00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,140
Do I have, get you a boom.
2
00:00:01,286 --> 00:00:04,076
no, because then I'd
have to move the birds.
3
00:00:04,076 --> 00:00:07,166
It's easier for me to move the
computer than the movement.
4
00:00:08,366 --> 00:00:09,746
The cages are pretty heavy,
5
00:00:10,776 --> 00:00:11,856
Don't make me move.
6
00:00:11,856 --> 00:00:12,726
The birds.
7
00:00:13,146 --> 00:00:16,986
So, um, I know we're, we're, we gotta
get going with the show and everyth.
8
00:00:16,986 --> 00:00:17,106
We do.
9
00:00:17,466 --> 00:00:22,056
But, but you know, we're recording
on March 6th and you know what
10
00:00:22,056 --> 00:00:23,946
ha also happened on March 6th.
11
00:00:24,306 --> 00:00:24,876
Tell us
12
00:00:25,236 --> 00:00:28,686
a Joe Hill song called
Should I Ever Be A Soldier?
13
00:00:28,686 --> 00:00:32,316
Got Added to the Little
Red Songbook and it seems.
14
00:00:33,036 --> 00:00:36,486
Kind of appropriate in this day and age.
15
00:00:37,086 --> 00:00:39,666
You know, I should fight
against the masters.
16
00:00:40,536 --> 00:00:43,446
I should, you know, come
join the army of toilets.
17
00:00:43,836 --> 00:00:45,516
Let's fight against the boss.
18
00:00:45,576 --> 00:00:50,136
'cause, uh, here we are, another
war, more billions spent on
19
00:00:50,136 --> 00:00:51,726
that and not on the people.
20
00:01:51,231 --> 00:01:51,951
Unfortunately.
21
00:01:51,976 --> 00:01:54,321
I might need to check
the bone spurs first.
22
00:01:56,931 --> 00:01:59,841
I, I might be unable to
join, but I'll check.
23
00:02:00,561 --> 00:02:01,521
All right, folks.
24
00:02:01,521 --> 00:02:02,451
Chris Garlock here.
25
00:02:02,451 --> 00:02:03,681
That's Harold Phillips.
26
00:02:03,681 --> 00:02:04,611
Patrick Dixon.
27
00:02:04,611 --> 00:02:07,821
You are listening to
the Labor Radio Podcast.
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00:02:07,821 --> 00:02:08,421
Weekly.
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00:02:09,141 --> 00:02:10,131
Weekly, weekly.
30
00:02:10,131 --> 00:02:12,441
Easy for me to say your sampler.
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00:02:12,441 --> 00:02:14,331
Best new episodes across the network.
32
00:02:14,331 --> 00:02:16,281
Harold Bones.
33
00:02:16,281 --> 00:02:16,761
For Harold.
34
00:02:16,761 --> 00:02:17,481
We're gonna call him.
35
00:02:18,801 --> 00:02:19,491
What's the, what's the theme?
36
00:02:19,491 --> 00:02:20,536
Running through this week's lineup.
37
00:02:21,771 --> 00:02:26,661
Yeah, Chris, we've got a lot of
shows this week about workers
38
00:02:26,661 --> 00:02:31,701
confronting big systems, whether
that's big tech data centers,
39
00:02:31,851 --> 00:02:37,911
global snack companies, anti-union
politicians, workplace conflicts,
40
00:02:38,721 --> 00:02:42,891
or the whole Southern United States
and trying to organize in the south.
41
00:02:43,403 --> 00:02:47,503
Yeah, it's a week of people pushing
back on the job in communities
42
00:02:47,833 --> 00:02:48,793
and in the halls of power.
43
00:02:51,669 --> 00:02:53,649
Over on Economics for the People.
44
00:02:53,649 --> 00:02:57,579
The monthly show from Dollars and
Cents Magazine, they dig into the
45
00:02:57,579 --> 00:02:59,739
mushrooming, the mushrooming ice.
46
00:02:59,749 --> 00:03:05,389
Say of data centers across the Midwest,
driven by artificial intelligence and
47
00:03:05,389 --> 00:03:10,789
the huge demands these facilities place
on local water and electricity supplies.
48
00:03:10,789 --> 00:03:17,249
this project is set to be 2.25, um,
million square feet, and it's set to be
49
00:03:17,249 --> 00:03:23,489
on 400, um, acres, and the construction
is set to be up to five years.
50
00:03:23,759 --> 00:03:27,639
And I've been in many of the homes
on Bly Road, and I can already
51
00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:31,929
see and hear the heavy equipment
outside of their living rooms.
52
00:03:32,349 --> 00:03:34,659
And you know, I was thinking
about this like every day I'm
53
00:03:34,659 --> 00:03:38,739
reading about either a data center
popping up in somebody's backyard.
54
00:03:38,859 --> 00:03:40,449
Or a detention facility?
55
00:03:40,449 --> 00:03:41,709
Is this what we've come to?
56
00:03:41,859 --> 00:03:44,589
We gonna be a nation of data
centers and detention centers.
57
00:03:45,069 --> 00:03:46,029
The two Ds,
58
00:03:46,569 --> 00:03:50,919
well, at the moment they're two separate
things, but they may be working to
59
00:03:50,919 --> 00:03:55,359
merge them so that the detention
centers will be the data centers.
60
00:03:55,359 --> 00:03:57,549
Then we're gonna go totally matrix.
61
00:03:57,937 --> 00:03:58,717
Ooh, that's creepy.
62
00:03:58,957 --> 00:04:04,177
And this week on green and red, the
Climate and Politics Podcast activists
63
00:04:04,177 --> 00:04:09,847
take aim at Mondelez the company
behind Oreos, Cadbury, and Toblerone
64
00:04:10,387 --> 00:04:15,277
over ongoing rainforest destruction
and labor abuses in its supply chain.
65
00:04:15,529 --> 00:04:20,269
they're doing business with producers on
the ground in Indonesia and other places
66
00:04:20,269 --> 00:04:24,889
who are responsible for these land grabs,
who are responsible for deforestation,
67
00:04:24,889 --> 00:04:27,229
both legal and illegal deforestation.
68
00:04:27,584 --> 00:04:28,724
I like all about starts
69
00:04:29,007 --> 00:04:31,107
the labor abuses and the.
70
00:04:31,562 --> 00:04:32,612
No, he horse destruction
71
00:04:34,472 --> 00:04:36,897
or Cadbury and Lerone and,
72
00:04:37,202 --> 00:04:37,232
oh,
73
00:04:37,472 --> 00:04:37,832
I know.
74
00:04:37,957 --> 00:04:39,422
I'm with, I'm, I'm with you, Patrick.
75
00:04:39,422 --> 00:04:42,632
I like 'em all too, but, but no,
not the rainforest destruction.
76
00:04:42,632 --> 00:04:43,232
We don't like that.
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00:04:43,232 --> 00:04:43,712
Harold, just for
78
00:04:43,712 --> 00:04:45,242
the record, I love Rainforest too.
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00:04:45,512 --> 00:04:51,532
Meanwhile, on the Solidarity Podcast from
Teamsters Local 7 69 in Miami Business
80
00:04:51,532 --> 00:04:57,342
agent Anti Mattis sounds the alarm about
a new wave of anti-union legislation
81
00:04:57,522 --> 00:05:01,777
moving through the Florida legislature
and why workers need to mobilize now.
82
00:05:02,447 --> 00:05:05,507
they think that they're not smart enough
to figure out what's going on here.
83
00:05:05,807 --> 00:05:09,377
That they got their heads in the
sand, they're apathetic, and that
84
00:05:09,377 --> 00:05:11,867
eventually they're gonna give up
and they're gonna lose their unions.
85
00:05:11,867 --> 00:05:13,097
And that's just not gonna happen.
86
00:05:13,127 --> 00:05:14,357
'cause we're gonna fight like hell.
87
00:05:14,762 --> 00:05:20,462
on hothouse with Richie Ray, the show
for letter carriers, Richie Tackles
88
00:05:20,462 --> 00:05:26,942
workplace conflict Breaking down Common
EEO issues, what not to do when disputes
89
00:05:26,942 --> 00:05:32,522
flare up and practical ways carriers
can protect themselves on the job.
