying on the rise or are we just more willing to name it and stand up […] The post Bullies In The Workplace appeared first on KKFI.

With a Socialist running for President as a Democrat, the Heartland Labor Forum decided to look at socialists from the past who ran. Join us for trip back to the […] The post A Socialist for President? Not the First Time and When Tenure Goes, What Happens to Academic Freedom? appeared first on KKFI.

Every week since late May, thousands of Hondurans take to the streets in torch marches to protest the theft of millions of dollars of their health care funds by government […] The post Honduras: Laboratory for Privatization appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we get some good news from Bangladesh about compensation for the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013, then talk to Erik Loomis, whose […] The post A Victory for Bangladesh Garment Workers and Erik Loomis: The Corporate Outsourcing Catastrophe appeared first on KKFI.

Where does the idea behind Right to Work come from? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we interview Cedric deLeon whose new book, The Origins of Right to Work, […] The post The Origins of Right to Work by Cedric deLeon and Obamacare Survives the Supreme Court: What’s Next? appeared first on KKFI.

As Kansas City debates raising the minimum wage, this week’s Heartland Labor Forum asks the question: by how much? Should it go to $15 by 2020? We’ll get the views […] The post Why 15? The Kansas City Minimum Wage Increase appeared first on KKFI.

The European migrant crisis is all over the news. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look into the crises behind the crisis including: war, imperialism, and poverty. Why […] The post Breaking into Fortress Europe: Migrants Across the Mediterranean appeared first on KKFI.

Last Fall Congress passed and President Obama signed a so-called Pension Reform Act allowing employers to reduce or suspend pension payments to retirees if a pension plan is “deeply troubled.” Teamster retirees face […] The post ERISA’s Demise: The Domino Effect and Huelga: Story from a Casino Utility Closet appeared first on KKFI.

Labor History in two minutes a day? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Stephanie Sewell of the Illinois Labor History society about the new radio show […] The post Labor History in Two and Venezuela: Who’s the Real Threat? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview journalist Matt Kennard, author of The Racket: A Rogue Reporter vs. the Masters of the Universe. Then, UC Berkeley’s Ian Perry explains what wage […] The post Matt Kennard: On the Trail of the Global Capitalist Racketeers and the High Public Cost of Low Fast Food Wages appeared first on KKFI.

Does the World Bank Work for Working People? Not according to a new study about how poor people are chased off their land to make way for shiny new projects […] The post Does the World Bank Work for Working People? and Pioneer Women appeared first on KKFI.

A hundred years ago, Kansas and Missouri were a hotbed of socialism. Rabble rousers like Mother Jones and Kate Richards O’Hare drew large crowds. There’s a new history of the […] The post A 100 Years Ago, Socialists Dominated MOKAN Labor – History of the Socialist Party and Women Battle Sexual Harassment at Ford Chicago appeared first on KKFI.

Why do so-called education reforms keep proposing the same failed strategies for education: blaming teachers, attacking tenure, proposing testing or charters or outright privatization? What are the strategies based on […] The post Teacher Wars: The Most Embattled Profession appeared first on KKFI.

Last week AT&T reported massive profits, but 17,000 workers in the Midwest who helped make them rich are working without a contract and facing demands for slashed healthcare, pensions, and […] The post AT&T on a Race to the Bottom? Home Healthcare Workers Fighting for a Union appeared first on KKFI.

It’s a hundred years since IWW organizer and songwriter Joe Hill was executed by the State of Utah. Hear his story and his music this week on the Heartland Labor […] The post Joe Hill’s Last Will with John McCutcheon appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: Meet Vicky Hale – the new President at UAW Local 31. As their first ever woman Prez, she’s a Pioneer Woman. Last week, […] The post Pioneer Women: UAW 31’s Vicky Hale and Adjunct Professors Organize appeared first on KKFI.

The attack on public education has become an onslaught starting from the heights of the American Legislative Exchange Council and subverting institutions from Kindergarten through higher education with the myth […] The post From Public to Charter to Virtual: What’s Next for the Schools? appeared first on KKFI.

