America’s Work Force Union Podcast

Peter Manikowski, President, PSRA | Julie Hedrick, National President, APFA

President of the Professional Soccer Referees Association, Peter Manikowski, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the organization and why members are being locked out of the new MLS season by their employer. Manikowski also discussed the differences in management between their last successful negotiations in 2019 and now.

Julie Hedrick, National President of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the nationwide day of action by flight attendants on Feb. 13. Hedrick also discussed the status of the negotiations with American Airlines and what the union believes is their next step in the process.

Thom Kay, Program Manager for Energy Transition, BlueGreen Alliance | Andrew Strom, Contributing Writer, On-Labor Blog

Thom Kay, Program Manager for Energy Transition at the BlueGreen Alliance, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the hardships faced in coal mining communities after the mines shut down. He also spoke about a Workforce Transition Plan to help workers in the fossil-fuel industry find suitable employment after losing their jobs.

Andrew Strom, contributing writer to the On-Labor Blog, appeared on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about the new U.S. Department of Labor final rule on worker misclassification and the need for the courts to favorably rule on OSHA regulations to protect independent contractors.

Abby Lawlor, Co-author, Rules to Win By: Power and Participation in Union Negotiations | Reid Maki, Child Labor Advocacy Director, Child Labor Coalition

Abby Lawlor, co-author of Rules to Win By: Power and Participation in Union Negotiations, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her time as an organizer and researcher. Lawlor then discussed the book she co-authored and shared some of the case studies and key elements of successful negotiations covered in the book. 

Child Labor Advocacy Director for the Child Labor Coalition, Reid Maki, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to recap the work his organization did in 2023 to prevent bills from being passed to weaken child labor laws in the U.S. and reported on child labor violations found last year.

Marilyn Sneiderman, Executive Director, Rutgers University CIWO | Dave Megenhardt, Executive Director, Alicia Boreman, Clinical Director, ULA

Continuing our Women’s History Month coverage, Marilyn Sneiderman, Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization (CIWO) at Rutgers University, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her work to engage members and improve diversity with AFSCME, Teamsters and AFL-CIO. Sneiderman then discussed her work with CIWO and how she hopes it will help strengthen the labor movement's future.

Executive Director of the United Labor Agency, Dave Megenhardt, and Clinical Director for the ULA’s Counseling Center, Alicia Boreman, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the organization's new mental health counseling program and the other services the center is providing to Cleveland-area workers.

Jon Schleuss, President, The NewsGuild-CWA | Grace Catania, Co-Vice President, Chicago News Guild Local 34071

President of The NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America, Jon Schleuss, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the increase in strikes from union newsrooms in America. Schleuss discussed what contributes to newsrooms' inability to negotiate new contracts and how this could permanently damage news coverage nationwide.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast continues our coverage of Women’s History Month as Grace Catania, a former chairperson of the CWA National Women’s Committee and Co-Vice President of the Chicago News Guild Local 34071, joined the show to discuss immigrating from Poland with no understanding of English and eventually becoming a leader for the CWA National Women’s Committee.

Gay Henson, Secretary-Treasurer, IFPTE | Kisha Byrd, Women in Steel District 10 Coordinator, Local USW 10-00086

As March begins, so too does Women’s History Month. The America’s Work Force Union Podcast begins its coverage by sitting down with the Secretary-Treasurer of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Gay Henson, as she discusses her journey through the IFPTE.

Kisha Byrd from the United Steelworkers Local 10-00086 joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about her journey in a male-dominated industry and the impact the Women of Steel conference had on her.

Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, C/CO BCTC | Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO

Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Dorsey Hager, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a new contract between Transport Workers Union of America Local 208 and the Central Ohio Transit Authority. Hager also discussed proposed improvements to the regional transit infrastructure and the ongoing issues with the John Glenn International Airport terminal expansion project.

As the America’s Work Force Union Podcast wraps up its Black History Month coverage, we have one bonus segment. Fred Redmond, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, joined us to talk about his journey from a young black man working with his father as a Steelworker in Chicago to eventually becoming the highest-ranking African-American in the history of the labor movement.

President April Sims, Secretary-Treasurer Cherika Carter. WSLC | Bob Funk, Founder, Labor Lab

On the final day of Black History Month, the America’s Work Force Union Podcast featured the duo that became the first black women to lead a state labor council in AFL-CIO history, Washington State Labor Council President April Sims and Secretary-Treasurer Cherika Carter. Carter discussed her journey to the labor movement, how Sims and herself came to work together and their work to improve diversity and inclusion in Washington unions.

Bob Funk, Founder of LaborLab, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the work his organization does to educate and inform unions on union-busting activities by corporations. Funk also discussed LaborLab’s banner year in 2023 and some of the 2024 anti-union trends.

James Petrides, Senior Mechanical Insulation Specialist, Mechanical Insulators LMCT | Tom Buffenbarger, independent Labor voice

James Petrides, Mechanical Insulators LMCT Senior Mechanical Insulation Specialist, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the public’s lack of knowledge about mechanical insulation and detailed how Mechanical Insulation Energy Audits are performed.

Tom Buffenbarger, an independent union voice, appeared on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and addressed an alleged controversy following the incident when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9. He also discussed how the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers became a model union for diversity for the entire AFL-CIO.

Princess Moss, VP, National Education Association | Jenn Roberts, Vice President for Employer Health Strategy, Hello Heart

Princess Moss, Vice President of the National Education Association, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about finding a career in a union after seeking to help her fellow teachers in Virginia. Moss also spoke about the issues teachers face today and how respecting their work could help prevent more teachers from leaving the education field.

Vice President of the Employer Health Strategy team for Hello Heart, Jenn Roberts, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss what Hello Heart is doing to improve hearth health education for union members and their work to lower the number of workers suffering from cardiovascular disease.