Bills for Workers, Profits for Billionaires

From rising oil prices to unpaid TSA workers, this episode looks at how economic crises repeatedly shift the burden onto working people while corporations continue to profit. We break down the ripple effects of the Iran conflict on gas prices and inflation, the government shutdown forcing 50,000 TSA employees to work without pay, and how rising healthcare costs quietly suppress wage growth. We also cover major labor fights unfolding across the country—from the rally to “Fix Tier 6” pensions in New York to a looming strike at a JBS meatpacking plant in Colorado and faculty preparing to walk out at Portland Community College. Along the way, we examine a new report exposing “corporate welfare,” where low wages at major corporations leave workers dependent on public programs like Medicaid and SNAP while executives collect massive pay packages. Finally, we look at a growing debate inside the labor movement: whether organizing Amazon—and putting more union members on the ballot—could determine the future of worker power in the United States.