90
00:05:32,792 --> 00:05:35,882
And we are not talking
about the problem with dogs.
91
00:05:36,157 --> 00:05:38,977
I know carrier versus carrier
is very uncomfortable.
92
00:05:39,406 --> 00:05:40,876
It's uncomfortable for the union.
93
00:05:41,086 --> 00:05:43,696
It's uncomfortable for the, the carriers.
94
00:05:44,026 --> 00:05:48,046
It's uncomfortable for everybody, but
the bottom line is if it's happening,
95
00:05:48,196 --> 00:05:51,856
we have to hold the management
accountable by addressing the issue.
96
00:05:52,186 --> 00:05:57,046
then from We Rise fighting, Olivia
Najera of the Union of Southern
97
00:05:57,046 --> 00:06:01,966
Service Workers talks about organizing
service workers in North Carolina and
98
00:06:01,966 --> 00:06:03,976
building worker power across the south.
99
00:06:04,999 --> 00:06:07,549
people had opinions like, what's going
on out there and what are they doing?
100
00:06:07,549 --> 00:06:11,299
And oh my God, like they don't, they
already get enough, you know, and they
101
00:06:11,299 --> 00:06:12,589
didn't, they shouldn't be complaining.
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00:06:12,589 --> 00:06:14,629
And it was on Christmas
Eve, so everybody was like.
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Oh my gosh.
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00:06:15,769 --> 00:06:19,729
They have to ruin Christmas
by being all, you know, doing
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00:06:19,729 --> 00:06:21,259
this strike and all this stuff.
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00:06:25,439 --> 00:06:28,409
Hey, this is Simon Zapper
from the Union Jews Podcast.
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00:06:28,679 --> 00:06:31,889
We're proud to be part of the Labor
Radio Podcast network with more than
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00:06:31,919 --> 00:06:36,929
200 Labor radio shows and podcasts from
across the USA and around the world.
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The Labor Radio Podcast Network.
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00:06:39,419 --> 00:06:40,919
We're working people speak.
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00:06:41,309 --> 00:06:43,414
Find us@laborradionetwork.org.
112
00:06:43,930 --> 00:06:45,640
on economics for the people.
113
00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:50,710
The growth of artificial intelligence
is fueling a boom in data centers
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00:06:50,710 --> 00:06:55,060
across the Midwest facilities
that require enormous amounts of
115
00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,540
electricity and water activists.
116
00:06:58,540 --> 00:07:04,240
Katie Curid and Rachel Gonzalez talk
about the impacts on local communities.
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00:07:04,544 --> 00:07:08,744
Hello everyone in our show today, we
really wanna talk about data centers.
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00:07:09,284 --> 00:07:14,294
The independent city council is weighing
billions in tax breaks for a Dutch
119
00:07:14,324 --> 00:07:18,464
AI company that wants to build a data
center in Independence, Missouri.
120
00:07:18,884 --> 00:07:22,424
Now, residents who live near
the project have voiced a number
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00:07:22,424 --> 00:07:24,434
of concerns about the project.
122
00:07:24,524 --> 00:07:29,384
Neas bought the 400 acre site
and they bought this in December
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00:07:29,744 --> 00:07:32,144
in a Fed 10th meeting at St.
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00:07:32,144 --> 00:07:36,074
Mark's United Methodist Church
in Eastern Independence.
125
00:07:36,344 --> 00:07:40,904
More than 200 people packed the
room to stop the data center and
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00:07:40,904 --> 00:07:42,794
get some answers from city leaders.
127
00:07:43,424 --> 00:07:46,634
So as much as this is about independent
city, we also know that there are
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00:07:46,634 --> 00:07:51,884
data centers mushrooming all over
the US and particularly the Midwest.
129
00:07:52,214 --> 00:07:56,474
So to have a conversation to help
us understand what is happening in
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00:07:56,474 --> 00:07:59,684
Kansas City and greater Kansas City,
but what is happening in the Midwest.
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00:07:59,834 --> 00:08:03,044
We have three fantastic guests,
and I'm gonna ask Taki to
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00:08:03,044 --> 00:08:04,634
introduce our guests for us.
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00:08:05,294 --> 00:08:05,864
Absolutely.
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00:08:05,864 --> 00:08:08,864
I would like to welcome our
guest to Economics for the people
135
00:08:08,954 --> 00:08:10,544
we have Katie Curry with us.
136
00:08:10,544 --> 00:08:15,824
Katie is a Kansas City based freelance
photojournalist who has been reporting
137
00:08:15,824 --> 00:08:20,084
about data centers with the Kansas
City Data Center Watchdog Group.
138
00:08:20,534 --> 00:08:22,154
We have Rachel Gonzales.
139
00:08:22,454 --> 00:08:27,074
Rachel is an independence based activist
who is one of the leaders of the stop,
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00:08:27,074 --> 00:08:32,279
the AI Data Center and Independence Group,
and we also have Professor Maita dta.
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00:08:33,074 --> 00:08:37,094
She's a associate professor of
geography at Ohio State University.
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00:08:37,394 --> 00:08:41,984
She researches on labor and economy
and is currently researching on high
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00:08:41,984 --> 00:08:44,654
tech workforce development in Ohio.
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00:08:44,864 --> 00:08:45,824
Welcome to the show.
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00:08:46,554 --> 00:08:50,814
Katie, you have been keenly following
the construction of data centers
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00:08:50,814 --> 00:08:53,064
in the greater Kansas City area.
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00:08:53,484 --> 00:08:57,534
So could you tell us a little bit about
other data centers under construction
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00:08:57,534 --> 00:09:02,184
in the KC metro area and the ones that
you've been following, the ones that you
149
00:09:02,184 --> 00:09:03,714
think we should be paying attention to?
150
00:09:05,079 --> 00:09:05,799
Yeah, sure.
151
00:09:05,859 --> 00:09:08,649
So data centers are
not new to Kansas City.
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00:09:09,369 --> 00:09:13,929
They, uh, they, there're about 30 existing
data centers around the Kansas City area.
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00:09:13,929 --> 00:09:17,289
Um, typically they can, you know, a
data center can range from a room in
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00:09:17,289 --> 00:09:21,489
a hospital where, where storage, um,
where they store medical files to,
155
00:09:21,669 --> 00:09:24,699
you know, like even just a, a small.
156
00:09:25,024 --> 00:09:28,654
200 square foot, 400 square
foot building downtown.
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00:09:28,954 --> 00:09:32,644
Um, we have Edge, which is a,
a data center over by Rules
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00:09:32,644 --> 00:09:34,594
of Fun, um, very small scale.
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00:09:34,594 --> 00:09:36,394
It's like 26 megawatts.
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00:09:36,484 --> 00:09:40,024
And then we have patmos, which
is a slightly larger data center.
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00:09:40,294 --> 00:09:43,714
Um, it operates around 100
megawatts of power and it's in the
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00:09:43,714 --> 00:09:45,454
former Kansas City Star Building.
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00:09:45,844 --> 00:09:49,084
Um, but the new data centers that
are coming online in Kansas City,
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00:09:49,144 --> 00:09:51,754
um, there's quite a few of them.
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00:09:51,874 --> 00:09:55,684
And they're, they're much larger
because they're for AI computing,
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00:09:55,684 --> 00:10:00,454
not just, you know, you know, for
streaming Netflix or for social media
167
00:10:00,454 --> 00:10:04,414
or for storing, um, for data and
sending emails and things like that.
168
00:10:04,414 --> 00:10:09,754
So these are AI data centers and you know,
that distinction needs to be made because.
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00:10:10,299 --> 00:10:14,889
The, the power that AI needs is
much more than like what we have
170
00:10:14,889 --> 00:10:16,149
seen in data centers in the past.
171
00:10:16,149 --> 00:10:21,969
So, um, most of the data centers coming
online in Kansas City, um, in addition
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00:10:21,969 --> 00:10:25,479
to the Independence one or in the Kansas
City's Northland, Northland has a lot
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00:10:25,479 --> 00:10:27,399
more farmland and a lot more space.
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00:10:27,399 --> 00:10:29,094
And these data centers are very large.
175
00:10:29,094 --> 00:10:31,449
The Independence one, like
Rachel said, is 400 acres.
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00:10:31,839 --> 00:10:35,139
Um, and most of these projects
are around the same size and
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00:10:35,139 --> 00:10:37,899
how much, um, area they take up.
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00:10:38,139 --> 00:10:41,919
So, uh, the one that just came
online this year, this is probably
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00:10:41,919 --> 00:10:44,499
Kansas City's first AI data center.
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00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:46,719
Um, it was the Meta
Golden Plains data center.
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00:10:46,719 --> 00:10:48,009
So it's right near Smithville.
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00:10:48,009 --> 00:10:50,079
It's off of 4 35 and 1 69.
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00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,849
Um, and that one is operating,
but it's not completely finished.
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00:10:54,849 --> 00:10:58,719
I think they'll have five buildings at the
end of their build out, and I think three
185
00:10:58,719 --> 00:11:00,579
of them are operational at this point.
186
00:11:00,939 --> 00:11:03,789
Um, and it's around 750 megawatts.
187
00:11:03,789 --> 00:11:07,569
So this is like seven times the
power that Patmos downtown is using.
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00:11:08,044 --> 00:11:12,424
Um, in addition to that, right across
the street, um, there's Project Mica,
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00:11:12,664 --> 00:11:14,704
which, um, it's been called Project Mica.
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00:11:14,704 --> 00:11:17,254
'cause a lot of times these data
centers have like secret names.
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00:11:17,524 --> 00:11:21,904
Um, but it's a Google data center and
it's being built across the street
192
00:11:21,904 --> 00:11:26,434
from the metadata center also at 4,
3 5, and 1 69, right on basically the
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00:11:26,434 --> 00:11:28,114
line of Smithville and Kansas City.
194
00:11:28,624 --> 00:11:33,124
Um, in addition to that, um, there's a,
another smaller data center called Lambda
195
00:11:33,124 --> 00:11:35,014
that's coming, um, near the airport.
196
00:11:35,014 --> 00:11:38,824
They're gonna be built in an
existing warehouse and then another
197
00:11:38,824 --> 00:11:41,884
project called, and Lambda is
the company that'll be behind it.
198
00:11:41,944 --> 00:11:46,354
Um, and then Project Kestrel is another
very, very large data center that's going
199
00:11:46,354 --> 00:11:48,154
to be built by Kansas City's Airport.
200
00:11:48,184 --> 00:11:52,324
Um, you know, KCI airport,
um, about 800 megawatts.
201
00:11:52,354 --> 00:11:53,764
It's a Port KC project.
202
00:11:53,764 --> 00:11:55,804
They're getting a lot of tax breaks
for that one, and we don't know
203
00:11:55,804 --> 00:11:57,334
the tech company behind that one.
204
00:11:57,754 --> 00:12:01,504
Um, in addition to all of those,
there's also a Google data center over
205
00:12:01,504 --> 00:12:03,214
at World, like over by world of fun.
206
00:12:03,894 --> 00:12:07,344
They'll have two, um, two
different campuses for their
207
00:12:07,344 --> 00:12:08,454
data centers in Kansas City.
208
00:12:08,484 --> 00:12:13,224
And then there's one called Red Wolf,
and it's actually in KCK near the Legends
209
00:12:13,224 --> 00:12:15,234
area area off of Parallel Parkway.
210
00:12:15,294 --> 00:12:18,984
Um, and it's actually blocked right now
because it's in the middle of a lawsuit.
211
00:12:19,134 --> 00:12:22,704
So I think that covers all of the
large AI data center projects that
212
00:12:22,704 --> 00:12:25,074
are going on in Kansas City, but
they keep popping up like every day.
213
00:12:25,074 --> 00:12:25,854
So who knows.
214
00:12:26,194 --> 00:12:30,154
What are the big concerns in
Independence, Missouri, where there's
215
00:12:30,154 --> 00:12:33,934
a proposed data center that will, is
to be constructed a really large one.
216
00:12:34,954 --> 00:12:38,224
Yeah, so some of the biggest
concerns that we have it are
217
00:12:38,224 --> 00:12:40,264
the, the scale of the project.
218
00:12:40,294 --> 00:12:46,954
Um, we know that this project is set
to be 2.25, um, million square feet,
219
00:12:47,254 --> 00:12:49,024
which to put that in perspective.
220
00:12:49,304 --> 00:12:53,804
That is almost twice the
size of Arrowhead Stadium.
221
00:12:54,374 --> 00:12:59,504
Um, and it's set to be on 400,
um, acres, and the construction
222
00:12:59,504 --> 00:13:01,664
is set to be up to five years.
223
00:13:01,934 --> 00:13:06,314
And I've been in many of the homes on Bly
Road, which are just right up the street
224
00:13:06,314 --> 00:13:08,204
from where this data center is set to go.
225
00:13:08,264 --> 00:13:13,634
And I can already see and hear the heavy
equipment outside of their living rooms.
226
00:13:14,054 --> 00:13:17,714
And so, uh, one of our
concerns is property values.
227
00:13:17,744 --> 00:13:23,054
Um, we have been told countless times from
council members that they really don't
228
00:13:23,054 --> 00:13:28,004
believe that this project will raise, uh,
will, will lower people's property values.
229
00:13:28,334 --> 00:13:33,224
But we have several, uh, people in
our group that are realtors that
230
00:13:33,224 --> 00:13:36,254
are like, absolutely, it's going
to lower your property values
231
00:13:36,254 --> 00:13:37,574
whenever you have a project.
232
00:13:37,574 --> 00:13:41,209
This massive, um, this
utility centered in.
233
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Essentially in these people's front
yards and the city is not taking into
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consideration, um, all of the people
that are going to be directly impacted.
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And, um, there are other concerns too.
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The sound, the noise that's
gonna come from the data center,
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the light, the pollution.
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Uh, we've been asking more specifics
about what chemicals will be
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used in the water and we haven't
gotten those questions back.
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00:14:06,144 --> 00:14:08,754
And so we're pushing and
pushing to get answers.
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And so far, uh, we have been.
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00:14:12,109 --> 00:14:15,979
Really disappointed in the ones that
we, we've received and the city is set
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00:14:15,979 --> 00:14:21,679
to vote on March 2nd, you know, just a
little over a week from today on a 20
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00:14:21,679 --> 00:14:24,529
year tax abatement for this project.
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00:14:24,769 --> 00:14:28,939
Um, and we really don't believe
that we should be giving a 20 year,
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00:14:28,999 --> 00:14:34,279
90% tax abatement to a company
that we don't have answers from.
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00:14:34,669 --> 00:14:37,639
And they've been telling us lots
of things, like it won't raise
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our utility bills, that they
have safeguards in those things.
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00:14:40,279 --> 00:14:46,219
But, uh, the City of Independence has
a history of making promises as such,
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00:14:46,519 --> 00:14:51,979
and we have seen over and over again
that those promises have not been true.
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So we're holding our breath and doing
the best we can to stop this data center
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project and protect our neighbors.
253
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Katie.
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00:15:00,649 --> 00:15:03,559
Rachel, thank you so much.
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I really do hope that we can collectively
bring about more democracy and more
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economic development for the people,
and so thank you again for joining us.
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Thank you.
258
00:15:13,414 --> 00:15:14,134
Yeah, thank you so much.
259
00:15:14,704 --> 00:15:15,534
Thank you very much.
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Every time you use chat, GPT,
you're depriving a little
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girl of a glass of water.
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Not that I'm looking at
anybody in particular.
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I don't know what he's talking about.
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On the green and red podcast.
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00:15:44,244 --> 00:15:50,004
Mondelez International, the company behind
Oreos, Cadbury, and Toblerone promotes
266
00:15:50,004 --> 00:15:52,074
itself as a sustainability leader.
