PODCAST · business
Solidarity Works
by United Steelworkers
Welcome to Solidarity Works, a podcast from the United Steelworkers (USW) union. We're here to have conversations and start conversations about the past, present, and future of the labor movement, as well as talk about the work the union is doing, with USW activists leading the way.Listen to us here or on your favorite podcast streaming service, like Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, and more.
Episodes
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Don't Mourn, Organize: The Life, Death, and Legacy of Joe Hill
More than a hundred years ago, an immigrant worker named Joe Hill was traveling across the United States, working wherever he could find a job and writing songs along the way. He had a particular talent for taking what workers already knew—low wages, bad bosses, broken promises, company towns—and...
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Words of Wisdom: Lessons from 2,100 Feet Underground
More than 2,000 feet beneath the surface in southeastern New Mexico is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP — a facility designed to safely dispose of certain radioactive waste deep underground. For two USW members, it's been home for decades. Dora Ledbetter has worked at WIPP since 2008…
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Heat Kills: The Fight for a Federal Standard
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related workplace deaths—and it's preventable. Yet workers still don't have a federal heat safety standard. In this episode of Solidarity Works, USW Health, Safety and Environment Director Steve Sallman explains what's at stake, why the fight for heat...
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The Same Fight: 20 Years of Labor and Environmental Solidarity
For years, workers were told they had to choose between good union jobs and a healthy planet. Twenty years ago, the BlueGreen Alliance helped prove that wasn't true. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we sit down with Executive Director Jason Walsh to discuss the Alliance's origins, its...
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Stronger Together: The Union Co-op Model
In 1941, a young priest in Spain helped spark a movement that would transform worker ownership forever. Today, that spirit is crossing the Atlantic. In our latest episode, we explore the emerging "Union Co-op" model—a powerful hybrid that combines the democratic ownership of a cooperative with…
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The Dust That Kills: Miners Combating Silica
Every day, millions of workers around the world go to work knowing their job is hard. But no one should go to work knowing it might slowly take their breath away. Across the United States and Canada, USW members are on the front lines of the fight against silica dust exposure, pushing for…
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Know Your Rights: Labor's Fight for Immigrant Workers
From the Twin Cities to Georgia, ICE enforcement has hit working-class communities hard. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, two labor leaders—Minnesota USW staff representative Justin Recla and USW Civil and Human Rights Director Alex Perkins—share how they've responded, what tools are...
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If I Had a Song: Pete Seeger's America
Pete Seeger treated music as a communal act—a circle, not a spotlight. In our newest episode, we explore how Pete braided together labor organizing, civil rights, environmental justice, and peace through song. From congressional blacklisting to union halls and river clean-ups, his legacy isn't...
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No Worker Left Behind: Labor's Plan for the AI Era
Artificial intelligence is changing how we work, how we communicate, and how we live — but who's making sure workers aren't left behind? In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we sit down with Ed Wytkind, Interim Executive Director of the AFL-CIO Technology Institute, to talk about the...
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Clara Lemlich and the Uprising of the 20,000
In 1909, a 23-year-old immigrant named Clara Lemlich stood up in New York's Cooper Union and said, "I have no more patience for talk—I move that we go on a general strike." The next morning, 20,000 garment workers—mostly young immigrant women—walked off the job. Their courage changed labor…
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Defunding Education: The Attack on Public Learning and Research
In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we expose the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to public education and research funding—from K-12 schools to university labs. Educators, union leaders, and graduate researchers reveal how these attacks threaten working families, marginalized…
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They Shall Not Pass: When Workers Took on Fascism
Long before World War II officially kicked off in 1939, trade unionists were already sounding the alarm. They saw fascism for what it was—racism, anti-Semitism, militarism, authoritarianism. Union workers and leaders resisted—they distributed leaflets, hid their Jewish neighbors and co-workers,...
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The Legacy of Delano: Labor, Resistance, and the Power of Unity
As ICE raids ramp up and communities across the nation are gripped by fear, we're looking back to a powerful legacy of worker resistance in the latest episode of Solidarity Works. The Legacy of Delano tells the story of how Filipino and Latino farmworkers united in 1965 to ignite a labor movement...
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Defending Our Defenders: Union Veterans Demand Action in D.C.
John Stevens has been a member of USW Local 341 in Newark, Ohio, for six years and works at an aluminum factory. On Thurs., June 5, he and fellow union members walked the halls of Congress to remind lawmakers about the promise the government made to veterans like him. This fight to preserve...
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Riffs and Rights: Kim Kelly's Journey from Heavy Metal to Labor Activism
Kim Kelly began her writing career in the heavy metal world – she even adopted a moniker known as Grim Kim – but it wasn't long before her family's labor roots caught hold. She joined a union when writing for Vice, a digital publishing platform, and soon her stories took a turn toward more…
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USW and Los Mineros Unite in Mexico
On Friday, April 25, thousands of labor activists, including USW members, marched and chanted through the streets of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, as part of an annual event commemorating the murders of two Los Mineros union members who were killed while on strike in 2006. In today's episode, we…
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Emma Tenayuca and the Pecan Shellers' Strike
From the 1800s to yesterday afternoon, women and girls across the United States have led historic organizing campaigns, and today we're honoring one of these powerful yet lesser known activists whose story deserves to be told. Emma Tenayuca was only 18 when she began organizing workers for the...
