No Worker Left Behind: Labor's Plan for the AI Era
Artificial intelligence is changing how we work, how we communicate, and how we live — but who's making sure workers aren't left behind? In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we sit down with Ed Wytkind, Interim Executive Director of the AFL-CIO Technology Institute, to talk about the federation's new Workers First Initiative on AI. The initiative lays out a bold plan to make sure technology serves people — not the other way around — by putting worker voices at the center of innovation, bargaining, and public policy. From protecting jobs and privacy to creating new opportunities for skill building and organizing, we explore what a fair and democratic AI future could look like when labor leads the way. To learn more about the Workers First Initiative on AI, visit aflciotechinstitute.org. Music in today's episode is by Ketsa.
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Clara Lemlich and the Uprising of the 20,000
In 1909, a 23-year-old immigrant named Clara Lemlich stood up in New York's Cooper Union and said, "I have no more patience for talk—I move that we go on a general strike." The next morning, 20,000 garment workers—mostly young immigrant women—walked off the job. Their courage changed labor history forever. Tune into our latest episode to hear how their fight reshaped workers' rights for generations. --- Music from today's episode is by: Tar Sahno and Semion Krivenko-Adamo Sources: Jewish Women's Archive, "Uprising of 20,000 (1909)." Global Nonviolent Action Database (Swarthmore College), "Triangle Shirtwaist Factory women strike, win better wages and hours, New York, 1909." AFL-CIO, "Triangle Shirtwaist Fire." PBS American Experience, "Clara Lemlich and the Uprising of the 20,000."
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Defunding Education: The Attack on Public Learning and Research
In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we expose the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to public education and research funding—from K-12 schools to university labs. Educators, union leaders, and graduate researchers reveal how these attacks threaten working families, marginalized students, and the future of innovation itself. Tune in to learn firsthand how communities are being forced to fight back to defend learning, dignity, and the public good. Music in this episode is by Ketsa.
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They Shall Not Pass: When Workers Took on Fascism
Long before World War II officially kicked off in 1939, trade unionists were already sounding the alarm. They saw fascism for what it was—racism, anti-Semitism, militarism, authoritarianism. Union workers and leaders resisted—they distributed leaflets, hid their Jewish neighbors and co-workers, sabotaged Nazi logistics, and even joined armed struggle. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we dive into this powerful—and often overlooked—period of resistance in modern history led by everyday workers who stood up against fascism and showed that solidarity is not merely a word; it's an action. Music from today's episode: Ketsa, Scott Holmes, Maarten Schellekens
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The Legacy of Delano: Labor, Resistance, and the Power of Unity
As ICE raids ramp up and communities across the nation are gripped by fear, we're looking back to a powerful legacy of worker resistance in the latest episode of Solidarity Works. The Legacy of Delano tells the story of how Filipino and Latino farmworkers united in 1965 to ignite a labor movement that changed history. Today, organizers like Local 675's Xochityl Cobarruvias carry that spirit forward, mobilizing against injustice and defending immigrant workers under attack. Tune in to hear how courage, unity, and nonviolence still light the path to justice.
Welcome to Solidarity Works, a podcast from the United Steelworkers (USW) union.
We're here to have conversations and start conversations about the past, present, and future of the labor movement, as well as talk about the work the union is doing, with USW activists leading the way.
Listen to us here or on your favorite podcast streaming service, like Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, and more.