Some big union contracts are up this year. Will they begin a turnaround in labor’s fortunes? There was a near strike on the West Coast docks by the International Longshore […] The post Current Labor Struggles in Oil and Auto and on the Docks appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Kansas teachers about teaching in Brownbackistan. Then, we ask why are Chicago Ford workers having to sue to get their […] The post Teaching in Brownbakistan and Manual Labor: Groped on the Assembly Line appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview Dorothy Sue Cobble, one of the authors of Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women’s Movements. It’s about the […] The post Dorothy Sue Cobble: Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women’s Movements and Metropolitan Community Colleges Faculty Organizes appeared first on KKFI.

Last week, the Missouri Trade Justice Coalition hosted a forum called The Transpacific Partnership: Another Corporate Power Grab. Environmentalists, farmers, unions, and human rights organizations all participated. This week on […] The post The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Another Corporate Power Grab appeared first on KKFI.

Wal-Mart workers just got a raise. How did that happen? Could it be that Wal-Mart workers have finally got Bentonville scared they’ll unionize? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, […] The post Our Walmart Gets a Raise and Singout with Pat Wynne appeared first on KKFI.

From Madison, Wisconsin to Jefferson City, Missouri, the union busters are hijacking our labor rights. In Missouri, so-called Right to Work and Paycheck Protection bills have become partners in crimes […] The post Right to Work and Paycheck Deception: Partners in Crime appeared first on KKFI.

Americans pride themselves on our freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution, but few realize that when they enter the workplace, their civil liberties are left outside. This week on the Heartland […] The post Why Does the Boss Have All the Rights? appeared first on KKFI.

Governors and State legislators are still messing with public education. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll look at how Kansas and Missouri teachers are fighting back. In Kansas […] The post Teachers on the March appeared first on KKFI.

In the next 30 days the Obama Administration will begin its campaign to pass the biggest NAFTA-style trade deal ever: the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Ever heard of it? Probably not. The post Fast Track to Oblivion: The New Secret Trade Deal appeared first on KKFI.

The lobbyist cash is flowing just like Koch with a K. From Topeka to Jeff City, they’re serving up a toxic feast of union busting, anti-work bills. This week on […] The post Partying Like It’s 1928: the NO KANT Legislatures appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, it’s all about money and power. We interview finance expert Nomi Prins on her book All the Presidents’ Bankers then to circle back […] The post Nomi Prins: All the Presidents’ Bankers and Ed Baptist Half the Story: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism appeared first on KKFI.

What’s Obama’s Executive Action for immigrants all about? Can the anti-immigrant politicians block them? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll explore these questions and ask how unions and […] The post Obama Immigration Executive Action: a Big Opportunity for Unions appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask: Is Kansas City like Ferguson? We talk to police critics from One Struggle KC and we talk to the police about […] The post Police and the Community from One Struggle KC to Community Policing appeared first on KKFI.

Longtime radical labor lawyer Tom Geoghegen wants to chuck the model of unions we’ve had since World War II and transform the labor laws and the Democratic party. His new […] The post Thomas Geohagen: Only One Thing Can Save Us – Why America Needs a New Kind of Labor Movement and Retail Worker Organizing appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, in the spirit of the season we talk to an economist and theologian and ask him: would Jesus be a capitalist? Then hear […] The post Would Jesus Be a Capitalist? And Chuy Negrete: Mexican Work Songs appeared first on KKFI.

Is democracy in the workplace possible? In the spirit of peace for Christmas, the Heartland Labor Forum is going to replay Mondragon: Humanity at Work. Mondragon in Spain is the […] The post Mondragon: Humanity At Work (Encore) appeared first on KKFI.

There’s no shortage of outside experts and billionaires who want to “fix” public education in Missouri, usually by blaming teachers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, teachers talk about […] The post Report from the Front in the Continuing War on Teachers appeared first on KKFI.

When hospitals failed to protect workers who were treating ebola patients, it was National Nurses United who blew the whistle and demanded better standards of protection . This week on […] The post Why Ebola is a Union Issue appeared first on KKFI.

Jobs??? There are great jobs in Kansas City with training so you earn while you learn. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we go to the Building Trades Job […] The post Skilled Trades Job Fair and Is ALEC Coming to a City Near Here? appeared first on KKFI.

