#973 Killing the middle class (Labor Rights)

Air date: 12-4-15

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Today we look at the troubling trends facing today’s low wage workers and those in the middle class who may eventually find themselves to be low wage workers

Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

00:00:30 Ch. 2: Act 1: How America Is Killing the Middle Class - AJ+ (@ajplus) - Air Date 10-22-15

Ch. 3: Song 1: Working Poor - Horse Feathers


00:04:51 Ch. 4: Act 2: Why Conservatives Hate Unions... - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 02-10-15

Ch. 5: Song 2: Let's Eat the Poor - alan ross haynes


00:14:01 Ch. 6: Act 3:  Paul Ryan REALLY Believes in Family Time, Just Not for Your Family - Majority Report (@majorityfm) - Air Date: 11-02-15

Ch. 7: Song 3: Let's Go Down - Family of the year


00:21:01 Ch. 8: Act 4: KMart withholds holiday schedules and screws with employees lives - @TalkPoverty Radio - Air Date 11-19-15

Ch. 9: Song 4: Oak - Ben McElroy


00:24:52 Ch. 10: Act 5: Retail companies who were open on Thanksgiving don't have much to show for it - @TalkPoverty Radio - Air Date 12-3-15

Ch. 11: Song 5: Working Class Hero - Exit Clov


00:27:40 Ch. 12: Act 6:  Fair Wages: A history of getting paid - BackStory - Air Date 3-28-14

Ch. 13: Song 6: Family Farm - Chris Dorman


00:36:08 Ch. 14: Act 7: McDonald's Installs Automated Order Kiosks in NYC - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 08-06-15

Ch. 15: Song 7: Automation (Live Version) - Allan Sherman


00:40:47 Ch. 16: Act 8: Stiglitz: Sanders is Right - Everybody Has the Right to Healthcare, Sick Days and Family Leave - @democracynow - Air Date: 11-12-15

Ch. 17: Song 8: The Bare Necessities - Bruce Reitherman & Phil Harris


00:48:11 Ch. 18: Act 9: Fight. Strike. Vote. via @FightFor15 - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 19: Song 9: This Fickle World - Theo Bard


00:50:59 Ch. 20: Act 10: Your Job May Be Killing You - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 11-02-15


Voicemails

00:58:49 Ch. 21: The culture of white supremacy in police work - Geoff from Florida

01:00:11 Ch. 22: Wade didn't say anything racist about cops in schools - Matt in Eastern PA

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics


01:03:24 Ch. 23: Final comments on Amazon, labor, coops and an update on the member drive

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone


Activism: Fight. Strike. Vote. via @FightFor15 — Best of the Left Activism

Take Action:

SIGN: the Fight for $15 Vote Pledge

POST: when you buy holiday gifts in your community, tag stores and purchases with #ShopLocal to encourage others to do the same.

Additional Activism/Resources:

SUPPORT good business by using the Think Progress "Holiday Shopping Guide" to see which companies force employees to work holidays.

Sources/further reading:

”Almost Half of All American Workers Make Less Than $15 an Hour” by Michelle Chen at The Nation

"Republicans divided by income over government’s role in ‘safety net’ issues” via Pew Research Center

"Stronger Unions Are the Way to Rebalance Our Economy” by Dorian Warren via Newsweek

"Walmart Threatens City Council For Considering Minimum Wage Increase” at ThinkProgress

"How One City Is Making Sure Bosses Comply With Wage Theft and Paid Sick Leave Laws” at In These Times

"Truth Needle: Is $15 wage dooming Seattle restaurants? Owners say no” at The Seattle Times

"'Do unions still matter?' 5 answers I've offered to my father-in-law when he asks that question.”

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich


Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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