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The Power of Generational Change: Words of Wisdom from SOAR Activist Nellie Caraballo
This episode kicks off the first in a series we hope to continue featuring SOAR (Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees) activists offering us their words of wisdom as the labor movement enters a time of great change and upheaval. Today we speak with Nellie Caraballo, a former USW staff rep...
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We Shall Not Be Moved: Labor Musician & Activist Jonny Miller Jr.
California musician and activist Jonny Miller Jr. is continuing his ancestors' legacy by making his mark on the labor movement. He sings on picket lines, writes songs about the working class, and teaches the next generation about the importance of labor history. In the latest episode of…
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Mining Matters: A Conversation with USW Vice President Emil Ramirez
From salt and copper to soda ash and iron ore, members of the USW mine the many crucial resources needed to keep the U.S, Canada, and the world moving. It's an industry that goes back 150 years, and it's an industry that has seen exponential change over the past several decades. In the latest...
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The Life, Death, and Legacy of Karen Silkwood
Most people who are familiar with Karen Silkwood likely learned of the chemical technician through the 1983 film Silkwood starring Meryl Streep and Cher. But the movie is no mere Hollywood drama; it is based on the true story of a young woman and union member who fought to expose her employer for...
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Fighting for Fair Trade: Why It Matters and How We Do It
Last month, members of the United Steelworkers union from across the U.S. traveled to the nation's capital in Washington, D.C., to talk to their elected officials about the importance of reauthorizing Trade Adjustment Assistance. This program, which expired in 2022, provides training and...
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Workers of the World: Labor and Global Solidarity
The USW partners with labor organizations around the world to connect workers with common employers and help them build power. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Local 12075 President Kent Holsing and USW retiree Mike Zielinski about some of these partnerships, including a...
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Bills, Bills, Bills: USW Members Take Legislative Action
the podium at the state house in Lansing, Michigan, to give powerful testimony about his experience as a veteran. He and other activists were there to voice their support for Bill 5736, which would require employers to display a poster that outlines resources available for veterans and their...
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Full Steam Ahead: Restoring Domestic Shipbuilding
In 1975, the United States was a leader in global shipbuilding. The industry employed 180,000 workers who built more than 70 commercial ships in American shipyards. In the early 1980s, that changed as federal spending on domestic manufacturing was slashed and foreign competitors like China…
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Health and Safety Wins in Washington
More than 80 years ago, U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins identified silica dust as a deadly hazard. Finally, this past April 16, MSHA, through the Department of Labor, issued a final rule reducing silica dust exposure to better protect America's miners. The Occupational Safety and Health...
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The Future of Solidarity: Next Gen Activists Take the Lead
The USW's Next Gen program saw its humble yet historic beginnings in a resolution at the International union's Constitutional Convention in 2011. It endorsed the training and development of younger Steelworker activists to take on increasingly greater roles in their local unions, their…
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Tackling Two-Tier: Workers Unite and Dismantle Divisive Wage Systems
When late International President Tom Conway took the helm of the USW in July 2019, he made a promise that his administration would work to reduce or eliminate tiered wage and benefit systems in union contracts. Many USW locals have heeded late President Conway's call and made great strides in...
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Saving Maxo Vanka: USW Members Preserve Historic Murals
When Croatian painter and immigrant Maxo Vanka first visited Pittsburgh in 1935, he fell in love with the steel town and developed a friendship with Father Albert Zagar of the St. Nicholas Croatian Church in Millvale. Zagar longed for color on his church's plain walls, but he didn't want the…
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Union-Made Holidays
Members of the USW across the U.S. and Canada make the highest quality products in their industries, from Bulleit Bourbon distilled in Kentucky and All-Clad cookware handcrafted in Pennsylvania to clothing spun in Portland, Maine, at American Roots and Custom Foam pillows fabricated and molded in...
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We're Made for This: USW Members Serving in Local Politics
Check out the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from two USW members who have stepped up to run for office in their communities. You'll hear about what inspired them to make these moves and why union members are uniquely equipped to serve in local government to be a voice for workers and...
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America's Nuclear Legacy: Cleaning Up the Past, Powering the Future
Members of the United Steelworkers union are known for being masters of production. On top of creation, we also help repair damage done in the past to ensure our communities can thrive in the future. We do this by cleaning up toxic nuclear sites to protect local residents and wildlife, and we...
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Organizing the South: Why It Matters and How We Do It
This May, members at electric bus manufacturer Blue Bird in Georgia voted to join the USW. Then, in August, members at Kumho Tire, also in middle Georgia, ratified their first contract after a years-long battle to have their voices heard. Check out the latest USW podcast episode to learn how…
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Taking Charge: Health Care Workers Seize Their Safety
This week, nearly 200 USW members who work in the vast and diverse health care sector are gathering in Pittsburgh for their first Health Care Workers Council Conference since 2018. A lot has changed in the industry over these past five years, not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also…
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Unionism on Turtle Island: Indigenous Peoples and the Fight for Reconciliation
For this episode of Solidarity Works, we're talking with two USW members who are currently serving as Indigenous Engagement Coordinators for the union's District 3 and 6 in Canada. Listen to learn about how they've been reconnecting to their Indigenous roots and how local unions can make a...
