Solidarity Works

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 turning it into songs people could sing together. Then, in 1915, the state of Utah executed Joe Hill for murder. In today's episode, we break down the life, death, and legacy of the early 20th-century Swedish immigrant and songwriter who still has something to say to working people today. Music in today's episode is by: Jonny Miller Jr. ("Joe Hill"), Vlad Annenkov ("Whispering Trails"), Sean Ferree ("The Third Act"), and Pete Seeger ("The Preacher and the Slave").

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, while Dora Lopez has been there since 1998. Together, they've spent nearly three decades at the site, learning the job, looking out for their coworkers, and building a life in a workplace where safety is an entire culture. Today, we're talking about what it's really like to work 2,150 feet underground, what nearly three decades at WIPP can teach you about safety and solidarity, and why these two Steelworkers are still looking toward the future.

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 protections matters, and what workers can do to protect themselves on the job. Music in this episode is by BlueDot Sessions.

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 evolution over two decades, and why labor and environmental advocates must continue working together to build a clean economy that creates and sustains good union jobs. Listen now and learn why the fight for workers and the fight for a sustainable future are the same fight. Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions.

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 the protective strength of a union. We speak with Ellen Vera, Director of Co-Op Cincy, about the "how-to" of worker ownership: how to transition an existing business, how to start a new venture from scratch, and the common mistakes to avoid. We also talk with Rob Witherall of the United Steelworkers about how the USW is partnering with cooperatives to provide essential benefits like healthcare and ensure that the wealth of our communities stays in the hands of the workers.  Join us as we discuss why the future of the American labor movement might just be owned by the people who do the work. Music in this episode is by: Makaih Beats and Ethos