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00:15:53,034 --> 00:15:56,724
Critics say its supply chains
continue to contribute to tropical
268
00:15:56,724 --> 00:15:59,934
deforestation and human rights abuses.
269
00:16:00,444 --> 00:16:04,794
Host Scott Parin talks with forest
campaigner Maggie Martin, about
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00:16:04,794 --> 00:16:09,144
the campaign targeting Mondelez
and Oreo to protect rainforests.
271
00:16:10,734 --> 00:16:12,174
Welcome to Green and Dread.
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00:16:12,684 --> 00:16:14,604
Scrappy Politics are Scrappy People.
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00:16:15,504 --> 00:16:19,854
A regular podcast on radical environmental
and anti-capitalist politics.
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Brought by Bob Zako and Scott Parkin.
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Welcome to the Silky Smooth Sounds
of the Green and Red podcast.
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I'm your co-host Scott Parkin
in Berkeley, California.
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00:16:32,724 --> 00:16:34,974
Bob is off on assignment today.
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00:16:35,619 --> 00:16:37,269
And that's okay.
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00:16:37,329 --> 00:16:39,759
'cause we're gonna be talking a
little bit about what's a little
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00:16:39,759 --> 00:16:43,929
bit more in my wheelhouse than his,
which is we're gonna be talking about
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environmental issues and rainforests.
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00:16:46,659 --> 00:16:53,169
And joining me for that today is Maggie
Martin, who is a Forest Campaign manager
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00:16:53,169 --> 00:16:54,789
at the Rainforest Action Network.
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00:16:55,539 --> 00:16:57,789
Maggie, welcome to the
Green and Red Podcast.
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00:16:57,834 --> 00:16:57,984
Erica,
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00:16:59,634 --> 00:17:01,044
thank you for having me on.
287
00:17:01,044 --> 00:17:02,964
I can't believe we all
have talked already.
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00:17:03,114 --> 00:17:05,964
I know there's many other things we
could talk about that we should, and
289
00:17:05,964 --> 00:17:07,764
probably stuff we could invite Bob to.
290
00:17:07,854 --> 00:17:11,274
I know I'll have to come back
again soon after this rapid round.
291
00:17:11,664 --> 00:17:12,744
Yeah, yeah, totally.
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00:17:13,164 --> 00:17:20,364
We're gonna be talking about Rainforest
Action Networks campaign that is focused
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00:17:20,634 --> 00:17:26,154
on Oreos, and we're gonna get into
that March 6th, which is this Friday.
294
00:17:26,574 --> 00:17:29,814
Is a day of action to stop Oreo.
295
00:17:30,204 --> 00:17:33,804
So maybe we could start off with,
what's the problem with Oreos?
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00:17:35,814 --> 00:17:36,144
Okay.
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00:17:36,234 --> 00:17:37,584
Oreos are delicious.
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00:17:37,584 --> 00:17:42,144
We can all admit that, I think, and
so I understand why people want to
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00:17:42,144 --> 00:17:47,424
eat them and we actually don't have to
stop eating them, but we can do some
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00:17:47,424 --> 00:17:53,304
extra work to make them more just so
the problem is there's deforestation
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00:17:53,304 --> 00:17:55,344
and rights abuses, land grabs.
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00:17:55,779 --> 00:18:01,449
Tied to commodity expansion in
places like Indonesia, as well
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00:18:01,449 --> 00:18:03,189
as other places around the world.
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00:18:03,249 --> 00:18:06,879
And the maker of Oreo is Mondelez
International, and they're doing
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00:18:06,879 --> 00:18:11,409
business with producers on the ground
in Indonesia and other places who are
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00:18:11,409 --> 00:18:15,789
responsible for these land grabs, who
are responsible for deforestation,
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00:18:15,789 --> 00:18:18,129
both legal and illegal deforestation.
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00:18:18,954 --> 00:18:23,244
In violation to their commitments that
they've made for no deforestation, no
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00:18:23,244 --> 00:18:25,914
peatland development, no exploitation.
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00:18:26,484 --> 00:18:32,274
And Rand has been ranking and grading
some of the biggest consumer goods brands
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00:18:32,754 --> 00:18:38,004
globally for a few years now on how
they're doing on their sustainability
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00:18:38,004 --> 00:18:40,434
commitments and human rights commitments.
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00:18:40,914 --> 00:18:44,604
And Mondelez is the worst of
the worst, and we're going after
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00:18:44,604 --> 00:18:46,494
their kind of flagship brand.
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00:18:46,494 --> 00:18:46,944
Oreo.
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00:18:47,664 --> 00:18:52,224
To really try to push them to the
table to change their policies
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00:18:52,224 --> 00:18:56,634
and stop doing business with the
companies that are participating in
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00:18:56,634 --> 00:18:58,704
these attacks and destroying forest.
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00:18:59,394 --> 00:19:01,854
And so when we're talking about
Oreo, we're talking about how
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00:19:01,854 --> 00:19:04,254
they have palm oil in them.
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00:19:04,254 --> 00:19:08,574
And if you look at the packaging,
it says palm oil on the packaging.
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00:19:08,574 --> 00:19:11,484
Or at least it used to, but that
didn't like lots of things, right.
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00:19:12,699 --> 00:19:13,389
Absolutely.
324
00:19:13,389 --> 00:19:16,419
It's in the Chips Ahoy
cookies that they make.
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00:19:16,419 --> 00:19:22,479
Also rich crackers, um, sour
patch kids, and a lot of goodies.
326
00:19:22,479 --> 00:19:25,209
And it's really not the
issue with palm oil itself.
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00:19:25,209 --> 00:19:29,169
And there's other commodities as
well, cocoa sugar, those are also
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00:19:29,169 --> 00:19:33,759
forest risk commodities, but it's
really how the production is happening
329
00:19:33,819 --> 00:19:38,499
and if there's allowances for
exploitation within that supply chain.
330
00:19:39,414 --> 00:19:42,834
And when we're talking about exploitation,
what exactly are we talking about?
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00:19:44,244 --> 00:19:49,674
It could be a number of things from child
labor to other kinds of labor abuses, but
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00:19:49,674 --> 00:19:56,244
we're, we're really honing in on is land
rights free prior and informed consent.
333
00:19:56,544 --> 00:20:00,864
Community land rights, especially
indigenous communities.
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00:20:01,104 --> 00:20:05,484
And we know that one of the best
protections for forest and for
335
00:20:05,484 --> 00:20:08,064
land is the forest offenders.
336
00:20:08,064 --> 00:20:08,184
The.
337
00:20:08,904 --> 00:20:12,564
Local and indigenous communities
that protect that land.
338
00:20:12,569 --> 00:20:17,514
And, and so one of our key strategies
is pushing these companies to adopt
339
00:20:17,514 --> 00:20:22,704
human rights defender policies where
they have zero tolerance for violence,
340
00:20:22,704 --> 00:20:28,014
intimidation, criminalization of
these people in these communities that
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00:20:28,014 --> 00:20:32,214
are standing up against development
of their lands without consent.
342
00:20:33,159 --> 00:20:37,479
And when we're talking about deforestation
tr like in rainforest deforestation
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or tropical deforestation, what is the
impact of less rainforest in the world?
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00:20:45,579 --> 00:20:50,559
It really impacts the weather,
the climate, the ability of the
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00:20:50,559 --> 00:20:55,989
land to absorb the water and the
weather events that are happening.
346
00:20:55,989 --> 00:20:58,239
And very recently there was catastrophic.
347
00:20:58,914 --> 00:21:04,524
Flooding in Southeast Asia, including
in Indonesia, where many communities
348
00:21:04,524 --> 00:21:09,894
were decimated by flooding,
landslides, and all of these logs
349
00:21:09,894 --> 00:21:15,084
that were part of the logging and
the plantation system and Sumatra,
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00:21:15,474 --> 00:21:18,144
that really devastated the landscape.
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00:21:18,144 --> 00:21:21,924
And I think they're gonna have
years of coming back from that.
352
00:21:21,924 --> 00:21:25,104
And even the government
and industry have been.
