Capital’s Playbook: War, AI, and Union Busting

In this episode of the Labor Force Podcast, we look at several stories that reveal a common thread in today’s economy: power. From war policy to automation to union rights, the same question keeps coming up—who controls the system, and who benefits from it? We start with the escalating U.S.–Israeli war on Iran and the broader imperial framework behind it, examining why anti-war movements have historically depended on working-class organizing. Then we turn to the growing impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, after major layoffs at Block showed how corporations are increasingly using AI to cut labor costs while boosting profits. We also cover new attacks on unions, including federal efforts to terminate collective bargaining agreements for IRS workers and legislation in Florida that could weaken public-sector unions across the state. Finally, we look at a major labor fight in the WNBA, where players are demanding a larger share of the league’s rapidly growing revenue, and discuss broader economic debates about inequality, climate, and the push for alternatives to a growth-at-all-costs economic model. Across all these stories, one theme is clear: the future of work—and the economy itself—will depend on whether workers organize to shape it.