Heartland Labor Forum
by KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio
Heartland Labor Forum is Kansas City's only program about the workplace. It is produced by and for our working people. We have been agitating on the air since 1989. Find out who is busting unions and who is fighting back. We are a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network #laborradiopod
Episodes
-
Rob Larson, Mastering the Universe; The Obscene Wealth of the Ruling Class and Cory Haala, When Democrats Won the Heartland
Workers of Kansas City and beyond: Do you wonder where your money has gone? Economist Rob Larsen found it, and this week on the Heartland Labor Forum he’ll talk about his book Mastering the Universe; The Obscene Wealth of the Ruling Class. Then, we’ll travel back to 1980s to a time when…
more -
Rural, Working Class Candidates Are Challenging the Status Quo
Can working class candidates win elections in rural Missouri? That’s our question on the Heartland Labor Forum this week. We’ll hear from The View from Rural Missouri Substack star Jess Piper and candidates Amy Minich, Casey Scott, Shelby Dreier, Gena Puckett and Judy McNeese. All are running to...
-
What Amazon Workers Can Learn from the Successes (and Failures) of the Fight for 15 and A Century of the Railway Labor Act!
Two veteran union organizers: Pete Olney and Rand Wilson discuss the compelling need to organize Amazon and what that effort could learn from the Fight for $15 and a union. Then the Railway Labor Act just turned a 100. It was our first national labor law which set up the National Mediation Board…
more -
The Race for Missouri Senate: Keri Ingle vs. John Patterson plus a couple of MO House Races
With the midterms less than a month away, The Heartland Labor Forum is asking candidates what they think about working class issues. This week we’re diving into some hotly contested races: John Patterson vs Keri Ingle in the 8th Senate District. Then it’s Kemp Strickler vs Sean Smith in the...
-
“The system’s down and I’ve got an 82-year-old woman whose check didn’t arrive?” Social Security Workers Speak Out
You’ve probably heard that coal miners would take a canary into a mine because canaries drop dead before miners do when exposed to poison gasses. Social Security workers will talk on the show about the DOGE and the strain of understaffing, office closures and benefit cuts that are poisoning their...
-
The Race for Kansas 1st Congressional District and State House Districts 3 and 6
The Midterms are barreling toward us with lots of fresh recruits wanting to unseat incumbents. We’ll focus on three Kansas races - the first Congressional District – a weirdly shaped creature with its head in the east and its backside up against Colorado - plus two state House districts – the 3rd...
-
Scandinavian Social Democracy – Why Not? and Devin Thomas O’Shea, The Veiled Prophet: White Supremacy, and the Suppression of the Working Class
We visit the promised land, or is it? Scandinavian social democracy means universal healthcare, pensions, paid family leave and unions for most. Sounds great, right? We’ll talk pros and cons with Erika Gubrium, an American scholar in Norway. Then, there’s a dark and lurid history of secret...
-
Finding Missouri’s 4th Congressional District and Bad News: DC Circuit Court Invalidates Successor Bar
Kansas City area voters should know before the we air on Thursday at 6pm which district and what candidates for Congress they can vote for. Wherever the 4th turns out to be, we’ve invited Democrat Jordan Herrera, Republican incumbent Mark Alford and Libertarian Thomas Holbrook to talk about…
more -
Elaine Weiss: Spell Freedom; The Underground Schools of the Civil Rights Movement
Tennessee didn’t just produce Dolly Parton. The Highlander Center arose there in spite of Tennessee. It is a school for the movement - first for labor in the 1930s then civil rights in the 50’s and 60’s. We will talk to Elaine Weiss about her book Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built...
-
Trades Women (and Men) Want Childcare and Introducing Missouri Jobs with Justice’s New Organizer Allie White
Do early child care facilities work for working families? The answer is no — at least not for union and trades families. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll hear about problems and solutions with the Labor Beacon’s Julia Williams and Tina Shonk Little, member of Operating Engineers local...
-
When the KKK ruled KCK and Nelson Lichtenstein on the upcoming UAW elections
A hundred years ago in Kansas City Kansas, the KKK ruled. In fact, for three decades, they held substantial control of city government while fomenting hatred of Blacks, immigrants and Catholics. We’ll interview Tim Rives, author of the book about the KKK in KCK. Then, the United Autoworkers Union...
-
What Will It Take to Abolish Fossil Fuels? and You too can be a radio star!