353
00:21:25,524 --> 00:21:28,884
Talking about the impacts
of their development there.
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00:21:28,914 --> 00:21:33,324
Whether they're willing to do what
it takes to move without a lot of
355
00:21:33,324 --> 00:21:39,114
pressure, probably not, but they're
at least coming to, to realize that
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00:21:39,594 --> 00:21:41,394
these things are really interconnected.
357
00:21:41,394 --> 00:21:46,464
And so it's about these local communities
and their fight for their land, but it's
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00:21:46,464 --> 00:21:49,584
also about all of us in a livable climate.
359
00:21:50,094 --> 00:21:51,714
There's, it seems like with the.
360
00:21:52,134 --> 00:21:54,804
Cutting down of rainforest, we're
seeing a lot of carbon released,
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00:21:54,804 --> 00:21:56,964
which is a big problem for the cliff.
362
00:21:56,964 --> 00:21:57,054
Yeah,
363
00:21:57,594 --> 00:21:58,194
absolutely.
364
00:21:58,674 --> 00:22:02,664
And so with the demand to Mondelez,
which is the parrot company of Oreo
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00:22:02,664 --> 00:22:07,314
and many other snack brands, what
has been your Rans Rainforest Action
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00:22:07,314 --> 00:22:09,474
network's, explicit demand to them.
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00:22:10,899 --> 00:22:15,189
So the scorecard that we have, our
Key Four standing scorecard ranks
368
00:22:15,189 --> 00:22:17,769
'em on about 10 different elements.
369
00:22:17,769 --> 00:22:22,929
But what our priority has been is this
human rights defender policy and making a
370
00:22:22,929 --> 00:22:29,769
commitment to zero tolerance and to doing
the work to engage the producers that
371
00:22:29,769 --> 00:22:31,899
are involved in those landscapes because.
372
00:22:32,259 --> 00:22:36,789
Really, we don't even ask them to
just cut off that relationship because
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00:22:36,939 --> 00:22:42,249
the ability to impact it has to do
with those working relationships.
374
00:22:42,249 --> 00:22:48,459
And so we really ask them to use their
influence to push the suppliers to
375
00:22:49,179 --> 00:22:55,209
make remedy, to commit to zero talents
themselves and to set up the protections
376
00:22:55,209 --> 00:22:57,339
that are necessary before development.
377
00:22:58,929 --> 00:23:01,449
And how has the company been responding?
378
00:23:03,354 --> 00:23:08,634
Mona Lisa is really, we were having some
good meetings and we thought things were
379
00:23:08,634 --> 00:23:13,434
moving forward, but when it came time
to deliver, they just really did not.
380
00:23:13,914 --> 00:23:17,934
Um, and it gets a little awkward
when we're campaigning on the
381
00:23:17,934 --> 00:23:21,804
company, when they become the
face of our public campaign.
382
00:23:21,924 --> 00:23:23,029
Our number one target.
383
00:23:24,009 --> 00:23:27,399
We really hope to continue
to have those conversations.
384
00:23:27,399 --> 00:23:31,959
We hope that they continue to keep
their commitments to advancing human
385
00:23:31,959 --> 00:23:36,999
rights, defender policy and procedures
and their sustainability commitments.
386
00:23:37,419 --> 00:23:42,279
But we don't think that they're gonna do
that without feeling pressure from us.
387
00:23:42,279 --> 00:23:47,409
And unfortunately, with so much going
on in the world, uh, sustainability
388
00:23:47,409 --> 00:23:51,784
has taken a backseat to some of the
more immediate life and death needs.
389
00:23:52,494 --> 00:23:57,204
Of folks losing healthcare,
facing deportation, crisis,
390
00:23:57,744 --> 00:23:59,604
and then affordability.
391
00:23:59,604 --> 00:24:00,474
All of these things.
392
00:24:00,474 --> 00:24:00,564
War.
393
00:24:01,494 --> 00:24:02,784
Yeah, exactly.
394
00:24:03,564 --> 00:24:03,864
Yeah.
395
00:24:03,864 --> 00:24:05,634
So it's so much going on.
396
00:24:06,084 --> 00:24:08,694
But these issues are really important too.
397
00:24:08,694 --> 00:24:13,854
Like they can't wait for the end of war
and fascism, like we have to continue
398
00:24:13,854 --> 00:24:15,354
to push in the ways that we can.
399
00:24:16,254 --> 00:24:21,294
Even small amounts of action together with
folks collectively can make a difference.
400
00:24:21,294 --> 00:24:27,234
These folks don't wanna be associated
with land grabs and with violating
401
00:24:27,264 --> 00:24:28,914
indigenous people's rights.
402
00:24:28,914 --> 00:24:33,954
And so when we raise our voices together
about that and start drawing those
403
00:24:33,954 --> 00:24:35,874
connections, then they wanna move
404
00:24:36,894 --> 00:24:41,094
And spray four Section Network
is known for inside, outside,
405
00:24:41,844 --> 00:24:43,434
anti-corporate strategies.
406
00:24:44,139 --> 00:24:48,429
What has been the sort of more recent
outside strategies against Mondelez?
407
00:24:48,429 --> 00:24:50,769
Sonora recent in the last few months?
408
00:24:51,399 --> 00:24:51,789
Yeah.
409
00:24:51,789 --> 00:24:54,459
We've really been deadly escalating.
410
00:24:54,459 --> 00:24:59,889
We started with a mobile billboard
outside of one of the events where their
411
00:24:59,889 --> 00:25:05,589
CEO Dirk Vanderbilt was speaking back in
September, and then over the Christmas
412
00:25:05,589 --> 00:25:11,589
holiday, during the very busy shopping
season, we had a team go to this giant.
413
00:25:12,594 --> 00:25:19,044
American Dream Mall in Jersey where there
was a Oreo cafe and they had a very cool,
414
00:25:19,104 --> 00:25:25,194
fun, funny, creative action there where
they unfurled some giant banners, um,
415
00:25:25,194 --> 00:25:27,414
that covered three floors of the mall.
416
00:25:27,414 --> 00:25:30,204
And then they had some curlers
singing about our message.
417
00:25:30,204 --> 00:25:31,404
So that was really sweet.
418
00:25:31,884 --> 00:25:34,854
And then just very
recently, we had a team.
419
00:25:35,229 --> 00:25:40,569
That was at the Consumer Analysis Group
of New York, the Cagney Conference
420
00:25:40,659 --> 00:25:46,899
down in Orlando, Florida, where a
lot of industry leaders and investors
421
00:25:46,899 --> 00:25:51,909
come together to like hobnob and
sell their investment strategies.
422
00:25:52,329 --> 00:25:57,549
And so we had a team there that
disrupted the CEO, not once but
423
00:25:57,549 --> 00:26:00,369
twice during his speak speech there.
424
00:26:00,369 --> 00:26:00,759
So.
425
00:26:01,149 --> 00:26:06,609
All this is leading up to what we're
calling International Stop Oreo Day.
426
00:26:07,059 --> 00:26:09,849
Um, it's national Oreo Day for them.
427
00:26:09,849 --> 00:26:14,709
It's the, I think the day the
first Oreo was sold or something
428
00:26:14,709 --> 00:26:16,539
like that, which fun fact.
429
00:26:16,539 --> 00:26:22,899
Oreo copied an older cookie Hydrox,
which doesn't have as catchy of a name.
430
00:26:22,899 --> 00:26:27,759
But yeah, Oreo Day is just basically
this feel good marketing holiday where.
431
00:26:28,779 --> 00:26:32,949
Various news outlets are gonna
be used it as a reason to do
432
00:26:32,949 --> 00:26:35,049
little puff pieces about Oreo.
433
00:26:35,469 --> 00:26:37,749
And they'll have a lot of
posts with their hashtag.
434
00:26:37,749 --> 00:26:42,429
And so we're asking people to use
our toolkit or make their own little
435
00:26:42,429 --> 00:26:48,519
sign and do a photo op in front of
Oreo displays at your local store.
436
00:26:48,879 --> 00:26:52,539
And we're also delivering
letters to retailers to get them
437
00:26:52,539 --> 00:26:54,889
to raise these issues to the.
