Your Workplace is Instrumental for a Better Future. Here’s How.

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About This Episode

I sat down with assistant professor of labor studies and author of We Are the Union, Eric Blanc, to discuss: the euphoria and struggle of movement-building as a response to hopelessness, how mid-century suburban development undermined labor power, and why understanding (and wielding) economic leverage is critical.

• (05:22): The pushback against unions and why unions are essentially about democracy
• (08:55): How worker-to-worker organizing might be the best path forward against oligarchy
• (18:45): The story of Morrisha Jones and the importance of leverage
• (22:15): Why full employment in the economy should be a progressive priority
• (27:55): The obstacles that appear after a union’s been formed, but before a contract’s been reached
• (36:24): How “vibes” and culture play a role in building a movement
• (43:00): How unions can flourish beyond a manufacturing economy, and how the country’s structure has changed since the 1930s
• (47:20): The impact of suburbanization on labor power
• (01:01:33): The connection between social justice movements and broader organizing
• (01:19:32): How Europe’s move to the right, despite its union density, speaks to the future of the US
• (01:28:04): Tactical next steps and resources

RICH GIRL NATION IS HERE. GRAB YOUR COPY.

Our show is a production of Morning Brew and is produced by Henah Velez and Katie Gatti Tassin, with our audio engineering and sound design from Nick Torres. Devin Emery is President of Morning Brew content and additional fact checking comes from Scott Wilson.

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Mentioned in the Episode

• Eric Blanc’s book, We Are the Union
• Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC)
• Workers Organizing Workers
• Secrets of a Successful Organizer
• Unite and Win
• Eric’s Substack: laborpolitics.com

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Transcript