The climate change deniers haven’t stopped our forests and fields from burning this summer. So, this week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll ask Kevin A. Young, author of Abolishing Fossil Fuels how do we build the political will to address climate change? Could the answer lie in the past? Then…
more -
Teaching Labor History in K-12 with Rethinking Schools Magazine and Is Trump Planning to Invest Your Retirement in Crypto?
Did you learn any labor history in school? Probably not much. We’ll find out from Adam Sanchez of Rethinking Schools Magazine why it’s important for working class kids to learn their own history. Then, as investor capital flees the private equity sector over AI fears, the Trump administration…
more -
World Cup Workers: Qatar in 2022 and Now
In 2022 the Heartland Labor Forum interviewed author Natasha Iskander who investigated the massive worker rights violations at the Doha World Cup and asked if you have to be a skilled worker to be treated as a human. This week we’ll revisit that interview and then ask Stage Hands Union leader…
more -
The August 4th Missouri Ballot Amendments #4: and #5 and Union Leader Series: Kevin King from Union Leader to Mayor of Independence
It’s not often that union members become politicians, but Kevin King, former labor leader is now mayor of Independence. We’ll get his story. Then KCUR’s Sam Zeff will run down two consequential constitutional amendments on the August 4th. Amendment 4 would make it almost impossible for citizens…
more -
The August 4th Kansas Judicial Election Amendment and Putting the Movement Back in the Labor Movement at Labor Notes
The August 4th Kansas ballot has a blockbuster constitutional amendment to change the way the state Supreme Court is selected. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll find out from the Kansas Reflector’s Tim Carpenter what this means for the rights of women to control their bodies and…
more -
The Emerging Green Economy and Daniel Kotzin: the Racist History of US Immigration Law
What is the status of the Green New Deal and the Inflation Reduction Act now that Trump is President? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll talk jobs, unions and the green transition with the University of Massachusetts Robert Pollin. Then, Daniel Kotzin teaches history at William Jewell...
-
The Billionaires Have Two Parties; We Need One of Our Own!
Labor educator and activist Les Leopold has given up on the Democratic Party and written a book called The Billionaires Have Two Parties; We Need a Party of Our Own. He’s calling on unions and the working class to build a labor party starting in the spaces where the Democrats have little to no...
-
Noam Scheiber’s Mutiny: the Rise and Revolt of the College Educated Working Class and Joe Uehlein, Three Roads: Labor, Music, Ecology
We explore two books. First, New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber’s Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College Educated Working Class who face underemployment, low pay and crippling debt after graduation. Then, Joe Uehlein whose memoir Three Roads takes him from 60’s antiwar protests to the…
more -
NLRB Update – the New Republican Majority and Working Families Friend Turns 23
The National Labor Relations Board will soon have a Republican majority, meaning that the rollback of Biden-era union protections is imminent. We’ll talk with journalist Robert Iafolla (Eye-uh-foal uh) of Bloomberg Law about what’s next for the NLRB. Then, we’ll talk to DSA’s Elias Garcia about...
-
The 2026 State of Misery Legislative Sum-up and the Labor Caucus and --- IT'S KKFI SUMMER FUND DRIVE!
It’s KKFI’s Summer Fund Drive! PLEASE DONATE DURING THE SHOW OR ANYTIME. YOU CAN CALL 888-931-0901 OR GO TO KKFI.ORG. Thursday, on the Heartland Labor Forum: This year’s Missouri legislative session, perhaps more aptly known as the Legislative Session of Misery ended on May 15. Rep, Emily Weber...
-
Is the Proposed Royals Stadium a Good Deal for Taxpayers?
We discuss the proposed Kansas City Royals stadium to be built at Crown Center in partnership with Hallmark. The plan seems to be creating more questions than answers, and as part of our recurring coverage of the stadium, we’ll look at the economics of public subsidies for sports venues, as well…
more -
It's Labor History Month - plan your vacation with a map of labor sites and Quindaro - some local history
Planning a summer road trip? How about visiting the places where ordinary people made extraordinary change? We’ll talk to Chris Garlock of the Labor Heritage Foundation about their new Labor Landmark Map! Then we’ll visit a nearby landmark – Quindaro, the town founded by Wyandot Indians,...