438
00:26:55,494 --> 00:26:59,724
Distributors that they get their Oreos
and other Mondelez products from.
439
00:27:00,234 --> 00:27:02,964
It's a day, my understanding is this
day where there's a lot of Oreo Enthusia
440
00:27:03,894 --> 00:27:07,734
enthusiasts come out of the woodwork
to have Oreo picnics and parties
441
00:27:07,734 --> 00:27:07,974
and things.
442
00:27:08,274 --> 00:27:11,964
Yeah, there's like a Oreo
bike ride in San Francisco.
443
00:27:11,964 --> 00:27:12,804
I was like, what?
444
00:27:12,804 --> 00:27:13,794
Who's doing that?
445
00:27:14,964 --> 00:27:15,774
Oreo enthusiasts.
446
00:27:15,774 --> 00:27:16,614
What fuck comes, can I say?
447
00:27:16,704 --> 00:27:17,179
There you go.
448
00:27:17,179 --> 00:27:21,204
Learned a lot more about the
history of consumer cookies
449
00:27:21,324 --> 00:27:22,584
on the Green and Red podcast.
450
00:27:22,929 --> 00:27:28,659
If folks wanna find out about Stop Oreo
Day, which is gonna be on the same day as
451
00:27:28,659 --> 00:27:30,549
National Oreo day, where should they go?
452
00:27:31,479 --> 00:27:36,489
They should probably go to Rainforest
Action Network, social Media, Instagram,
453
00:27:36,489 --> 00:27:39,759
if you have it, Facebook, if you
have it, um, you should be able to
454
00:27:39,759 --> 00:27:41,109
find everything you need right there.
455
00:27:41,109 --> 00:27:41,499
Yeah.
456
00:27:41,889 --> 00:27:42,279
Yeah.
457
00:27:43,749 --> 00:27:48,249
It has been good talking with you
and looking forward to see what
458
00:27:48,249 --> 00:27:50,649
the Oreo Day of action looks like.
459
00:27:51,159 --> 00:27:53,259
And yeah.
460
00:27:53,919 --> 00:27:57,129
And folks who are listening, please,
if you like the Green and Red
461
00:27:57,129 --> 00:27:59,469
podcast and like what you're hearing,
please check us out on Facebook,
462
00:27:59,469 --> 00:28:00,969
Instagram, Twitter, blue Sky.
463
00:28:01,269 --> 00:28:03,819
If you're watching this on
YouTube, hit that subscribe button.
464
00:28:04,129 --> 00:28:04,765
Thanks, pat.
465
00:28:04,825 --> 00:28:05,035
Yep.
466
00:28:05,035 --> 00:28:07,495
Everybody else out there make
trouble and misbehave and
467
00:28:07,495 --> 00:28:08,815
we'll talk to you again soon.
468
00:28:37,612 --> 00:28:42,112
Hey, this is Gene Lance from Dallas,
Texas where we have the workers'
469
00:28:42,112 --> 00:28:44,332
beat and the workers' beat extra.
470
00:28:44,572 --> 00:28:48,592
I'm proud to be part of the
Labor Radio Podcast network.
471
00:28:48,862 --> 00:28:54,022
More than 200 Labor Radio and
podcast shows across the country
472
00:28:54,232 --> 00:28:56,482
and around the world Old.
473
00:28:56,935 --> 00:29:02,455
On the Solidarity Podcast from Teamsters
Local 7 69 in Miami business agent
474
00:29:02,455 --> 00:29:08,065
Andy Madis sounds the alarm about new
anti-union attacks coming outta the
475
00:29:08,065 --> 00:29:13,165
Florida legislature in Tallahassee, he
explains what the proposed laws could mean
476
00:29:13,165 --> 00:29:17,875
for working families and why union members
need to organize and fight back right now.
477
00:29:18,374 --> 00:29:22,664
You know, we don't hear much from
this particular show, uh, but every
478
00:29:22,664 --> 00:29:28,004
time they release an episode, it's
really up to the minute about what's
479
00:29:28,004 --> 00:29:29,384
going on down there in Florida.
480
00:29:29,384 --> 00:29:31,004
It's worth ev everybody listening to
481
00:29:31,634 --> 00:29:33,164
this is a short episode.
482
00:29:33,164 --> 00:29:35,984
I mean, it's 15 minutes,
but it is all on point.
483
00:29:36,044 --> 00:29:37,394
This is what you need to know.
484
00:29:37,484 --> 00:29:38,594
This is what's happening.
485
00:29:38,654 --> 00:29:40,124
This is what you need to do about it,
486
00:29:40,286 --> 00:29:42,596
and it's not just happening in Florida.
487
00:29:43,106 --> 00:29:47,126
They talk about stuff that you should be
watching out for in your own communities.
488
00:30:02,548 --> 00:30:03,928
Hello, brothers and sisters.
489
00:30:04,168 --> 00:30:07,883
This is the Solidarity Podcast
from Teamsters Local 7 6 9.
490
00:30:08,583 --> 00:30:11,003
I'm Brian Bes, but everybody calls me Bez.
491
00:30:11,968 --> 00:30:14,938
On today's episode, we're gonna
get right into what's going
492
00:30:14,938 --> 00:30:18,688
on lately in Tallahassee, and
it's pretty serious there.
493
00:30:18,688 --> 00:30:22,708
So we've been joined by Andy Mattis
who's gonna give us the breakdown on,
494
00:30:22,768 --> 00:30:26,368
on legislation that we're currently
facing and what it's all about.
495
00:30:26,773 --> 00:30:27,373
So,
496
00:30:27,373 --> 00:30:31,153
um, yeah, well thanks for, uh, having
me on and, um, this is probably
497
00:30:31,153 --> 00:30:34,333
one of the more important podcasts
that I've probably done in the last
498
00:30:34,393 --> 00:30:37,933
four years with you, considering
what's happening now in Tallahassee.
499
00:30:38,113 --> 00:30:39,673
So I'm just gonna jump right into it.
500
00:30:39,943 --> 00:30:44,713
As everybody recalls, a couple years
back in 2023, they passed the bill
501
00:30:44,713 --> 00:30:46,453
and what you needed 60% membership.
502
00:30:46,783 --> 00:30:46,873
Yeah.
503
00:30:46,873 --> 00:30:49,543
Or you had to have run
elections every year.
504
00:30:49,663 --> 00:30:49,933
Yeah.
505
00:30:50,058 --> 00:30:50,818
SB 2 56.
506
00:30:50,823 --> 00:30:55,603
SB 2 56, and we were no longer allowed
to deduct dues outta people's paychecks.
507
00:30:55,693 --> 00:30:55,813
Mm-hmm.
508
00:30:56,293 --> 00:31:01,573
So now they've looked at the data
from three years ago until now as
509
00:31:01,573 --> 00:31:02,833
far as how these elections have gone.
510
00:31:02,833 --> 00:31:05,473
And they've seen that they're not
wiping out the unions like they
511
00:31:05,473 --> 00:31:07,393
intended to do with the original bill.
512
00:31:07,483 --> 00:31:09,013
So now they're gonna go a step further.
513
00:31:09,253 --> 00:31:13,003
So there's House Bill 9
95 and Senate Bill 1296.
514
00:31:13,003 --> 00:31:14,683
Both pretty much are the same bills.
515
00:31:15,018 --> 00:31:20,628
In which now they are gonna require
that 50% of the entire bargaining unit
516
00:31:20,778 --> 00:31:23,328
has to vote in order to be certified.
517
00:31:23,418 --> 00:31:25,938
If you do not reach a
60% membership threshold
518
00:31:26,118 --> 00:31:26,928
has to vote in the
519
00:31:26,928 --> 00:31:27,498
affirmative,
520
00:31:27,528 --> 00:31:27,738
right?
521
00:31:27,738 --> 00:31:28,818
Has to vote in the affirmative.
522
00:31:28,818 --> 00:31:31,818
So like Fort Lauderdale as wave
example, we have a thousand
523
00:31:31,818 --> 00:31:33,018
employees in the bargaining unit.
