Shop Floor Organizing at Amazon w/ Amazonians United Chicagoland

Ruby and Zama, members of Amazonians United, join the show to discuss their methods of shop floor organizing and direct unionism.

They share stories of how AU emerged, initially through breaking bread and resocializing the workplace, to their first direct action demanding access to water in the shop.

We also discussed the dismissal of AU by proponents of business unionism, and offer a critique of conventional labor union practices.

Learn more about AU at https://www.amazoniansunited.org/

Please support Laborwave Radio by subscribing to our patreon at patreon.com/laborwave We have gifts depending on the tier you join, and exclusive access to our archives and Discord server.

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laborwave-radio/id1536697871

Music:

Ty Segall- Love Fuzz

Union Democracy and Working Class Power Require Deep Organizing w/ Marybeth Seitz-Brown

Marybeth Seitz-Brown, organizer and former rank-and-file member with the NewsGuild of New York, joins the show to discuss how deep organizing is necessary for building robust union democracy and pushing union members to tackle the biggest issues of the day.

Building off her article, "The Left Needs to Engage Members If We Want to Win Big" in The Forge, Marybeth puts forward grounded advice on how to develop methods for ensuring union democracy is an active practice and organizing approaches workers with the expectation that their politics and activity can change over time.

We discuss why it matters to view democracy as the practice of "governing by obeying," the need to expand the political imagination around what unions can fight for and win, and how deep organizing can build the structures within our unions necessary for accomplishing the above.

Read the article at https://forgeorganizing.org/article/left-needs-engage-members-if-we-want-win-big

Please support Laborwave Radio by subscribing to our patreon at patreon.com/laborwave We have gifts depending on the tier you join, and exclusive access to our archives and Discord server.

Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, it helps our content reach new listeners.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laborwave-radio/id1536697871

Music:

Mika Miko- Turkey Sandwich

[Film Review] Lapsis, or Capitalism is a Ponzi Scheme

Comrades Andrea, Kali, Luke, and Nick join the show to discuss the film Lapsis, from writer/director Noah Hutton. In a parallel present, delivery man Ray Tincelli takes a job in the gig economy. He begins pulling cable to link together the new quantum trading market.

We talk about the film's realistic depiction of working in the gig economy and the power of organizing against it, the tactic of sabotage, and how capitalism is a ponzi scheme that keeps us sick and pits automation against the toiling masses and natural environment.

Thanks to Taylor Hess, film producer for making it possible for us to have this discussion, and director Noah Hutton for allowing us to screen the movie! You can find Lapsis online for rent at vudu.com and Laborwave Radio highly recommends it for you and all your friends.

Please support Laborwave Radio by subscribing to our patreon at patreon.com/laborwave We have gifts depending on the tier you join, and exclusive access to our archives and Discord server.

Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, it helps our content reach new listeners.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laborwave-radio/id1536697871