‘State of the Unions’: An AFL-CIO Podcast

Special Episode: The Labor Movement Responds to the El Paso Massacre

Aug. 7, 2019: Julie and Tim talk with Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Montserrat Garibay in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in El Paso. They discuss immigration, organizing and the need for solidarity in times of darkness.

Taking Risks to Organize: A Conversation with UNITE HERE President D. Taylor

July 24, 2019: Julie and Tim talk to UNITE HERE President D. Taylor about the activism of airline catering workers and the need for the labor movement to take more risks.

Demanding Better: AFL-CIO Trade Tour Highlights

July 10, 2019: Over three days in June, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka held town halls in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit to talk with workers about the future of NAFTA. Listen to some of the highlights from that conversation.

Winning the Future: A Conversation with AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler

June 26, 2019: Julie and Tim talk to AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler who is pushing the labor movement to be bold, take risks and not be afraid of failure.

Union Proud: A Conversation with Pride at Work Executive Director Jerame Davis

June 12, 2019: Julie and Tim talk with Pride at Work Executive Director Jerame Davis as the AFL-CIO constituency group celebrates its 25th anniversary. They discuss the progress made by LGBTQ working people over the past quarter-century and the work still left to be done.

A Union Organizer Goes to Washington: In Depth with Rep. Andy Levin

May 31, 2019: Julie and Tim talk to Congressman Andy Levin (D-Mich.), a former AFL-CIO employee, and career union organizer and activist. They discuss labor law reform, trade, and the path to power for working people in Michigan and across the country.

Confronting the Health Care Crisis: A Conversation with NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, RN

May 15, 2019: Tim talks to National Nurses United Executive Director Bonnie Castillo about the growing movement of registered nurses organizing for better jobs, a more just society and health care as a fundamental human right.

Not Good Enough: A Conversation on NAFTA with AFL-CIO Trade Policy Specialist Celeste Drake

May 1, 2019: Julie and Tim talk to Celeste Drake, AFL-CIO's trade policy specialist, about the flaws in the proposed new NAFTA and outlines how current and future trade agreements can meet the labor movement's high standards for working people.

Special Episode: Can't Stop. Won't Shop. Stories from a UFCW Picket Line

April 17, 2019: Julie and Tim talk to Kristen Johnson, a deli manager and shop steward at the Stop & Shop in Somerville, Massachusetts. Kristen, along with more than 30,000 of her co-workers and members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) are out on strike for fair pay, benefits and respect on the job.

#StampOutHunger: A Conversation with the National Association of Letter Carriers

April 3, 2019: Tim talks with NALC Executive Vice President Brian Renfroe and Assistant to the President for Community Services Christina Vela Davidson about #StampOutHunger, the annual one-day drive, which has collected more than one billion pounds of food for the hungry.

House Blue Collar Caucus

March 20, 2019: Julie and Tim talk with Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) and Marc Veasey (D-Texas), co-chairs of the House Blue Collar Caucus, which they formed following the 2016 election to better connect with blue collar workers. They say the path to a stronger America runs through the labor movement.

A Conversation with Teen Vogue Labor Columnist Kim Kelly

March 6, 2019: Julie and Tim talk with Kim Kelly, labor columnist at Teen Vogue and former music editor at VICE. She shares her journey from humble beginnings in rural New Jersey to writing for a publication that reaches millions, and provides insight into her experience forming a union at VICE, radical political activism and her desire for young people to challenge capitalism in today's economy.

Black History Month: A Conversation with IUPAT General President Kenneth Rigmaiden

Feb. 20, 2019: Julie and Tim talk with Kenneth Rigmaiden, general president of the Painters and Allied Trades. He details his journey from a floor-covering installer to the highest ranks of the labor movement, his experiences with racism and discrimination, the opportunities he seized, and his commitment to the next generation of union members, activists and leaders.

In-Depth with Kooper Caraway, 28-Year-Old Labor Leader from South Dakota

Feb. 6, 2019: Julie and Tim talk with Kooper Caraway, the dynamic, 28-year-old president of the Sioux Falls Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. Caraway offers ideas for how the labor movement can reach young people, recounts his own activist history and informs Tim that millennials don't use the word "cool."

Honoring Dr. King's Legacy: A Special Conversation with Andrew Gillum

Jan. 23, 2019: Julie and Tim talk with Andrew Gillum, the former Tallahassee mayor and 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, who calls himself a "living, breathing, walking, talking result of [Dr. King's] legacy." Gillum shares his experiences on the campaign trail and previews the important fights ahead on voting, worker and civil rights.

#StopTheShutdown: A Conversation with AFGE President J. David Cox

Jan. 9, 2019: With the government shutdown in its third week, Julie and Tim talk to J. David Cox, national president of AFGE. Cox says his members are being held hostage by extremist politics and is calling on all working people to demand that Congress and the White House reopen the government and put federal employees back to work.

Year in Review: Collective Action on the Rise

Dec. 26, 2018: Julie and Tim review the issues and figures that shaped the labor movement in 2018.

Aviation's First Responders

Dec. 12, 2018: Julie and Tim cover the recent worker victories at Marriott and speak with Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson.

Special Episode: What's Wrong with GM?

Dec. 5, 2018: In this special episode, Julie and Tim speak with the veteran autoworker and director of the Working for American Institute, Brad Markell, about the plant closures and layoffs at General Motors.

'I've Never Been More Optimistic'

Nov. 28, 2018: Julie and Tim put a bow on the 2018 midterm elections and chat with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

Midterms Debrief

Nov. 14, 2018: Julie and Tim interview Rep. Conor Lamb (Pa.) on the outcome of the 2018 midterm elections and what issues and policies he would like the new Congress to tackle.

Union Members in Public Office

Oct. 31, 2018: Julie and Tim discuss the upcoming 2018 midterm elections and speak with Dahlia Vertreese, union member and mayor of Hillside, New Jersey.

Speaking Truth to Power

Oct. 17, 2018: Julie and Tim discuss Christine Blasey Ford's testimony and talk with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha about the Flint, Michigan, drinking water crisis.

Introducing 'State of the Unions': An AFL-CIO Podcast

Oct. 17, 2018: Join co-hosts Julie Greene and Tim Schlittner for the first episode of our new podcast, "State of the Unions."