America’s Work Force Union Podcast

Teamsters Local 175's Luke Farley on Beverage Market Strike in West Virginia

A profitable MillerCoors distributor in West Virginia is demanding wage cuts, retirement rollbacks and health insurance premium increases of up to 880%. The company is not claiming financial hardship. And 49 Teamsters Local 175 members voted unanimously to strike — and have been running 24-hour, seven-day-a-week picket lines ever since.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, Teamsters Local 175 Secretary-Treasurer and Staff Attorney Luke Farley walks through exactly what Beverage Market is demanding, why it has no justification, how the community has rallied behind the striking workers and what Teamsters International is doing to put pressure on MillerCoors parent companies, whose West Virginia market share is evaporating heading into the Fourth of July weekend.

Follow the strike and show your support at teamsters175.org.

CWA District 4's Frank Mathews on the AT&T Contract Win and the CWA Worker Power Agenda

AT&T Mobility wireless workers just ratified a strong new contract covering 9,000 people across 36 states — and a 95% strike authorization vote is a big reason why the bargaining committee had the leverage it needed.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, CWA District 4 Administrative Director Frank Mathews discusses the contract win, the CWA Worker Power Agenda built directly from responses by more than 9,000 union members and the legislative conference that sent thousands of CWA members to Capitol Hill with 17 bills and the knowledge to discuss every one of them. He also previews the double overtime legislation unveiled at the conference by Congressman Greg Casar and explains why the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act and the Raise the Wage Act are long overdue.

Read the full Worker Power Agenda at cwa-union.org.

SMART-TD's Jared Cassity on the Rail Safety Act Breakthrough and Lessons from East Palestine

Three years after the East Palestine derailment, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has adopted the Rail Safety Act as an amendment to the Build America 250 Act — mandating two-person freight train crews, new hazmat transparency requirements and improved defect detector standards. It is the biggest rail safety step in more than two decades.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, SMART Transportation Division National Safety and Legislative Director Jared Cassity explains exactly how East Palestine happened, why silenced wayside defect detectors were a deliberate railroad policy choice rather than a malfunction and what the legislation does — and does not — address. He also explains why September 30 is the hard deadline and what it means if Congress misses it.

More information on SMART Transportation Division's legislative work is available at smart-union.org.

LaborLab's Bob Funk on the $1.7 Billion Union Busting Industry and How Workers Can Fight Back

US employers spend $1.7 billion every year trying to stop workers from organizing. One union-busting consultant earned $7 million alone last year. Amazon spent more than $26.6 million on outside consultants in 2025. And the Department of Labor is enforcing disclosure requirements for unions while largely ignoring the same rules for companies and law firms that fight workers.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, LaborLab founder Bob Funk breaks down a new report produced with the Economic Policy Institute on the scale and structure of the union avoidance industry — from the law firms that drag out contract negotiations for years to the healthcare systems spending millions on union busters while patients wait for beds.

Funk also explains how LaborLab's Persuader reports put legally required information directly in workers' hands during organizing campaigns. If you are facing a union-busting campaign, visit laborlab.us or email contact@laborlab.us.

Income Inequality and the 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention

The worker's share of Gross National Income just hit its lowest level ever recorded. Corporate profits just hit their highest share in nearly 80 years. And CEOs took home $1.24 million in raises last year while average workers earned around $50,000. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond has seen enough.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, Redmond breaks down the new GNI data, the AFL-CIO's annual Executive Paywatch findings, the defeat of a federal provision that would have blocked state AI worker protections for 10 years and what organized labor is bringing to its quadrennial convention in Minneapolis — record organizing rates, court victories and a message of solidarity heading into the midterm election cycle.

Read the AFL-CIO Executive Paywatch report and get convention updates at aflcio.org.

C/COBCTC’s Hager Talks Data Centers, Intel and Ohio’s Sales Tax Repeal

Central Ohio is on pace to work 20 million building trades hours in 2026 — nearly double its 2023 record. So when Governor Mike DeWine suspended Ohio's data center sales tax exemption without warning or consultation, Columbus Building Trades Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dorsey Hager had plenty to say about it.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, Hager breaks down the economic case for the exemption, the real numbers behind what data center construction is generating in local tax revenue and jobs and why the governor's decision risks sending the wrong message to developers who have other options. He also delivers an encouraging Intel update, describes record apprenticeship applications across central Ohio's building trades Locals and recaps a fundraiser for Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin.