Black Friday has merged into Thursday as retail workers fight for time to eat their turkey. On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum we have a special on the all time […] The post Black Friday appeared first on KKFI.

As Governor Nixon places Missouri National Guard on Emergency Alert, organizers in many cities are prepared to respond to the Grand Jury decision for the shooting death of Mike Brown […] The post Ferguson: Anytown, USA appeared first on KKFI.

On August 16, thousands of Palestinian solidarity activists convened at the Port of Oakland and blocked workers from the Longshore union – ILWU from unloading an Israeli cargo ship. The […] The post Block the Boat LA and These Roses Have Thorns: Colombian Flower Workers appeared first on KKFI.

“A wave of change rolled through Latin America at the turn of the 21st-century bringing calls for broad participation and democratically drafted constitutions.” That’s the beginning of a book called […] The post Til the Rulers Obey: Rebel Voices from Latin America and Homecare Workers appeared first on KKFI.

Young auto workers today make far less than their older coworkers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll have a conversation with 21st-century Ford workers about their hopes, their […] The post 21st-century Ford workers appeared first on KKFI.

There are lots of hot election races in Kansas this year and a few even in Missouri. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to some insiders: Courtney […] The post Elections: Hot Races in Kansas and Missouri appeared first on KKFI.

As state and local governments outsource important public functions to for-profit companies, what happens to workers and their communities? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll find out from […] The post Privatization: What’s the Cost? and Stopping Privatization in KC appeared first on KKFI.

Denied unemployment? Help is on the way. UMKC has a clinic to help people appeal the denial of claims. That’s this week on the Heartland Labor Forum. Also, the movement […] The post Denied Unemployment? Help Is on the Way and Assessing the Fast Food Campaign, Its Triumphs and Future appeared first on KKFI.

A few decades ago, Kansas City had teachers and firefighters strikes, but it’s been years. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we interview Joe Burns, who thinks we should […] The post Reviving the Public Sector Strike and Blowing the Whistle on Unsafe Work appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, St. Louis money bags Rex Sinquefield is behind Amendment 3 on the Missouri November ballot, another state constitutional amendment. It would pay teachers […] The post Teachers Unite Against Amendment 3 & “Parasitic Finance Capital” appeared first on KKFI.

Workers on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe are voting on a proposal to eliminate conductor jobs and run trains with only an engineer. It’s stirring up lots of opposition from […] The post Stop That One-Man Train! appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum our show is called Ferguson Missouri: Mirror of Deindustrialization. We ask why all-too-common police violence erupted into mass protest in Ferguson? Has the […] The post Is Ferguson a Labor Issue? appeared first on KKFI.

Did you know that the restaurant industry is the single largest source of sexual harassment charges? Roc United – The Restaurant Opportunity Center, has a campaign to end the tipped […] The post The Connections Between Tips and Sexual Harrassment appeared first on KKFI.

The Jazz Union: Whatever Happened to Local 627? The post The Jazz Union: Whatever Happened to Local 627? appeared first on KKFI.

Ever imagine what it’s like to be on the other side of the sign? This week’s Heartland Labor Forum is called Shakerboarders: Will Dance for Food. Although the Statue of […] The post Shakerboarders: Will Dance For Food appeared first on KKFI.

What would your job be like if your company were a democracy? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll take a look at the world’s largest industrial democracy, Mondragon, […] The post Mondragon: What if YOU Could Elect Your Boss? appeared first on KKFI.

A lot of people haven’t decided how to vote in the August 5th election which asks voters in Kansas City and Missouri to approve new taxes for streetcars and roads. […] The post August 5th Election Issues appeared first on KKFI.

A lot of people haven’t decided how to vote in the August 5th election, which asks voters in Kansas City and Missouri to approve new taxes for streetcars and roads. […] The post The Transportation Sales Tax and the Street Car Referenda on the August Ballot appeared first on KKFI.

Colleen Simon was fired by the Kansas City Archdiocese for being married–can they do that? We’ll talk to Colleen, her wife Donna, and her attorneys this week on the Heartland […] The post Are Religious Institutions Exempt from Labor Law? and State Takeover of Normandy School District: Will Teachers Pay the Price? appeared first on KKFI.