-
Mid-Continent Library Workers Organize and Retiring Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy
Who doesn’t love a library? Unfortunately, library workers at Mid-Continent Libraries don’t feel much love from their bosses, and they’ve organized a union. We’ll have them and results of their vote on it on tonight’s show. Then, one might think that being head of the Texas AFL-CIO would be a...
-
Motown & the Making of Working-Class Revolutionaries and the Kansas City Public School Foundation
Ever heard of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers based in Detroit in the 1970s? There’s a new book called Motown and the Making of Working-Class Revolutionaries. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to the authors. Then, the Missouri legislature will short-change schools next...
-
KU Pharmacists Organize!
Pharmacists at the University of Kansas Medical Center in KCK have petitioned for a union election. It’s next week. They wonder why there’s so little room for advancement in their jobs and why the rules leave them without justice on the job. Our feature is Safety First with Mary Erio.
-
Raiding the Heartland by William D. Lopez and The Missouri Legislature’s Labor Caucus
What impact are ICE raids having on immigrant workers and communities in rural Missouri? This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll talk to University of Michigan Prof. William D. Lopez about his book "Raiding the Heartland.” Then the new Labor Caucus of Missouri legislators is fighting for...
-
The KC Port Authority Subsidies and Our Schools and Will Killing the State Income Tax Cost Working People More? You betcha!
There’s been a lot of news lately about the Port Authority and how the Kansas City building trades unions finally got them to agree to require developers that it subsidizes to pay workers decently, but there’s little talk about the cost of economic growth to our schools and libraries who…
more -
The New Bus Riders Union and IATSE Local 31 is Staffing the World Cup
A member of the new KC Bus Riders Union says, “We want to show that the buses can serve everyone, not just people who rely on them as a lifeline to get to work.” This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll find out more. Then The International Association of Theatrical and Stage Employees Local…
more -
The Annoyance Economy and Missouri Workers Center Organizing Restaurant Workers
Sick of junk fees, phone scams and wasted time with customer service? We’ll talk with Chad Maisel of the Groundwork Collaborative about the so-called Annoyance Economy that costs us hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Then, two restaurant workers share how they’re organizing for change with...
-
Celebrating 50 Years of Free Agency in Baseball
It’s baseball season, and it’s the 50th anniversary of free agency. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we’ll look at one of the most successful unions in American labor history – the Major League Baseball Players Association. We’ll talk with Michael Haupert, economics professor and expert on...
-
Singing No Kings and Hunger Is a Union Issue
The KC Indivisible Social Justice Chorus will raise their voices in song in a preview of their appearance at the Mill Creek NO Kings rally next Saturday. Then, six of every ten food workers in Great Britain make wages that are insufficient to meet their basic needs for food and energy. Now…
more -
Jeff City Misery – A Legislative Update
This year’s legislative session may leave working people in a state of Misery, their rights assaulted, with fewer public services and less funding for public schools, and their pockets fleeced as the legislature substitutes high sales taxes for the state income tax. This week on the Heartland…
more -
Kansas Legislative Update and ATU’s Nic Miller in Our Labor Leader Series
The Kansas legislature has a month to go and there’s good news and bad for working families. We’ll find out more this week on the Heartland Labor Forum from Jake Lowen, the new Executive Secretary of the Kansas AFL-CIO. Then many Kansas Citians rely on city buses for work. shopping, and doctor...
-
CoreCivic in Leavenworth: Reformed or Human Rights Abuser? We’ll Talk to Prison Guards and Residents
On March 10, the Leavenworth City Commission is about to give permission for the Core Civic private prison there to reopen as an ICE jail, giving the government over 1000 beds to fill. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll talk about Core Civic’s shameful record of both prisoner and guard...
-
Whose Got the Power? By Dave Kamper and Parents for KC Kids
PLEDGE DRIVE! – PLEDGE DRIVE! – PLEDGE DRIVE! Organizer and historian Dave Kamper gives an overview of the recent labor upsurge in his new book Whose Got the Power? Then Missouri legislators are shaping the future of education and thus our communities. If we’re not informed, we won’t be able to...
-
From the Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins to Minneapolis Some News and Lessons from other Labor Shows
We’re going to introduce our listeners to a couple of shows from the Labor Radio Podcast Network. The Green and Red podcast did a show about the Greensboro Sit-Ins sixty-four years ago and the power of direct action linking lessons to the resistance to ICE in Minneapolis. Then, we’ll here a few...
-
The AI Bubble??? and Challenges of Social Work in a Shrinking Welfare State
Whether AI will be a glorious revolution for humanity or a dystopian nightmare remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Big Tech is all in. We'll ask the American Prospect’s David Dayen if we’re in an AI bubble that could wreck the economy. Then, since 1976, El Centro has helped the Latino...
-
Peter Cole on Dockworker Resistance to Arms Shipments and John Miller: Health Insurance for 20 Million is at Risk
Dockworkers have long been on the progressive forefront supporting racial equality and fighting fascism. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we’ll talk with Professor Peter Cole about the history of longshore workers and how they’re dealing with creeping fascism in today’s America. Then,...
-
Half Price Book Workers Win a Union and Union Buster Supreme: The Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Last fall workers at two Half Priced Books stores organized a union. Now workers at the Westport store have won a first contract. We’ll celebrate with them this week on the Heartland Labor Forum . Then, one of the longest strikes in recent history ended with a judge’s order and a big win for the...
-
A Union Member’s Bill of Rights and Deep Fission: Is It Safe?
Do you know the union members Bill of Rights? If you are a union member these affect you just in case your union fails to be democratic. Tonight we’ll talk to Josh Soffler from the Association for Union Democracy. Then, is burying a nuclear reactor almost half a mile underground a good idea? This...
-
United Electrical Workers: 1st Union to Come Out Against War with Venezuela and Have Politicians and the Media Lied Us into War on Venezuela?
UE, The United Electrical Workers, was the first US union to denounce Trump’s attacks on Venezuela. Other unions have now joined them demanding “no more blood for oil.” This week on the Heartland Labor Forum we talk to UE President Scott Slawson about why and how union leaders talk to members…
more -
Our Annual Crystal Ball Show: What's in Store for the Working Class in 2026?
A year ago on the Heartland Labor Forum we predicted what was in store for working people in 2025. This week we’ll look in our 2026 crystal ball and ask How will workers and unions do this year? Will organizing surge despite a paralyzed NLRB? Will Missourians reject gerrymandered maps? Will…
more -
Best of Heartland Labor Forum in 2025 - part 2
It’s our Best of 2025 part 2 show. We'll hear interesting interviews, features, and songs from the last year, including the labor system that built the Panama Canal, how an independent labor union is succeeding in the current anti-labor environment, and a catchy tune about Jimmy Hoffa.
-
Best of HLF n 2025 - part 1
It’s our Best of 2025 part 1 show. We'll rediscover a long-lost labor leader, hear from the most successful NLRB general counsel in years, and listen to a famous labor song written by a lawyer plus much more. Catch up on what’s happened to the working class this year.
-
Resistance Teach-In with the Guy from ET (aka Peter Coyote)
What do you get when you cross two of the most popular concepts in modern-era: mindfulness and resistance? You guessed it: a teach-in by Hollywood film actor and Zen Buddhist priest Peter Coyote. He’ll be radicalizing us this week on the Heartland Labor Forum and telling us about the Theatre of...
-
We Ask: What Are Unions Doing about Members’ Mental Health?
Mental health problems are on the rise, and finding help can be tough. To make matters worse, people often don’t want to talk about it. So, this week on The Heartland Labor Forum we’re going to talk about it and ask what our local unions do to support union leaders’, members’ and their families’...
-
Randi Weingarten: Why Fascists Fear Teachers and Wage Theft: Employers Steal Billions from Workers’ Wages Each Year
Authoritarians fear teachers. Why? Because propaganda and fear lose their grip when students become critical thinkers. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will talk about her book "Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the...
-
Thanks for the Labor and Work Songs
As we did last Thanksgiving, this week we are giving thanks for labor songs and working music on the Heartland Labor Forum. Work songs would alleviate boredom and synchronize the work, while also providing important social commentary about working conditions and progressive ideals. We'll hear...
-
KU Med Hires Union Buster to Stop Pharmacy Techs from Organizing and Union Leader Series: Joey Flickner of the Painters Union
Pharmacy techs at KU Medical Center want a union. The Med Center has hired a union busting law firm. It’s not the first time. We’ll ask workers why they’re organizing. Then, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, or IUPAT, is one of the most progressive in the country. That goes…
more
About this show
Heartland Labor Forum is Kansas City's only program about the workplace. It is produced by and for our working people. We have been agitating on the air since 1989. Find out who is busting unions and who is fighting back. We are a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network #laborradiopod
Hosted by
KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio