America’s Work Force Union Podcast

Winning the Stage: IATSE Local 22’s Organizing Surge

Labor momentum in D.C.’s entertainment industry isn't just growing—it’s compounding. IATSE Local 22 Vice President Nick Arancibia and Business Agent Ryan Chavka join the show to discuss their third major regional theater victory in six years: Arena Stage.

We dive into how a "bombshell" management demand for 60-hour workweeks at Signature Theatre sparked a movement that changed NLRB case law, and why the union is now expanding into iconic rock-and-roll venues like the 9:30 Club.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Signature Spark: How one disastrous management decision led to a 100% card-signing drive in six weeks.
• A Shifting Market: Why younger workers are prioritizing "predictable lives" over just higher wages.

The Turning Tide: What it means when non-union venue managers start calling the union because they can't keep staff.

Defending Ohio’s Schools & LA’s Historic Direct Action Training

From the legislative battles of the Midwest to historic street mobilizations in Southern California, the labor movement is currently the front line of defense for the American working class. Today, we look at how union leaders are responding to fiscal threats and federal pressure.

Segment 1: The $21 Billion Threat in Ohio

We’re joined by Frank Mathews, Administrative Director of CWA District 4, to discuss the fallout of the Ohio and Indiana primaries. While labor-backed candidates like Ironworker Brian Poindexter are securing major wins, a new threat is looming: a movement to repeal Ohio’s property tax. Mathews breaks down why this proposal is a "trap" that would blow a $21 billion hole in public services, devastating schools, roads, and fire departments.

Segment 2: Solidarity Under Fire in Los Angeles

Yvonne Wheeler, President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, joins us to discuss a city pushed to the brink. Following the January 2025 wildfires and large-scale immigration enforcement operations, Wheeler explains how the LA Fed organized the largest nonviolent direct action training in U.S. history. We discuss the creation of the Peacekeepers, the May Day 2026 mobilization, and why the labor movement is the only force capable of holding the line during a crisis.

The Battle for Prop B in Round Rock

In one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, public safety is struggling to keep pace with the pavement. Billy Colburn, past president and election manager for IAFF Local 3082, joins the America's Work Force Union Podcast to sound the alarm on a critical staffing crisis in Round Rock, Texas.

Despite a study revealing the department has 0% capability of meeting national safety standards for fires at nursing homes and apartment complexes, the union's push for Proposition B faced a wall of political opposition. Colburn breaks down the "not for self, but for others" mission and the frustrating reality of a city that prioritizes multi-million dollar walking trails over basic fire apparatus staffing.

Key highlights from this episode:

• The 10% Standard: Why Round Rock currently fails to meet the "two-in, two-out" safety rule for residential fires.
• The $5.6 Million Disconnect: A look at city spending priorities and why walking trails are being built while fire response times lag.
• An Unexpected Rivalry: The story behind the local police union’s reversal on Proposition B—despite the plan quietly funding 30 new police positions.

The Post-Election Path: What comes next for IAFF Local 3082 after the unofficial May 2nd results.

Broadcast’s AI Threat vs. The Largest Union Surge in 16 Years

The broadcast industry is facing a "gut punch," but the labor movement is punching back.

In today’s episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc navigates the two-sided reality of the 2026 labor landscape: an industry in crisis and a workforce in ascent.

Segment 1: The Fight for the Voice of Journalism

Mary Cavallaro, Chief Broadcast Officer for SAG-AFTRA, delivers an unflinching look at the wave of layoffs sweeping through Nexstar and the shocking closure of the 100-year-old CBS News Radio.

• The AI Threat: How "voice cloning" and generative AI are targeting the identities of correspondents and DJs.
• The Severance Standard: Why union contracts are the only thing standing between a worker and a financial crisis during consolidation.
• A Message to Non-Union Workers: Why SAG-AFTRA is opening its doors to those without a contract.

Segment 2: By the Numbers—The Union Renaissance

Margaret Poydock, Senior Policy Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), joins us to reveal the blockbuster 2025 union membership data. Despite a hostile federal environment, the numbers are the highest they’ve been since 2009.

• The Southern Surprise: Why nearly half of all new union growth is happening in the South.
• Gen Z & Millennials: Breaking down the 72% favorability rate among young workers who are "done" with the status quo.
• The Representation Gap: 50 million workers want a union but can’t get one—how states are bypassing federal gridlock to fix it.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about SAG-AFTRA: sagaftra.org
• Read the full EPI report: epi.org

Subscribe for more: awf.labortools.com

Surge in Union Growth and a 13-Year Legal Defeat for Worker Rights

The federal government may be swinging the hammer, but workers are building anyway. Jennifer Sherer, deputy director of the Economic Policy Institute's Economic Analysis and Research Network, joins the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a moment of startling contrasts. Despite a hostile federal environment, approximately 463,000 workers joined unions in 2025. Sherer breaks down how states like Virginia are becoming the new front lines for worker power—banning captive-audience meetings, repealing "right to work" laws and protecting the right to strike when Washington fails to act.