At UPS Telematics is Big Brother, an on-board monitoring system worthy of the NSA. Hear about it this week on The Heartland Labor Forum where we’ll also discuss the latest […] The post Big Brother at UPS plus Uber and Lyft appeared first on KKFI.

The recession ended officially six years ago. So how’s the recovery been for you? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Pulitzer prize winning investigative reporter David […] The post David Cay Johnston: The Recovery That Wasn’t appeared first on KKFI.

Is $15 an hour minimum wage a pipe dream? Hear how Seattle got it. Could it happen here? And, there’s a new PAC to take our democracy back from the […] The post Seattle’s $15 an Hour Victory & May Day PAC appeared first on KKFI.

Did you know that traveling musicians pack a union along with their guitars and banjos to protect them on the road? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll find […] The post Musicians Local 1000: Pete Seeger’s Union and Greg Gould: Union Man appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Alexandra Bradbury of Labor Notes about her new book, How To Jump-Start Your Union, on the Chicago teachers strike. It’s […] The post “How To Jump-Start Your Union” appeared first on KKFI.

On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum we ask, “how are good jobs being turned bad?” with two examples: if prison isn’t slave labor, it’s close. We’ll have a survey of […] The post The USPS , Staples Are Stamping Out Good Postal Jobs appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Kevin Corley who wrote a novel called Sixteen Tons about coal miners, their families, and the struggle to organize. It’s […] The post “Sixteen Tons” & Women’s Lib at Jiffy Lube appeared first on KKFI.

Will Paul Davis become Brownback’s downfall? In an exclusive interview with Heartland Labor Forum, the candidate for Kansas Governor talks about his background and what’s the matter with Kansas. Then, […] The post Will Paul Davis Become Brownback’s Downfall? & Who’s Buying Our Elections? appeared first on KKFI.

Local food production is all the rage these days, but amidst its many the virtues environmentally, in health, animal welfare, and saving small farms, few pay attention to the lives […] The post “Labor & The Locavore” & Koch’s New Deal for Teachers appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: a cauldron of troublemakers. We’ll feature excerpts from The Labor Notes Convention with speeches by new APWU President Mark Dimondstein, Chicago Teachers Union […] The post A Cauldron of Troublemakers appeared first on KKFI.

Are we getting all the facts about the streetcar? Is it for transportation, or do profits come first? And then, North Carolina’s Moral Mondays movement for economic fairness and equal […] The post Streetcar Smashup & Moral Mondays Now On Tuesdays appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, get the latest on what’s happening in the Missouri State House with a legislative update from House Minority Leader Jake Hummel. Also, economics […] The post MO Legislative Update & “Open Shop Economics” appeared first on KKFI.

Simon Head, author of Mindless: Why Smarter Machines Are Making Dumber Humans, says working at Wal-Mart or Amazon is like being on a digital chain gang. This week on the […] The post Are Smarter Machines Making Dumber Humans? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum: 25 years of labor radio–the Heartland Labor Forum‘s birthday! Our first show was April Fool’s Day, 1989, and we’ll have an open house […] The post 25 Years of Labor Radio! appeared first on KKFI.

Who’s behind the obscene manipulation of elections by super-rich donors? Are the 1%’s top 1% buying our elections? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll give you some answers […] The post Are the 1%’s Top 1% Buying Our Elections? appeared first on KKFI.

In Ohio in 2011, Gov. John Kasich, facing a budget crisis caused by Wall Street bankers, blames it on public employees and pushes through a bill gutting their collective bargaining […] The post Collective Bargaining and the Battle of Ohio appeared first on KKFI.

The union election at Volkswagen has caused political and legal disputes and reaction around the world. Thursday on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll interview In These Times reporter Mike Elk […] The post Bugs in the Volkswagen Election & Early Voting in MO appeared first on KKFI.