524
00:31:33,768 --> 00:31:35,988
500 N one would have to vote yes.
525
00:31:36,718 --> 00:31:39,478
In order to be certified and
to continue to have a union.
526
00:31:39,478 --> 00:31:44,008
If 499 show up and vote yes, they lose.
527
00:31:44,368 --> 00:31:48,088
So we just won our last election
there, 360 3 to one we would've
528
00:31:48,088 --> 00:31:49,258
lost under this new law.
529
00:31:49,828 --> 00:31:53,188
The other part of this law is that
they're now gonna require those who
530
00:31:53,188 --> 00:31:59,848
are dues paying members to resign
their membership form every year.
531
00:32:00,238 --> 00:32:02,818
So every year they have to
go back and sign up again.
532
00:32:03,298 --> 00:32:05,728
There are other elements in this bill.
533
00:32:06,253 --> 00:32:10,213
Are designed to hurt certain unions
in certain ways, and there's a
534
00:32:10,213 --> 00:32:14,353
lot of administrative issues that
they've, uh, raised in this bill,
535
00:32:14,383 --> 00:32:16,273
which is going to cause us more work.
536
00:32:16,573 --> 00:32:19,273
And you know what that work looks
like because you're knee deep in it.
537
00:32:19,273 --> 00:32:23,803
Every year as we're trying to get our
union certified at these public, where
538
00:32:23,803 --> 00:32:26,953
we represent public sector workers and
the amount of work that you put into
539
00:32:26,953 --> 00:32:28,483
the administrative part of it, so.
540
00:32:29,413 --> 00:32:31,783
Yeah, they're, they're, they're,
they're moving the goalpost.
541
00:32:32,083 --> 00:32:36,733
They really want to see us annihilated
and not exist anymore in public sector.
542
00:32:37,153 --> 00:32:40,753
So how close are these to
actually seeing the light of day?
543
00:32:40,753 --> 00:32:45,043
In other words, are these still on
the drawing board or, or are these two
544
00:32:45,043 --> 00:32:46,933
pieces of legislation actually moving?
545
00:32:47,563 --> 00:32:48,523
Alright, well, they're moving.
546
00:32:48,583 --> 00:32:50,803
Last year, the same bill came up.
547
00:32:50,803 --> 00:32:52,363
It only made it outta one committee.
548
00:32:52,693 --> 00:32:53,923
It was filed again this year.
549
00:32:54,463 --> 00:32:57,103
When it was filed this year,
we thought the same thing.
550
00:32:57,133 --> 00:32:59,503
'cause we were told by the Senate
president and the Speaker of the
551
00:32:59,503 --> 00:33:01,303
house that it wasn't gonna move well.
552
00:33:01,693 --> 00:33:05,623
Lo and behold, it's now moved to
where it's in its last committee
553
00:33:05,623 --> 00:33:07,333
stop in the Senate on Monday.
554
00:33:08,038 --> 00:33:12,928
It's in its last committee stop on
Thursday in the house, which means
555
00:33:12,928 --> 00:33:19,648
that this bill will be going to floor
votes as early as, as early as well.
556
00:33:19,648 --> 00:33:20,668
Let's see whatever date.
557
00:33:20,668 --> 00:33:21,688
Monday is the second.
558
00:33:21,688 --> 00:33:25,018
I could see it happen in as early
as the fourth, or fifth or the
559
00:33:25,018 --> 00:33:26,548
sixth or early the following week.
560
00:33:27,088 --> 00:33:27,328
Wow.
561
00:33:27,598 --> 00:33:32,908
Yeah, we, um, we were tracking it along
with all the other labor unions in the
562
00:33:32,908 --> 00:33:38,278
state, and it turns out that the Freedom
Foundation, the Koch Brothers, Americans
563
00:33:38,278 --> 00:33:43,228
for Prosperity, and we believe all
the way from the White House, have put
564
00:33:43,228 --> 00:33:48,538
pressure on this Senate and this house
Republicans to get this bill passed
565
00:33:48,688 --> 00:33:53,098
in order to try to wipe out public
sector unions in Florida, even though.
566
00:33:53,788 --> 00:33:56,578
They have a constitutional right in
this state to collectively bargain.
567
00:33:56,708 --> 00:33:57,368
Understood.
568
00:33:57,608 --> 00:33:59,198
So what are we gonna do?
569
00:33:59,858 --> 00:34:01,448
Well, okay, a couple things.
570
00:34:01,448 --> 00:34:03,548
One, we have been in the teamsters.
571
00:34:04,133 --> 00:34:09,203
Along with the consultation with President
Zli and Secretary Treasurer Steve Myers,
572
00:34:09,443 --> 00:34:12,593
we've been engaged with the entire
labor movement in the state of Florida
573
00:34:12,803 --> 00:34:16,163
planning and figuring out the messaging
that we're gonna do all next week.
574
00:34:16,313 --> 00:34:21,413
This week the teacher's union is spending
$1 million on advertising and Republican
575
00:34:21,413 --> 00:34:24,773
districts who, for the Republicans,
who sit on this particular committee,
576
00:34:25,313 --> 00:34:29,453
our international union is reaching
out to our Republican members who.
577
00:34:29,778 --> 00:34:32,418
Live in the districts of those who
will be voting on that committee,
578
00:34:32,418 --> 00:34:36,738
asking them to send them emails, patch
through calls, so on and so forth.
579
00:34:36,918 --> 00:34:37,218
Mm-hmm.
580
00:34:37,398 --> 00:34:41,118
And we are going to also, there's
discussions about town hall
581
00:34:41,118 --> 00:34:45,678
meetings and other events to try
to get people to understand the
582
00:34:45,678 --> 00:34:49,338
severity of what this legislature's
trying to do to working people.
583
00:34:49,518 --> 00:34:51,768
They are trying to hurt working people.
584
00:34:52,308 --> 00:34:56,058
And as much as people wanna say this
is aimed at education, which it is.
585
00:34:57,518 --> 00:34:59,828
But there are other people
who are gonna get hurt too.
586
00:34:59,888 --> 00:35:04,088
Your parks attendants, your utility
workers, your crossing guards.
587
00:35:04,703 --> 00:35:05,573
So on and so forth.
588
00:35:05,573 --> 00:35:10,373
All the non-teachers are gonna get hurt
and also it also excludes police and fire.
589
00:35:10,523 --> 00:35:12,893
This bill again, like it,
the original bill did.
590
00:35:12,893 --> 00:35:17,123
So police officers and firefighter
unions are not part of this bill.
591
00:35:17,123 --> 00:35:18,323
They get to continue on.
592
00:35:18,623 --> 00:35:20,003
So you tell me how fair that is.
593
00:35:20,478 --> 00:35:20,718
Yeah.
594
00:35:20,838 --> 00:35:22,788
What can workers do in the work site?
595
00:35:22,968 --> 00:35:29,178
It is going to be completely and totally
a worker driven campaign for us to be
596
00:35:29,178 --> 00:35:31,278
able to prevail and overcome these laws.
597
00:35:31,758 --> 00:35:33,798
The workers have got to pay attention.
598
00:35:34,158 --> 00:35:36,048
We got to have meetings, we got to.
599
00:35:36,778 --> 00:35:38,188
Communicate to our members.
600
00:35:38,428 --> 00:35:42,658
Our shop stewards need to gather with our
members and have discussions with them.
601
00:35:42,868 --> 00:35:47,008
We need to identify where we
can recruit new members and
602
00:35:47,188 --> 00:35:49,288
just, you know, do what we do.
603
00:35:49,288 --> 00:35:52,858
And that's organized and it has to come
from the ground up, not the top down.
604
00:35:52,948 --> 00:35:54,838
That's not how the labor movement works.
605
00:35:55,228 --> 00:36:00,358
The union is only as strong as the
workers it represents, it's not one
606
00:36:00,358 --> 00:36:02,818
individual, it's not one organization.
607
00:36:02,818 --> 00:36:04,828
The teamsters are just Andy Mattis.
