Carts, Cuts, and Class Struggle: A Snapshot of the New Economy

In this episode of The Labor Force Podcast, we dive deep into America’s worsening affordability crisis and the growing worker uprisings pushing back against it. We start with new data showing that nearly one in three low-income households lives paycheck to paycheck, unable to keep up with inflation as wages stagnate and basic costs climb. From there, we explore a revealing local debate in Watertown, NY, where shopping carts used by unhoused residents have become a flashpoint—highlighting the failures of U.S. housing policy far more than “city cleanliness.” In the Fightback segment, we break down: A bipartisan effort to restore collective bargaining rights for federal employees Trump moved to eliminate. The ongoing strike at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where dealers and pit supervisors continue their push for Teamsters recognition. A major union drive inside the Columbus Metropolitan Library, as librarians and staff fight for livable wages, safer workplaces, and a voice on the job. The expanding Starbucks Workers United strike, now the largest in the company’s history. We then turn to the future of work: How will AI, automation, and rising productivity reshape employment? Will these gains help workers—or leave millions behind? We examine historical parallels, expert perspectives, and what a fair future of work could look like. Finally, we close with Vivek Chibber’s argument that the Left is emerging from a decades-long neoliberal dark age—and what it will take to rebuild real working-class power in America.