SNV Special Interview: My Union Left Me

An episode of the Socialist News and Views podcast, hosted by Nicholas Shillingford, titled "SNV Special Interview: My Union Left Me" was published on June 26, 2025 and runs 21 minutes.

June 26, 2025 ·21m · Socialist News and Views

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Summary

Special Interview Recorded (6/24/2025) and Uploaded (6/26/2025)(NOTE - A video version of this interview is available from Urban Cabin Studios here: https://youtu.be/mIS-vmbJfg4?si=UO4txy3BHOPqbrfj)In this special we speak with Bjorn Johnson, a Paraprofessional at Inver Grove Heights School Districts who works primarily in Special Education. Johnson is a member of Teamsters Local 320 (https://www.teamsterslocal320.org/). A member there already lost her job as a result of Trump's government and funding cuts.Here is what Teamster President Sean O’Brien said about cuts that mean job losses for his own members: There is “a lot of fat in the government that he is trimming and I don’t think people are opposed to that.”An article on Left Voice discusses O'Brien's comments and support for Trump's Secretary of Labor. Sean O’Brien’s Support for Trump’s Labor Secretary Is Everything That’s Wrong with U.S. Labor (Left Voice): https://www.leftvoice.org/sean-obriens-support-for-trumps-labor-secretary-is-everything-thats-wrong-with-u-s-labor/Here is the very neutral sounding statement from Teamsters 320 about Trump's clear attacks on workers: https://www.teamsterslocal320.org/news-details/news/news/9834/97473On Saturday June 21st Bjorn Johnson wrote the following post on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bjornejohnson/posts/pfbid0fbJQktohMhMUA2b3zGtibK61dzXYqGApPiwm1pqards4vjSs51EJcQDu98kVEZ1Dl) saying of the firing of a fellow worker that "if they don't take action in the next 72 hours I am cancelling my membership."#union #bureaucracy #labor

Episode Description

Special Interview Recorded (6/24/2025) and Uploaded (6/26/2025)

(NOTE - A video version of this interview is available from Urban Cabin Studios here: https://youtu.be/mIS-vmbJfg4?si=UO4txy3BHOPqbrfj)

In this special we speak with Bjorn Johnson, a Paraprofessional at Inver Grove Heights School Districts who works primarily in Special Education. Johnson is a member of Teamsters Local 320 (https://www.teamsterslocal320.org/). A member there already lost her job as a result of Trump's government and funding cuts.

Here is what Teamster President Sean O’Brien said about cuts that mean job losses for his own members: There is “a lot of fat in the government that he is trimming and I don’t think people are opposed to that.”

An article on Left Voice discusses O'Brien's comments and support for Trump's Secretary of Labor. Sean O’Brien’s Support for Trump’s Labor Secretary Is Everything That’s Wrong with U.S. Labor (Left Voice): https://www.leftvoice.org/sean-obriens-support-for-trumps-labor-secretary-is-everything-thats-wrong-with-u-s-labor/

Here is the very neutral sounding statement from Teamsters 320 about Trump's clear attacks on workers: https://www.teamsterslocal320.org/news-details/news/news/9834/97473

On Saturday June 21st Bjorn Johnson wrote the following post on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bjornejohnson/posts/pfbid0fbJQktohMhMUA2b3zGtibK61dzXYqGApPiwm1pqards4vjSs51EJcQDu98kVEZ1Dl) saying of the firing of a fellow worker that "if they don't take action in the next 72 hours I am cancelling my membership."

#union #bureaucracy #labor