The Rise of the New Labor Movement

The last few years have seen a wave of labor organizing as it becomes more and more clear to workers that their work is not expendable, but actually the heart of every business.

From walkouts to unionization, workers at every workplace from Starbucks to Amazon to your local coffee shop have come together to build and exercise their power. In this episode we explore the issues that led organizers to take the initiative to organize their workplaces and the ins and outs and ups and downs of the process, and the backlash.

On the forefront of the next labor revolution, we visit a coffee shop in Maine called Little Dog whose workers start to organize a union. Then we talk to Robert Chala from the UCLA Labor Center about the rise in unionization efforts among service workers and the social and cultural ethos in a post lockdown country that have led to this new wave of the labor movement.

Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.

This episode is hosted by Salima Hamirani with reporting by Jules Bradley. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung.