Working to Live in Southwest Washington

Why Is The Evergreen School District Replacement Levy Important To EVERYONE?

#LaborRadioPod

Residents in the Evergreen School District (https://www.evergreenps.org/) are being asked to vote on a replacement levy by April 26th (find out more about the levy at https://www.evergreenps.org/levy.)

The tactics being used by the opposition to the Levy are surprising, and they look disturbingly similar to what people are seeing in other school elections around the country! Shannon and Harold sit down with three Evergreen Education Association (https://www.eeaoffice.com/) members - Margaret Hunter, Shaun Gundert and Monica Stonier (yes, state Representative Monica Stonier... she works for Evergreen Public Schools, too) to talk about how important this levy is, and what's behind the opposition.

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

What Does This Year’s ”Strike Wave” Mean For 2022? With David Groves and Don McIntosh

#LaborRadioPod

#Striketober... #Strikesgiving... #Strikesmas...

2021 has been a year unlike any in recent memory, filled with worker energy and power.  Some have even called this moment we're living in a "strike wave..." but will all this worker activism continue into the new year?

The Stand's (https://www.thestand.org/) David Groves and the Northwest Labor Press' (https://nwlaborpress.org/) Don McIntosh sit down with Shannon and Harold to discuss the gains working people have made in 2021, and look ahead to what's in store for 2022.

PLUS - Shannon spills the beans on the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council's plans to honor our own local Labor Heroes with a special awards dinner in February - be sure to send your nominations in to info@swwaclc.org! 

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

What Is ”Redistricting” And Why Should We Care? With April Sims

#LaborRadioPod

Something is happening right now in Washington state (and around the country) that is going to change the political landscape for the next decade. It's called "redistricting," and it might have a major impact on working people's lives - but they may not be aware it's happening, or even know what it is.

Thankfully, Washington State Labor Council (https://www.wslc.org/) Secretary Treasurer April Sims, who also serves on our state's Redistricting Commission, is here to explain to Shannon and Harold what redistricting is, why it matters, and how working people can affect the process.

Want find out more about redistricting and make your voice heard?  Visit https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/ 

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

Why Does A Hollywood Strike Matter To Southwest Washington? With Special Guest cdavid cottrill

#LaborRadioPod

About 60,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE (https://iatse.net/) - including some here in the Pacific Northwest - are voting on whether or not to authorize a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers or AMPTP (https://www.amptp.org/.) A strike, if it happens, would severely impact movie and TV production in the united states... but what would that mean for us here in Southwest Washington?

IATSE Local 488 (https://www.iatse488.org/) Business Agent cdavid cottrill sits down with Shannon and Harold to tell them the issues behind the strike vote, explain why there's more media production in Oregon than in Washington, and reveal what the heck a "Fraturday" is.

Want to find out more about the IATSE strike vote and support film and TV crews as they fight for fair treatment? Visit https://www.asa.iatse.net/!  

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

Who‘s Next? Voices From The Nabisco Strike

#LaborRadioPod

The Nabisco Strike is over - https://bctgm.org/2021/09/18/nabisco-strike-ends-bctgm-members-overwhelmingly-accept-new-contract/  Why did Nabisco workers go on strike in the first place, though, and what were they fighting for?

Shannon and Harold sit down with Mike Burlingham and Jesus Martinez, two BCTGM Local 364 (https://www.facebook.com/BCTGM-Local-364-Portland-Oregon-621776167954560) members, to talk about the conditions in the Portland Nabisco plant and the reasons they stayed on strike for over a month.

Then Doug Long and John Murphy, two former presidents of Local 364, tell Harold and Shannon about the support striking workers received from the community, and what Nabisco pulling out of BCTGM's multi-employer pension  plan meant for the workers and retirees like them.

The strike may be over, but we still need to protect American jobs - keep checking the label when you're buying Nabisco products at your local grocery store - https://bctgm.org/PDFs/NabiscoSTRIKE_ChecktheLabel.pdf - and if they're not made in America, leave them on the shelf!

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

What‘s In Your Kit?

#LaborRadioPod

Happy Labor Day, working people!

Unfortunately, we aren't able to gather at our annual Labor Day picnic this year (though we ARE holding a virtual #LaborDay celebration - find out more about it at https://tinyurl.com/eudbbdwj.) 

A few local working people are still getting together and talk about what they do and how they do it, though.

A stage hand  (IATSE Local 28 - https://www.iatse28.org/ - member Jane Chorazy)

An educator (Evergreen Education Association - https://www.eeaoffice.com/ - member Marj Hogan)

And a bus driver (ATU Local 757 - https://www.atu757.org/ - member Jim Bennett)

join Shannon and Harold to discuss what's in the "kit" they use at work. Looking at the difference in their professions, their kits must be pretty different as well, right? Maybe... Maybe not!

