logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
47m 29s

How U.S. Unions Took Flight

NPR
About this episode
Hot Labor Summer has continued into fall as workers in industries from retail and carmaking to healthcare and Hollywood have organized and gone on strike. Public support for the U.S. labor movement is close to the highest it's been in 60 years. And that's no surprise to people who work in one particular industry: the airlines.

Airline workers — pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, baggage handlers, and more — represent a huge cross-section of the country. And for decades, they've used their unions to fight not just for better working conditions, but for civil rights, charting a course that leads right up to today. In this episode, we turn an eye to the sky to see how American unions took flight.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
The SAT's 100-year grip on higher ed
For generations, the SAT has loomed large in the lives of teenagers. The quest for a perfect or near-perfect score has filled many test takers with dread. In this episode, a listener's question makes us wonder... who decided the SAT was the best and brightest way to filter studen ... Show More
18m 56s
Aug 27
The pillage that fueled America's tech booms
Cobalt mining is one of the world's most dangerous jobs. And it's also one of the most essential: cobalt is what powers the batteries in your smartphone, your laptop, the electric car you felt good about buying. More than three-quarters of the world's cobalt supply lies in the De ... Show More
52m 18s
Aug 20
How Korean culture went global
This year, K-pop Demon Hunters picked up a couple of Oscars, the pop group BTS made its triumphant return to sold out crowds, and K-pop took center stage at the World Cup final. It’s all part of Korea’s 50-year game plan to achieve global cultural dominance. This week on our Hidd ... Show More
48m 8s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
Why Unions are Making a Comeback
The Amazon Labor Union made history when it won its election at the JFK8 facility in Staten Island — but they aren’t the only ones organizing. Petitions to form unions were up nearly sixty percent between October 2021 and March 2022! What does it take to form a union, and what do ... Show More
26m 49s
Feb 2023
Unionising the US workforce
There has been a surge in the number of workplaces in the United States voting to join a labour union. Amid this wave of unionisation, companies are pushing back hard. We find out what is happening in the US and how businesses and politicians are reacting.We hear from a worker at ... Show More
18m 45s
Sep 2023
The Summer Of Labor
Public opinion toward organized labor is at recent highs. As a potential strike by the United Auto Workers looms, we look at what UAW workers are looking for in a new contract, and how the Biden administration & Republicans alike are approaching this moment.This episode: politica ... Show More
15m 52s
Nov 2023
Will the union ‘renaissance’ last?
<p>In the US, nearly half a million people have gone on strike this year demanding better pay, working conditions and job security. With the FT’s US labour&nbsp;and equality correspondent Taylor Nicole Rogers, we’re zooming in on the strategies that three major labour movements h ... Show More
19m 34s
Aug 2023
Unions, Strikes, and the Public: What Matters?
How should we make sense of the current labor activism in transportation and entertainment? Heather and Joanne explain how the fault lines in the UPS contract negotiation can be seen in the 1894 Pullman Strike. And they compare the WGA and SAG-AFTRA “double strike” in Hollywood t ... Show More
53m 40s
Oct 2021
Ep. 222: What’s Driving The Labor Unrest Of ‘Striketober’?
Over the past month, workers across the country have been going on strike, prompting some industry watchers to dub the uptick in labor actions “Striketober.” But what’s causing large groups of workers in industries as varied as film production, manufacturing and healthcare to all ... Show More
44m 26s
Jul 2023
S4E34: Strength in Numbers: The Writers Strike and The Power of Unions
<p><strong>Description:<br></strong>Unions and strike have always been seen as controversial in the U.S. This time, the actors and writers are striking for better compensation and more respect. But, how do unions and guilds work in general?  </p><p><strong>Contact:</strong><br><s ... Show More
49m 33s
Apr 2022
Union Busters, Part I: An Origin Story
<p>While they're not as common as they once were, labor unions are back in the news as employees of companies like Amazon, Starbucks and more choose to organize, pushing for better pay, more rights and so on. In part one of this two-part episode, Ben and Matt explore the history ... Show More
57m 59s
Sep 2024
How labor unions shape society
The weekend. Social Security. Health insurance. What do these things have in common? They all exist thanks to the advocacy of labor unions. In this episode of TED Talks Daily, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, political economist Margaret Levi explains how these orga ... Show More
19m 33s