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Philly's working class history. Historian Gabe Christy and musician Young Sam James explore the working class history of Philadelphia and the surrounding world.
www.laborjawn.com
109 Episodes
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Sam and Gabe took a moment from the holidays to talk with Jessi Jones from the Academy Foundation, Emma Rose Rainville from the Esplanade Association, Adam Rizzo from the Penn Museum, and independent researcher Amanda Tobin Ripley about their recent work with Museums Moving Forward and the zine Museum Unions Enact Workplace Justice that they all co-authored with Josh Davis of the Seattle Art Museum. The zine dives into how museum union contracts have improved equity and justice in the f...
Our first address to the world detailing updates to the show and some exciting news! Ben Fletcher Mural Unveiling and Celebration Saturday May 18, 2024 2pm-4pm 301 S. Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia PA SEIU - Philadelphia Labor History Map (produced by Labor Jawn) https://goo.gl/maps/HHggN819SpfC6tx87 Support the show www.laborjawn.com
On November 18, 2022, Labor Jawn hosted their first live show In Story and Song at the Philadelphia Folksong Society. Join the hosts of the Labor Jawn podcast in celebrating the labor movement through song and story. Relive the struggles and victories of the working class with historian Gabe Christy as musician Young Sam James leads you and a few special guests in the anthems and ballads that defined an entire movement. Guests are Pie-Eyed Preachers, Bevan Dayn, and Molly Hebert-Wilson. Intro...
Sam and Gabe sit down to chat with Dr. Francis Ryan, Associate Teaching Professor & Director of Master of Labor and Employment Relations Program, Labor Studies and Employment Relations (LSER) at Rutgers University, to discuss Philadelphia's importance in labor history, and his contributions to the three volume set The Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Philadelphia and the Nation, and Greater Philadelphia and the World from University of Pennsylvania Press. Support the show www.laborjaw...
Sam and Gabe sit down to chat with Megan and Claudia of Starbucks Workers United and Sophie of the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America who established a strike kitchen to feed and support Starbucks workers as they fight for a first contract. Sign the pledge: https://www.nocontractnocoffee.com/ More links: https://linktr.ee/phillyDSAlabor Support the show www.laborjawn.com
By 1936, Berkshire Knitting Mills was one of the largest hosiery manufacturers in the world, and the American Federation of Hosiery Workers knew that if they could organize it, they could apply pressure to the entire industry and secure safety, wages, and the 40 hour week for thousands of workers. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
We sit down with historian Lucas R. Clawson to discuss the du Pont family's history of labor relations. https://lucasrclawson.com/ Originally aired: August 8, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
When the United Textile Workers of America declared a general textile strike in 1934, the people of Hazleton, Pennsylvania had a choice: would they stand with the textile workers, or the bosses? Originally aired: November 30, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
In the midst of Reaganomics, a budget crisis, and a school board imposing layoffs and school closures, Philadelphia's teachers fight for "the integrity of [their] contract, the contracts of all people, and, in general, honor among people." Support the show www.laborjawn.com
In 1903, all building construction in Philadelphia was brought to a grinding halt when just a few thousand carpenters showed the power of their union. Originally aired: February 6, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
After World War 2, American soldiers came home to low wages and strict bosses. In 1946, 200,000 electrical appliance workers struck in cities across the country with 20,000 in Philadelphia alone. They had just beaten Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, next up was General Electric and Westinghouse. Episodes 36-37 originally aired on October 17 and 31, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
The General Textile Strike in Philadelphia helped set the stage for the very radical hosiery workers who continued to fight throughout the 1920s and into the Great Depression. Originally aired: March 8, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
In 1916, workers at the John B. Stetson hat company in Philadelphia went on strike for better wages and conditions. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Horseshoeing was a booming industry in Philadelphia back when horses were the primary means of transportation. In 1902, the men and children who did most of the work struck for better wages, hours, and conditions, effectively shutting down the city’s transport network until their demands were met. Originally aired: May 30, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
When cloakmakers in New York struck for union recognition, their comrades in Philly joined in, bolstered by local Jewish anarchists. Originally aired: January 9, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
At Philadelphia's 2025 May Day Rally and March, Gabe and Sam ran around with a microphone to get recordings from union members, organizers, and workers. Each person was asked 4 questions: -Who was the worst boss you've ever had and why? -Are you part of a union? -What does being a union member mean to you? -What was your favorite moment of solidarity that you've witnessed? Submit your story at www.laborjawn.com/voices Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Philadelphia's municipal workers have had to fight hard for a decent wage and basic benefits. After 3 years of setbacks and wage freezes, in 1986 their struggle pitted thousands of city workers, led by Earl Stout, the larger than life president of AFSCME District Council 33, against Wilson Goode, the city's embattled mayor. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Farm workers have always been mistreated, but in 1938 the CIO fought to change that at a farm in Morrisville, PA. Originally aired: January 23, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
As the Great Depression raged, 1700 hosiery workers in Lansdale, PA fought for union recognition, standing up to their bosses and the county sheriff. Originally aired: October 2, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Despite the lingering Great Depression, retail stores in 1938 were starting to bounce back. But when the wealth was not shared with the workers, they decided to go on strike during one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year. Originally aired: July 27, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
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