America’s Work Force Union Podcast

Randi Weingarten, AFT | Merrilee Logue, NLO, and Chris Trahan Cain, CPWR

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her multi-city bus tour focused on addressing literacy in schools and what they’ve done during the tour as part of Banned Books Week. She also talked about a grant the AFT received in partnership with Micron to develop a high school pilot program to provide workforce certifications to students.

Merrilee Logue, Director of the National Labor Office (NLO) and Chris Trahan Cain, Executive Director at CPWR — the Center for Construction Research and Training — joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the work NLO, CPWR and the North America’s Building Trades Union’s (NABTU) are doing to assist building trades members improve their mental health and the impact of the opioid epidemic on the trades as part of our National Suicide Awareness Month coverage.

Gina Higgin, Perspectives | Allison Balanc, TradesFutures

Gina Higgin, Account Manager with Perspectives—an Allone Health Company—joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the assistance the organization provides to members of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers through its Member Assistance Program (IMAP) during our National Suicide Prevention Month coverage.

Allison Balanc, Digital and Marketing Strategy Manager for TradesFutures, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference in New Orleans, and a unique virtual reality experience the organization will be offering for free during the gathering.

Tom Buffenbarger, Independent Labor Voice | Bob Batz Jr., Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh

Tom Buffenbarger, an independent labor voice, appeared on the AWF Union Podcast and spoke about the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) strike at Boeing and how the union may have the upper hand in the negotiations. 

Bob Batz Jr., Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh (TNG) member and Interim Editor of Pittsburgh Union Progress, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the potential end of the 24-month strike by NGP members at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Eric Blanc, EWOC | Greg Regan, TTD

Eric Blanc, Assistant Professor, Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC).

Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to speak about an Artificial Intelligence Summit with Microsoft, high-speed rail projects and the Department of Labor’s Century of Service Honor Roll of American Labor Organizations.

Jeff Stoffer, American Legion | Rich Fiesta, Alliance for Retired Americans

Jeff Stoffer, Director of Media and Communications for the American Legion, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the October edition of Legion Magazine. He also addressed the emergency funding legislation passed by Congress to cover the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) budget shortfall.

Rich Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss election issues that concern retirees. He also talked about educating retirees on candidates' voting records and why retirees should take precautions when voting through mail-in ballots.

Pat Gallagher, NCLF | Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President Emeritus

James P. Hoffa, International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Emeritus, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund and what it has done to help ease the financial burden of Teamsters children and their families because of the high cost of college tuition.

Pat Gallagher, President of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss new concerns about Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel. He also discussed the Ohio AFL-CIO 2024 Labor Report and a recent voter registration event with the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW).

Lisa Swirsky, AFGE | Clacy Griswold, Teamsters

Lisa Swirsky, Legislative Representative for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Veterans Administration (VA) budget shortfall and its impact on workers.

Clacy Griswold, Chief Negotiator for the United Airlines Mechanics with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, joined the America’s Workforce Union Podcast to discuss contract negotiations and some of the hurdles, such as foreign outsourcing, recruitment of new mechanics and safety issues.

Marquez Brown, AFSCME Council 8 | Melissa Cropper, OFT

Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss their literacy instruction program for Ohio parents. She also discussed her visit to the Oyler School and the importance of educating voters.

Marquez Brown, Cleveland Regional Director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Ohio Council 8, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his approach to voter education and the impact that supporting pro-labor candidates could have on the labor movement's future.

Sarah Anderson, Institute for Policy Studies | Alex Roberts, APFA

Institute for Policy Studies Program Director Sarah Anderson appeared on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Executive Excess 2024 report, an annual IPS publication about executive pay at 100 S&P 500 corporations with the lowest median wages.

Alex Roberts, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants Union Government Affairs Representative and Contract Action Ambassador, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to speak about a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with American Airlines.

Sonya Bohmann, CIASP | Andrew Strom, OnLabor

Sonya Bohmann, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), discussed suicide awareness and removing the stigma surrounding mental health conversations as part of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast coverage of Construction Suicide Prevention Week.

Andrew Strom, labor lawyer and contributor for OnLabor Blog, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the National Labor Relations Board decision on whether workers at the JFK8 Amazon Fulfillment Warehouse who voted to unionize have won the union election and what the decision means for contract negotiations.