Many people know that NAFTA has been a disaster for Mexican workers, with lost jobs, increasing poverty and pressure to migrate, but few here have heard of the resistance by […] The post Union-Busting, Mexico Style appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we travel with National Nurses United to the Phillipines to hear about their RNRN program. That’s Registered Nurses Response Network. They have sent […] The post NNU Nurses Save Lives, Show Union Solidarity In Aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan appeared first on KKFI.

KC is all excited about new streetcars, but City Manager Troy Schulte wants them on the cheap. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to Amalgamated Transit Union […] The post Run the Streetcars Non-Union? & Bandleader Lance Canales appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we return to the Bangladesh factory collapse with the International Labor Rights Forum and ask “‘Were The Workers Left In The Rubble?” Then, […] The post Were The Workers Left In The Rubble? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’re changing our schedule to memorialize Pete Seeger–banjo player, balladeer, singalong leader, union member, and blacklisted by McCarthyites. Pete died last week, and […] The post Memorializing Pete Seeger & Will ERISA Get the Kiss of Death? appeared first on KKFI.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP: it’s the new NAFTA-style trade agreement the President is pushing. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, our show is called “The TPP: On A […] The post The TPP: On A Roll; Still Flushable appeared first on KKFI.

Do privatizers have the Kansas City School District in their sites? Are we looking at the end of public educational we know it in KCMO? This week on the Heartland […] The post Public Education: Is This The End? appeared first on KKFI.

Not so long ago, Kansas City was a segregated town and so were many of our unions. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to Kansas City veterans […] The post Labor Marchers for Civil Rights appeared first on KKFI.

Ever wonder why Washington is so obsessed with deficits? Meet Pete Peterson, the billionaire who spent almost half a billion to get politicians to focus on the deficit rather than […] The post Peter, Peter, Social Security Eater! appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, hear Bob McChesney chat with us about his book Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America. Then, cheer up […] The post Bob McChesney: Dollarocracy appeared first on KKFI.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has said, “And let me be frank: I am deeply troubled by the way the Affordable Care Act has been administered. Too many calls seem to […] The post Affordable Care Act appeared first on KKFI.

Did you know that 11 percent of Mexico’s population lives north of the border? Did you know that the decision to migrate is rarely voluntary? This week on the Heartland […] The post “The Right to Stay Home”, 100th Anniversary of the Assembly Line appeared first on KKFI.

On a special Thanksgiving edition of Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll be trotting with the turkeys as we hold a celebratory Thanksgiving Music Special, featuring music with a message for our […] The post Trottin’ With the Turkeys! appeared first on KKFI.

They’re diverse, they’re tech-savvy, and they’re exploited. They’re young workers, and unions want them. On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum, we start a new series called Labor: The Next Generation […] The post Labor: The Next Generation appeared first on KKFI.

Many workers are facing pension cuts. Are they justified? Why should retirees pay for something they didn’t cause? Are there alternatives? Tune in to Who’s Pilfering Your Pension on this […] The post Pilfering Your Pension and KU Nurses Association: Defending Quality Patient Care appeared first on KKFI.

Many employers these days tell workers they’re contractors and need to pay their own taxes and work comp insurance. Can they do that? Suddenly your boss cuts your breaks from […] The post Can the Boss Do That? appeared first on KKFI.

This week’s Heartland Labor Forum has two scary stories: What’s it like to go to a strange school where you don’t know the language or how to act, and have […] The post Halloween Horrors on Wall Street, plus ‘New Kid’ appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, meet Tim Sheard, author of six mystery novels about Lenny Moss, amateur detective and hospital union shop steward. Then, why is Wisconsin Governor […] The post Meet Tim Sheard! And Solidarity Singers Arrested appeared first on KKFI.

Is there a shortage of high tech workers? Do we need to raise the quota for high tech guest workers? Do they undercut the wages of Americans? We’ll find out […] The post High-Tech Guest Workers & Peabody Shuffle appeared first on KKFI.

This week’s Heartland Labor Forum is about organizing, politics, and money. Here’s the lineup: Eric Mann has a new book out called Playbook for Progressives: 16 Qualities of the Successful […] The post Organizing, Politics, & Money appeared first on KKFI.

