Labor Lines

Editor-in-Chief of The Chief-Leader Richard Steier gives his take on the hard won UFA contract and new disability package.  John Samuelson, President of TWU Local 100 discusses their new proposal- also endorsed by Public Advocate Letitia James- to install emergency warning systems on buses.

Samantha Winslow of Labor Notes explains the threat of Friedrichs V. CTA on public sector unions. Kirsten Theodos, leading advocate of Take Back NYC, and Rohit Prakash, co-founder of Townsquared, discuss their efforts to push commercial rent reform in order to protect small businesses from being pushed out.

DuWayne Gregory, Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County legislature discusses his motives for running for congress and where his policy differs from his very established opponent, Rep. Peter King.

Folk singer and former longtime union organizer George Mann frankly discusses the stories and principles behind the songs of his newest album “Portraits.”  Writer Casey Gray discusses drawing from his own experience and observations working at a Walmart to write the novel Discount.

Mike Gendron, executive VP of CWA-1108 discusses the union's efforts to pressure Verizon into making Fiber Optic Services aka FIOS available to all Long Islanders. Nathan Berger, the Long Island Accompaniment Coordinator of the Rural and Migrant Ministry discusses the work he and his group have been doing to attain protections and fair wages for New York farm workers.

 In this week's Labor-Lines  Anthony P. Carnevale, director of The Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University discusses the recent study “The Economy Goes to College: The Hidden Promise of Higher Education in the Post-Industrial Service Economy.” 

  On this 4th of July episode, we focus on two forces that strengthen the U.S.- new Americans and unions. Victor Salazar and Asim Akhtar, members of the outreach team at the New York Taxi Workers Alliance discuss some recent battles the organization is fighting.  David Dyssegard Kallick, a senior fellow at the  Fiscal Policy Institute and director of its Immigrant Research Initiative discusses his new report, "New Americans on Long Island- A Vital Fifth of the Economy."

Famed labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, recently of The New York Times and Long Island Business News reporter Claude Solnik both know to follow the money and do justice by everyday Americans no matter what big interests they might upset. Greenhouse reflects on his career, his recent work and the stories he expected to have a bigger splash.  Solnik discusses his expose on the big money interests behind Common Core which reveals that the debate around teacher evaluations and testing might not really be about what is best for the kids after all.  

Investigative journalist Robert Hennelly connects in his new piece “America’s Elites are Leaving it to Die: TPP, Baltimore, Amtrak and the Deteriorating Fabric of a Nation,” how the nation’s legislators' preoccupation with the GDP is leaving American society. Economist Gregory DeFreitas discusses the findings of a study he authored that is published in the summer publication titled “Pay Paralysis Persists on Long Island.”

This episode features two advocates who are attempting to refocus our nation’s economic debate around people. Rick Smith is a former union truck driver whose background inspired him to start a radio program.  Dr.Moshe Adler is an economist has a knack for breaking down economic principles so we can all understand them. In fact, his book is entitled: ”Economics for the Rest of Us!” 

Newsday writer Ginger Adams-Otis discusses her new book Firefight: The Century Long Battle to Integrate New York's Bravest which is the culmination of years of research and reporting on racial segregation and integration in the FDNY. 

Legislator Judy Jacobs (D-16) of Woodbury and Juli Grey-Owens, executive director of Long Island Transgender Advocacy Coalition discuss local and state efforts to push a non-discrimination law that will include transgender identifying people.

This is special broadcast returns to the real meaning of Memorial Day and features organizations working for our veterans.  It also features a candid and extensive interview with Nassau County PBA President James Carver.

Rep. Steve Israel (D-3) champions the middle class and reflects on how past government support of workers helped get him where he is in these remarks from The Long Island Federation of Labor sponsored Congressional Night.

Reverend William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP and founder of the Moral Monday movement. He spoke on April 28th at Stony Brook University.  This speech has been slightly edited for time.  

Dr. James Parrott, Deputy Director and Chief Economist of The Fiscal Policy Institute discusses why better worker benefits are good for New York businesses and business owners and gives his take on where the 2015-2016 State budget falls short. Bill Hohlfeld, or should we say Dennis Patrick, is a true renaissance man.  He had a long career in the building trades and has put that background to good use in his first novel - a hard boil thriller that offers a rare and honest depiction of working people.

Richard Steier, Editor of the Chief-Leader, reminisces about the life and times of the iconic NYC labor leader, Victor Gotbaum, who was part of a triumvirate of forward thinking labor leaders who stuck their necks out to save NYC and saved their unions in the process.  NY Paid Family Leave is an organization that has been leading the charge for Paid Family Leave in NY for over a decade. Now it looks like success is on the horizon. This week will see major initiatives to push this wagon to the starting gate.