The younger people in my life introduce me to songs they consider vintage but that are completely new to me. The Dead Kennedys, for example, are alive and well on my most recent playlist. And just this morning I heard, for the first time, "Work Bitch," by Britney Spears. As I listened to her sing "Bring it on/ring the alarm/don’t stop now/just be the champion," I added, in my best BritBrit voice, "and get a labor union, get some collective bargaining." (This is what it is like to ride in the car with me.)

Ahead of a natural disaster like Hurricane Florence, politicians and safety officials tell the public to evacuate early and not wait until conditions get bad. We all know that you can lose your home and your belongings, but politicians never talk about the fact that during a disaster, many people can lose their jobs as well.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler joined SEIU President Mary Kay Henry for a conversation with Politico's Anna Palmer on the newest edition of the Women Rule podcast. Shuler discussed the surging wave of collective action, the state of the labor movement and her groundbreaking path to becoming the highest-ranking woman in the history of the AFL-CIO. Listen to the episode here, and check out some of Shuler's highlights below.

Beginning next year, Congress will finally start paying its interns!  

A new report from the Center for American Progress shows that union membership helps increase wealth and prosperity for families of color. The research comes on top of recent polls showing that more and more people are embracing the powerful benefits of collective bargaining.