But grassroots growth is being met by a "legal ghost" in the courts. In our second segment, labor lawyer Andrew Strom joins us for a post-mortem on the Bobby Reed case. After 13 years of litigation and two victories before the NLRB, the D.C. Circuit Court used a 73-year-old legal doctrine to strip Reed—a 34-year utility veteran—of his federal protections. His "crime"? Testifying before the Texas State Senate about workplace fires without explicitly mentioning a labor dispute. Strom explains how this ruling turns civic participation into a minefield for private-sector workers and why the current Supreme Court makes a rescue unlikely.

Featured Guests:

• Jennifer Sherer: Deputy Director, EARN (Economic Policy Institute)

• Andrew Strom: Labor Lawyer, Brooklyn Law School professor and OnLabor contributor

Inside the Episode:

• The data behind the 463,000-worker union surge

• The "Jefferson Standard" and the death of worker free speech

• Bobby Reed and his 13-year fight for justice

Fighting a Silent Epidemic: Gary LaBarbera on the NYC Building Trades’ Peer Support Network

In the construction industry, the most dangerous threat isn’t always a falling object or a site accident—it’s the silent crisis of mental health.

In this powerful episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we sit down with Gary LaBarbera, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council.

Timed with Mental Health Awareness Month, LaBarbera discusses the launch of a first-of-its-kind, vertically integrated peer support network. Developed in partnership with Cornell University, this program is designed to confront a stark reality: while 1,000 workers die annually from job-site injuries, over 5,000 are lost to suicide.

What We Discuss:

• The 5:1 Crisis: Why death by suicide has become a genuine epidemic in the trades and the unique stressors—from physical pain to "stoic" culture—that drive the risk.
• The Cornell Framework: How a curriculum designed by labor educators and clinicians is training union members to identify and respond to crises in real-time.
• Vertical Integration: Why this program is different—allowing a peer supporter from any trade to assist any worker on a job site, regardless of their union affiliation.
• Industry Solidarity: How the program secured funding from the New York Building Congress Foundation and the pharmaceutical industry to ensure no cost to the workers.
• "It’s Not Weak to Speak": The human stories behind the initiative, including the tradesman who saved a life on-site by simply being present.

"No one ever died by suicide because someone asked if they were okay. People die because no one asked."

Resources & Links:

• NYC Building Trades: nycbuildingtrades.org
• Get Help Now: If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

More AWF: Subscribe for more stories from the front lines of the labor movement at awfpodcast.com.

Ohio’s Primary Election Reckoning & Navigating a Scrambled Job Market

The landscape for working people in Ohio is shifting fast. In this episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we look at the immediate aftermath of the high-stakes Ohio primary elections and dive into the real-world economic pressures facing local job seekers—from the rapid rise of AI to the expansion of gig-style healthcare work.

Segment 1: Ohio Primary Day Breakdown with Tim Burga

Fresh off an intense election night, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga delivers a comprehensive, morning-after analysis of the state's primary results. With approximately three-quarters of labor’s 160 endorsed candidates and issues winning their races—including a massive primary victory by union ironworker Brian Poindexter in Congressional District 7—organized labor has built a solid foundation for the fall. Burga outlines the historic, high-profile November matchups, including Amy Acton vs. Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor and Sherrod Brown vs. John Husted for U.S. Senate, and explains how labor’s boots-on-the-ground network will combat big money and gerrymandered maps.

Segment 2: Navigating a Scrambled Job Market with Dave Megenhardt

Dave Megenhardt, Executive Director of the United Labor Agency (ULA), joins the show to discuss a massive new survey of 4,000 clients that yielded a staggering 96% approval rating for the agency's services. He pulls back the curtain on how his team builds trust with workers during stressful career transitions and breaks down a local job market that has been "scrambled" by artificial intelligence and an increase in unstable, part-time healthcare roles. Megenhardt also previews a major upcoming logistics shift: the relocation of the Ohio Means Jobs downtown Cleveland office to a new facility in Midtown.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• The Trust Factor: How treating job seekers with dignity earned the United Labor Agency a 96% client favorability rating at scale.

• The Stealth Hiring Slowdown: Why companies are quietly holding back on headcount decisions as they evaluate how AI can reduce labor costs.

• The "Gigification" of Healthcare: The growing disconnect between open entry-level healthcare jobs and quality, full-time careers with benefits.

• Labor's Primary Momentum: A data breakdown of the primary election where labor-backed candidates won 75% of their races across Ohio.

• The Path to November: What Democrats need to flip just five seats to break the Republican legislative supermajority in the Ohio House.

• Ohio Means Jobs Relocation: Details on the July 1 move of the downtown Cleveland office to 61st and the Opportunity Corridor due to the Innerbelt Rebuild project.

About the Guests:

• Tim Burga is the President of the Ohio AFL-CIO, representing hundreds of thousands of union members and leading the federation’s political, legislative, and mobilization ground game.

• Dave Megenhardt is the Executive Director of the United Labor Agency, leading regional workforce development strategies and connecting job seekers with employers offering "good jobs" across Northeast Ohio.

Connect with the Movement:

• Support workforce development or register for the annual ULA golf outing on June 25: ulagency.org

• View labor's full list of endorsements and election updates: ohioaflcio.org

Subscribe & Review: Never miss an update on the fights that matter to working-class Americans. Hit the Follow button and leave us a review on Podbean!

IBEW Local 125’s Travis Eri on Permitting Bottlenecks & Union Jobs

The Pacific Northwest is at the epicenter of America's green energy future—but building the grid isn't happening fast enough.

In this episode, Travis Eri, Business Manager of IBEW Local 125, joins America’s Work Force Union Podcast for a candid look at the state of union electrical work across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. While data center growth and wildfire-hardening projects are keeping crews busy, a sudden winter slowdown and federal offshore wind lease cancellations have put a real-world strain on local apprentices.

Eri reveals why the current infrastructure system is broken, highlighting a single 500kV transmission line project that took an astonishing 20 years to permit. If America wants to meet its climate goals, that pace has to change.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• Climate Jobs Oregon: Inside the newly launched nonprofit co-founded by IBEW Local 125 and the Oregon building trades to ensure clean energy projects are built with union labor from day one.

• The Permitting Crisis: Why bureaucratic delays are the single biggest bottleneck to upgrading our power grid and meeting data center demands.

• The West Coast Realignment: How the cancellation of offshore wind leases impacted the union pipeline and what it means for the IBEW’s national growth goals.

• An All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy: Why expanding capacity matters more than just swapping power sources in the Pacific Northwest.

About the Guest: Travis Eri has served as the Business Manager for IBEW Local 125 for 21 years. A former utility lineman who traded an aviation degree for a pair of climbing hooks, Eri now oversees a four-state jurisdiction representing 4,500 members.

Connect with the Movement:

• Learn more about IBEW Local 125: ibew125.com

• Subscribe & Review: Never miss an episode of AWF. Hit that follow button and leave us a review on Podbean!

Dismantling the CDC: Mass Layoffs, EEO Collapse and Federal Worker Rights with AFGE Local 2883

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was once the global gold standard for public health. Today, it faces an existential workforce crisis.

In this high-stakes episode, Yolanda Jacobs, President of AFGE Local 2883, pulls back the curtain on the "systematic dismantling" of the CDC. From the elimination of the agency’s EEO office to the mass terminations that left critical health programs in the dark, Jacobs details a workforce in "the gutter" and an institution operating without a permanent director or a recognized union contract.

We dive deep into the specific human and operational costs of the 2025–2026 restructuring, including:

• The Accommodation Crisis: How the elimination of the EEO office on April 1, 2025, has left veterans with PTSD and disabled workers hired under Schedule A facing AWOL charges and removal proposals.
• The 15-Minute Cutoff: A look at the "indiscriminate" layoffs in February and April 2025, where scientists were cut off from their research files with just minutes of notice, erasing years of progress in chronic disease prevention.
• Contract "Reneging": Why management has stopped honoring the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), forcing the union to vacate its space and triggering national-level litigation.
• The Financial Irony: How the denial of reasonable accommodations has triggered over 200 EEO complaints, generating millions in legal fees that contradict the administration's "efficiency" mandate.

This isn’t just a labor story—it’s a warning about the stability of the nation’s public health infrastructure.

Learn More & Take Action:

• Stay updated on federal worker rights: afge.org
• Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast for daily labor insights.

Federal Safety Rollbacks & the Columbus Construction Boom

May Day and Workers Memorial Week arrived with a sobering reminder of the stakes for the American labor movement. On today’s episode, we explore the stark contrast between a regional construction explosion in Central Ohio and a national crisis in workplace safety enforcement.

Segment 1:

The Central Ohio Surge with Dorsey Hager

Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, discusses a record-breaking apprenticeship outreach event that drew nearly 1,000 people—including 100 non-union workers—lining up for careers in the trades. We also dive into the data center boom, accounting for 40% of regional man-hours, and the critical May 5 Ohio Primary races, where labor-friendly candidates are on the ballot.

Segment 2:

A National Warning with Fred Redmond

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond joins us to break down the 2026 "Death on the Job" report. With 15 workers dying daily in the U.S., Redmond issues a frank assessment of how current federal OSHA rollbacks are putting lives at risk. We also get an update on new United Steelworkers General President Roxanne Brown’s early leadership as she navigates high-stakes lockouts at NIPSCO and BP Whiting.