Visit columbusconstruction.org for more on the Columbus Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council.

Ohio AFL-CIO's Tim Burga on Labor Roundtables, November Stakes and the Voter ID Fight

Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga just wrapped a seven-city labor roundtable tour across Ohio — and the message from workers was the same at every stop. Affordability is the number one issue, trust in government is near rock bottom and working people are ready for something dramatically different come November.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, Burga breaks down what he heard from union leaders in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, Marietta, Columbus and Toledo, why Democratic primary turnout reached its highest midterm level since 2006 and what the Ohio AFL-CIO is doing to educate members and mobilize votes between now and Election Day. He also raises a sharp warning about Republican plans to place voter ID in the Ohio constitution — despite it already being state law — and previews what is on the agenda at the AFL-CIO national convention in Minneapolis.

Visit ohioaflcio.org for more information on the Ohio AFL-CIO's election work.

From Fast Food to Union Carpenter: Taylor Dobson's Journey Into the Trades

Taylor Dobson was a fast food shift lead being pushed toward assistant manager when she decided enough was enough. Today she is a first-year carpenter apprentice with Carpenter's Local 174 in Chicago, working on solar farm projects and building a career she always wanted but never knew how to access.

On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, Taylor walks us through her path from Dunkin Donuts to the union hall, the Hire360 pre-apprenticeship program that opened the door, and what her first months have looked like on a large-scale solar installation with Power Circle Construction. She also speaks directly to women who are curious about the trades but unsure whether there is a place for them.

If you have ever thought about making the jump into a skilled trades career, this one is for you. Visit hire360chicago.com to learn more about the program that made Taylor's transition possible.

CFM Local 10-208 on the Live Nation Monopoly’s Impact on Independent Music

When Live Nation and Ticketmaster make the news, the conversation usually starts and ends with ticket prices. But the real crisis goes much deeper.

In this episode, we sit down with Karen Suarez-Flint, Secretary-Treasurer of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208, to expose the systemic extraction of wealth from the working musicians who hold the entire industry up.

What We Discuss in This Episode:

• The Live Nation Antitrust Verdict: What the April 2026 ruling actually means, why the federal settlement was "pathetic," and how 34 state attorneys general are fighting back.
• The 100-Mile Lockout: How Live Nation's aggressive "radius clauses" are quietly crushing independent venues in cities like Chicago.
• Streaming Economics 101: Why Spotify's $19B revenue translates to a $0.003 per-stream rate for artists—and how algorithms are gamed to suppress music unless artists accept even less.
• The American Music Fairness Act: Why the U.S. shares a bizarre radio royalty policy with Iran, China, and North Korea, and how this bipartisan bill could change everything.

Take Action: Love live music? Don't let your local music ecosystem run out of time. Listen to the episode, share it, and contact your representatives to demand support for the American Music Fairness Act.

• Learn more about the Chicago Federation of Musicians: cfm10208.com
• Subscribe to America's Work Force Union Podcast for more insights on building worker power across America!

"It's Okay Not to Be Okay" – How the USW is Reimagining Mental Health & Workplace Safety

Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together—but solidarity means looking out for each other's minds as well as their livelihoods.

In this episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc sits down with John Lepley, Director of Education and Membership Development at the United Steelworkers (USW). Marking both Mental Health Awareness Month and the USW's 84th anniversary, John highlights a vital shift in the labor movement: treating mental health as a core collective bargaining issue.

What We Discuss in This Episode:

• The Power of Peer Support: Inside the USW’s voluntary mental health curriculum, developed alongside CUNY psychology professor Waleed Sami, which teaches members to spot warning signs and connect colleagues with professional care.
• Healthcare Workers in Crisis: How chronic understaffing, isolation, and workplace violence are compounding the mental health crisis for nurses and healthcare professionals—and how the union is fighting back.
• Bargaining for Well-being: Why scheduling, staffing ratios, and the boundary between work and home life are fundamental mental health policies that belong in every union contract.
• Leadership from the Top: The critical role General President Roxanne Brown played in championing this program from its early pilot stages to a nationwide union initiative.

Important Resources:

• If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.
• Learn more about the United Steelworkers and their initiatives at usw.org.
• Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily insights from the leaders building worker power across America!