Civil Rights, Worker Power, and the Fight to Protect Democracy

Leslie speaks with Alex Rias, Director of Civil, Women’s, and Human Rights at the AFL-CIO, about growing threats to civil rights protections and what they mean for working people. From the weakening of labor enforcement agencies and voting rights challenges to the criminalization of protest and attacks on workplace protections, Rias explains how civil rights and labor rights have always been interconnected. He also discusses how unions are responding—organizing more workers, defending workplace rights in the courts, and building diverse worker power to protect democracy and economic opportunity. The website for the AFL-CIO is AFLCIO.org and their handle on Blue Sky is @AFLCIO.org. Their handle on Facebook, Instagram and X is @AFLCIO.