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

(We really mean that! The idea for this episode came from a working person right here in our community who's also one of our guests!)

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

Rest In Peace, Brother - We've Got It From Here... Remembering Richard Trumka

#LaborRadioPod

The unexpected death of AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka sent shockwaves through the American Labor movement.

Three Washington Labor leaders -

IBEW Local 48 (https://www.ibew48.com/) Business Rep. and Southwest Washington Central Council Vice President Bob Carroll, 

UA Local 290 (https://ua290.org/) member and Southwest Washington Central Labor Council Secretary Treasurer Randall Friesen,

and AFM Local 105 (https://www.afm105.org/) president and Secretary Treasurer of the Spokane Regional Labor Council (https://unionhall.aflcio.org/spokanelabor) Tina Morrison - 

Join Shannon and Harold to discuss who Richard Trumka was, what he did for the Labor movement, and what's ahead for the movement now that he's gone.

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

What Do We Mean When We Talk About "Equity?" With Kasi Perreira and Shellea Loutsis - Allen

#LaborRadioPod

It's been a year since the death of George Floyd, and working people in Southwest Washington and across America are having hard conversations about how members of marginalized groups are treated here in the United States.

 

Thankfully, the Washington State Labor Council (https://wslc.org/) is here to help with those conversations.  WSLC Director of Racial and Gender Justice (https://www.wslc.org/race-and-labor/) Kasi Perreira tells Shannon and Harold what her department is all about, some of the history Labor is working to acknowledge and move past (https://www.thestand.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Race-and-Labor_booklet_lo-res.pdf) and about the WSLC's Race, Gender and Labor Workshops (one of which the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council a couple weeks ago - https://www.facebook.com/events/758646614817740/ ... and be on the lookout for more in the future!)

 

Interested in the WSLC's workshops, and in being a part of them? Find out how to be a certified trainer at https://forms.gle/feVmmBNg6qNfW7T39 

 

Before she left, Kasi also talked about the WSLC's 2021 #JuneTeenth celebration, which kicks off on Instagram Live on June 15: https://www.facebook.com/WAaflcio/posts/3989898384378847 Check the Calendar at The Stand for JuneTeenth celebrations all across Washington State - https://www.thestand.org/calendar/

 

June is also PRIDE month! PRIDE at Work (https://www.prideatwork.org/) National Co-President Shellea Loutsis - Allen stops by to talk about what PRIDE means to her, the challenges LGBTQ+ workers are still facing, the importance of the Equality Act (https://aflcio.org/press/releases/labor-applauds-overdue-passage-equality-act,) and about PRIDE at Work's annual Celebrating Solidarity event on June 24: https://www.prideatwork.org/celebrating-solidarity-2021/ 

 

Shellea even turns the tables on Shannon and Harold, and asks THEM about how involved LGBTQ+ working people are in their community - which is a perfect opportunity to talk about the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council's support of Vancouver USA PRIDE (http://vanusapride.org/) thanks to a couple of very special Delegates to the Council!

 

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

Can Your Boss Really Do That? Is It Even Legal? With Diana Winther and Daniel Hutzenbiler

#LaborRadioPod

Far too many people feel mistreated at work, but when is that mistreatment because of a "bad boss," and when is it actually a violation of the law?

Shannon and Harold talk to two Labor attorneys to find out where that line is drawn, and what recourse working people have under the law.

First they talk with Diana Winther (https://www.ibew48.com/leadership/diana-winther) General Counsel for this episode's sponsor, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, about the difference between Labor law and employment law - and when it might be time to contact an attorney if you think your employer is violating the law.

Then they talk with Daniel Hutzenbiler (https://mbjlaw.com/attorneys/daniel-hutzenbiler/) a union attorney at McKanna Bishop Joffe about the federal laws that protect Americans in their workplaces - and the changes passage of the #PROAct will bring.

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

A Historic Legislative Session For Working People With Rep. Sharon Wylie, Sen. Karen Keiser and Rep. Monica Stonier

#LaborRadioPod

Washington's 2021 Legislative session closed on April 25th, and it was called "historic" by a lot of people, for a lot of reasons. 

The most obvious reason is that the Legislature couldn't meet in person at the state capitol in Olympia because of the Covid 19 pandemic. The session was also historic because of the groundbreaking laws and policies the legislators passed to help working people during the pandemic - and long after it's over.

State Senator Karen Keiser (https://senatedemocrats.wa.gov/keiser/) and Representatives Sharon Wylie (https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/wylie/) and Monica Stonier (https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/stonier/) take Shannon and Harold through some of the high points including protecting essential workers, providing infrastructure like broadband and childcare, making sure agricultural workers get overtime, reforming Washington's upside-down tax code, and more!

Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at podcast@swwaclc.org and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!

We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.