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Jobs for Justice: From Prison Chaplains to Public Defenders
When Sean Gardener, a Buddhist chaplain in Canada, first walked into the prison where he would be providing spiritual care to people behind bars, he expected to feel nervous or fearful. Instead, he felt at home. Listen to our latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from Sean, along with a…
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Still Fighting: USW Veterans Mobilize and Make History
At the start of this year, the USW announced a new initiative with our Rapid Response and Veterans of Steel activist groups to push for legislation that helps our military veterans, especially in the workplace. For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with several USW members about…
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Leveling the Playing Field: How Sports Unions Change the Game
From the XFL and USFL to Rugby Canada, professional athletes are organizing with the USW to gain a stronger voice on the job and protect their health and safety. Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to learn about how sports unions change the game and bring teamwork to a whole new level.
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Rising Tides: Race, Class, and Building a Fair Economy
In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with USW Vice President of Human Affairs Kevin Mapp and Pride at Work Co-President Brittani Murray about uniting workers across race, class, and gender to build a labor coalition that lasts. Music in this episode is by Ketsa.
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The Next Frontier of Labor: Workplace Innovation and Technology
As workplace innovation and technology evolve more rapidly than ever before, the labor movement is stepping up to ensure workers' voices are represented in this Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with the director of the AFL-CIO Tech Institute, as…
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Labor of Love: The History and Future of LGBTQ+ Organizing
Listen to the latest episode of USW's Solidarity Works podcast to learn about some of history's forgotten labor heroes, as well as a new Pride at Work partnership that aims to increase union membership among LGBTQ+ workers! Find it at usw.to/podcast or wherever you access your favorite podcasts.…
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Why Midterms Matter -- A Deep Dive with Roxanne Brown
This month, we're talking with USW Vice President at Large Roxanne Brown about what's at stake for workers this November during midterm elections. We're also joined by Local 1557 member and activist JoJo Burgess about his experience getting out the vote in Pennsylvania. Learn more at...
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Raising the Bar on Women's Health and Safety
Finding equipment that fits properly is a common issue for women in certain industries, as is having access to adequate restrooms and changing facilities. This is one of the many reasons why the USW has released a new action guide in the United States called Raising the Bar on Women's Health and...
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The Battle of Bay City: Bus Drivers Fight Back Privatization
Bay City Public School bus drivers in Michigan are back at the wheel this school year, and they're fired up and ready to go after beating back privatization efforts this past May. Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear about their impressive fight and their continued campaign to...
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Bayard Rustin and the Art of Angelic Trouble-making
For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with two activists from the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice about the life and legacy of the late labor and civil rights' leader, who has often remained in the shadows of history. We also chat about their work with the LGBTQ+ community…
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Brewing Change: Young Workers and the Starbucks Labor Movement
Young workers are voting to unionize at lightning speed at Starbucks locations across the US and Canada. Listen to our latest episode to hear from one of these new labor activists, Sarah Broad, talk about her journey as a barista and organizing one of the largest corporations in the world. To…
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When Disaster Strikes: Meet the USW Emergency Response Team
Allan McDougall, the first director of the USW Emergency Response Team, learned firsthand the importance of healing and the need for long-lasting support from unions more than thirty years ago while working in a mine in Canada. After witnessing multiple co-workers' deaths and suffering in silence...
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Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence
For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, two USW activists and leaders -- Teresa and Mayson -- share their stories of surviving intimate partner abuse and how unions can help break the cycle of domestic violence. Learn more from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence at ncadv.org.
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How to Defend a Dream
In honor of Black History Month, the latest episode of Solidarity Works highlights three USW activists who are building upon the work and legacies of civil rights and community leaders like Dr. King, Bayard Rustin, and Rosa Parks. Listen at usw.to/podcast or wherever you access your favorite...
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Beyond Books: Organizing the Carnegie Library Workers
In August 2019, 300 workers across 19 branches of the historic Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh voted enthusiastically to join the United Steelworkers union, and earlier this month, they officially became members as they ratified their first agreement! For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to Solidarity Works, a podcast from the United Steelworkers (USW) union. We're here to have conversations and start conversations about the past, present, and future of the labor movement, as well as talk about the work the union is doing, with USW activists leading the way.Listen to us here or on your favorite podcast streaming service, like Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, and more.
HOSTED BY
United Steelworkers
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Solidarity Works have?
Solidarity Works currently has 80 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Solidarity Works about?
Welcome to Solidarity Works, a podcast from the United Steelworkers (USW) union. We're here to have conversations and start conversations about the past, present, and future of the labor movement, as well as talk about the work the union is doing, with USW activists leading the way.Listen to us...
How often does Solidarity Works release new episodes?
Solidarity Works has 80 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Solidarity Works?
You can listen to Solidarity Works on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Solidarity Works?
Solidarity Works is created and hosted by United Steelworkers.
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