On October 11th-13th, longtime labor activists from all over the U.S. and Canada will hold a conference at the University of Missouri-St. Louis to memorialize labor strategist Jerry Tucker, sum […] The post The Jerry Tucker Legacy appeared first on KKFI.

On this week’s edition of Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to lawyer Fred Wickham about the problems teachers face when falsely accused of abusing students; then, we’ll find out about […] The post Bulldozing Teachers and Schools appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll deal with two issues. The first is a recap on last week’s Missouri veto session with Rep. Judy Morgan.  Then, we take […] The post Recap on Last Week’s Missouri Veto Session & Bus Attacks! appeared first on KKFI.

Is it a new AFL-CIO? We’ll be almost live, from the convention. The AFL-CIO in its buildup to its convention this week said it would take bold, decisive action to answer the […] The post A “New” AFL-CIO? appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we asked people at the Labor Day Parade “What’s a good job?” You’ll hear their answers. And speaking of good jobs, we’ll talk […] The post Labor Day Redux: What’s A Good Job? appeared first on KKFI.

“With unionized labor, a level of decency and fairness can be achieved in establishing wages and working conditions.” ~~Ed Asner, actor, union leader and all-around agitator Hear Judy Ancel chat […] The post A Special Labor Day with Ed Asner appeared first on KKFI.

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we look at what’s happening to our right to privacy: Edward Snowden was not the first. Before him came NSA whistleblowers William Binney, […] The post Snoops & Snowblowers appeared first on KKFI.

Congress is on its August recess and activists for and against immigration reform are cranking up the volume. On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll ask whether immigration reform is […] The post What’s Going On With Immigration Reform? appeared first on KKFI.

“No family should have to choose between paying the rent and buying food. No family can live on $7.25 an hour.” —That was the Reverend Susan McCann, speaking in front […] The post Fast Food Worker Strike Redux appeared first on KKFI.

In Missouri, you can kill someone, do your time, and qualify for food stamps, but not if your crime was drugs. On this week’s Heartland Labor Forum, we talk to […] The post Which Ex-Felons Can’t Get Food Stamps? and “What Do You Mean, You’re Closing My School?!” appeared first on KKFI.

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates get lots of publicity for being generous, but recent psychology experiments in fact show that rich people are greedier and cheat more than the rest […] The post Do the Rich Cheat More than the Rest of Us? and Union Organizing Iraqi Style appeared first on KKFI.

Last week, over a hundred Kansans stood up against the Koch Brothers’ front  group Americans for Prosperity, dubbing them Americans for Austerity. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll […] The post Don’t do Koch! and Jonathan Sperber: Karl Marx: A 19th Century Life appeared first on KKFI.

Peabody Coal dumped union miners and retirees into subsidiary Patriot Coal which is now in bankruptcy and reneging on union contracts, pensions and healthcare for retired miners. Tune into this […] The post The Peabody/Patriot Shuffle appeared first on KKFI.

This week on Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll go in-depth on Bill Fletcher’s talk at the Kansas City Public Library about his new book “They’re Bankrupting Us!” & 20 Other Myths […] The post “They’re Bankrupting Us!” & 20 Other Myths About Unions appeared first on KKFI.

There are less than 100 days until the October 1st kickoff of Obamacare, when uninsured people can begin applying for health insurance and premium subsidies through the Affordable Care Act’s […] The post Obamacare Review and Q&A appeared first on KKFI.

“No words can describe the horror of the criminal action of the manufacturers, brands, employer groups, and regulatory authorities for their greed for profit, at the cost of precious human […] The post What Do You Get When You Offshore Management Responsibility? Bangladesh appeared first on KKFI.

This week on Heartland Labor Forum, our correspondents Cris Mann and Ann Pritchett explore our obsession with testing mania. Later, HLF reporters Sayra Gordillo and Jen Zaman talk to a […] The post Testing Mania and “I’m Not Lovin’ It”: Fast Food Workers appeared first on KKFI.

The 2013 Missouri and Kansas Legislative sessions have twisted away into oblivion. Like recent storms, they’ve left a path of destruction through workers’ rights and welfare. On this week’s Heartland […] The post Legislative Post-Mortem and Dumb Bill Award appeared first on KKFI.