608
00:36:05,063 --> 00:36:05,993
We'll lose that way.
609
00:36:05,993 --> 00:36:11,483
It has to be a complete effort of
solidarity fighting this bill back and
610
00:36:11,483 --> 00:36:17,003
showing them, and like we did with the
last bill they passed in 2023, that you
611
00:36:17,003 --> 00:36:18,413
could keep trying to throw laws at us.
612
00:36:18,413 --> 00:36:21,443
But you're not gonna defeat working
class people because we're not stupid.
613
00:36:21,443 --> 00:36:25,193
And I, I wanna say this,
I truly believe they think
614
00:36:25,193 --> 00:36:26,288
working class people are stupid.
615
00:36:27,098 --> 00:36:29,078
This Republican party in Tallahassee.
616
00:36:29,468 --> 00:36:30,548
I'm gonna say it out loud.
617
00:36:31,118 --> 00:36:33,368
I believe that they think that
they're not smart enough to
618
00:36:33,368 --> 00:36:34,868
figure out what's going on here.
619
00:36:35,168 --> 00:36:38,738
That they got their heads in the
sand, they're apathetic, and that
620
00:36:38,738 --> 00:36:41,228
eventually they're gonna give up
and they're gonna lose their unions.
621
00:36:41,228 --> 00:36:42,458
And that's just not gonna happen.
622
00:36:42,488 --> 00:36:43,718
'cause we're gonna fight like hell.
623
00:36:44,123 --> 00:36:44,933
Sounds good.
624
00:36:45,413 --> 00:36:47,753
Appreciate the update and
we'll talk again soon, Andy.
625
00:36:47,783 --> 00:36:49,073
Alright, Brian, thank you for having me
626
00:36:49,543 --> 00:36:52,693
Hey, this is Carmen
Rodriguez from El Cafecito.
627
00:36:52,693 --> 00:36:54,043
El at Lala.
628
00:36:54,313 --> 00:36:58,633
We are proud to be part of the Labor
Radio podcast network with more than
629
00:36:58,633 --> 00:37:03,913
200 Labor radio shows and podcasts from
across the country and around the world.
630
00:37:04,303 --> 00:37:07,753
The Labor Radio Podcast Network
where working people speaks.
631
00:37:08,178 --> 00:37:11,383
Find us@laborradionetwork.org.
632
00:37:11,715 --> 00:37:16,245
Next up on Hothouse with Richie
Ray, the focus is workplace
633
00:37:16,245 --> 00:37:18,225
conflict for letter carriers.
634
00:37:18,735 --> 00:37:23,895
Richie walks through the realities of
disputes on the job, including e, e, O
635
00:37:23,895 --> 00:37:29,865
issues, common mistakes, workers make, and
practical steps that carriers can take to
636
00:37:29,865 --> 00:37:32,595
protect themselves and resolve problems.
637
00:37:32,990 --> 00:37:36,680
Because, you know, Richie's
always in the hot house.
638
00:37:37,370 --> 00:37:39,380
I think Chris likes reading Hot House.
639
00:37:39,530 --> 00:37:40,850
I do, I really do.
640
00:37:40,850 --> 00:37:43,910
I, I, I just, I just could
say that show title all day.
641
00:37:43,910 --> 00:37:47,480
I, I just, I, I, I'm a little upset
that I didn't think of something, you
642
00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:49,760
know, quite so ous for my show, but
643
00:37:50,180 --> 00:37:51,725
Hot House with Chris Scarla,
644
00:37:52,580 --> 00:37:55,940
it just doesn't, it just doesn't work
with the same as with Richie Ray, you
645
00:37:55,940 --> 00:37:57,500
know, Richie Ray in the hot house.
646
00:37:58,285 --> 00:38:02,725
Welcome back to the Hot House
because I'm always in the hot house.
647
00:38:03,625 --> 00:38:05,005
How's everybody doing?
648
00:38:05,455 --> 00:38:08,815
Hot House with Richie Ray
is back and full for us.
649
00:38:09,295 --> 00:38:10,585
How's everybody doing?
650
00:38:10,665 --> 00:38:12,105
Uh, lemme take a sip of my coffee.
651
00:38:16,095 --> 00:38:19,935
So brothers and sisters,
this episode is about.
652
00:38:20,940 --> 00:38:22,800
Carrier first carrier conflict.
653
00:38:22,890 --> 00:38:27,150
What to do Work should not hurt
a very important discussion
654
00:38:30,030 --> 00:38:31,410
all right, this is what we're gonna do.
655
00:38:31,890 --> 00:38:33,510
All right, I'm gonna read this off.
656
00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:34,350
All right.
657
00:38:34,350 --> 00:38:38,580
I put this together in writing
because this is a very sensitive issue
658
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:40,260
and I didn't wanna miss anything.
659
00:38:40,260 --> 00:38:41,820
I didn't want to go buy the hip here.
660
00:38:42,690 --> 00:38:44,760
All right, so I'm gonna start over.
661
00:38:45,060 --> 00:38:47,760
USPS, carrier versus carrier conflict.
662
00:38:48,060 --> 00:38:50,370
What to do Work should not hurt.
663
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:57,300
Very important discussion Before
confronting anyone, keep a written log,
664
00:38:57,690 --> 00:39:01,015
date, time, location, what was said, done.
665
00:39:01,655 --> 00:39:07,535
Witnesses, save text notes,
scanner messages, write events
666
00:39:07,675 --> 00:39:09,255
the same day that they happened.
667
00:39:10,225 --> 00:39:11,375
Stick to facts.
668
00:39:12,525 --> 00:39:13,515
Emotions.
669
00:39:13,965 --> 00:39:21,165
Example, entry 2, 10, 20, 26, 9,
15:00 AM work rule floor jaunt.
670
00:39:21,165 --> 00:39:25,875
D stated, you're not, you're
not cut out for this job.
671
00:39:26,565 --> 00:39:30,105
In front of three carriers,
Smith, Lopez, and Carter.
672
00:39:30,675 --> 00:39:35,055
Tone aggressive, no pro perfection.
673
00:39:35,985 --> 00:39:40,360
Documentation protects you if
things escalate, determine.
674
00:39:42,150 --> 00:39:46,950
Is it a conflict or
bowling workplace Conflict.
675
00:39:47,430 --> 00:39:51,360
Disagreement about routes,
overtime, workload, bowling.
676
00:39:51,750 --> 00:39:57,540
Repeated behaviors such as verbal
intimidation, public humiliation,
677
00:39:57,930 --> 00:40:03,150
sabotage, threats, harassment,
spreading rumors, tagging you
678
00:40:03,150 --> 00:40:10,470
repeatedly if it's repeated and hostile,
it's more than personality clash.
679
00:40:11,220 --> 00:40:13,200
Talk to your shop steward Union.
680
00:40:13,860 --> 00:40:15,630
If you're a city carrier, you are.
681
00:40:15,780 --> 00:40:17,640
You're represented by the NLC
682
00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:21,750
your steward can file a
grievance request OBED meeting.
683
00:40:21,930 --> 00:40:25,740
Ensure management addresses
hostile environment issues.
684
00:40:26,220 --> 00:40:28,560
Protect your from, from retaliation.
685
00:40:30,570 --> 00:40:32,220
Go to them before management.
686
00:40:32,220 --> 00:40:35,760
If possible, notify
management when necessary.
687
00:40:37,110 --> 00:40:40,380
If behavior continues,
request a formal meeting.
688
00:40:40,980 --> 00:40:42,390
Bring your documentation.
689
00:40:42,690 --> 00:40:44,790
Stay calm and factual.
690
00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,340
Ask for a written resolution.
691
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:52,800
Use language like I am requesting
intervention due to respond hostile
692
00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:57,240
behavior that is affecting my
work performance and creating
693
00:40:57,240 --> 00:40:58,470
a hostile work environment.
694
00:41:00,030 --> 00:41:06,120
Use that phrase, hostile work environment
is singles, is singles seriousness.
695
00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:08,350
I hope this helps.
696
00:41:09,910 --> 00:41:10,780
Hope this helps.
697
00:41:10,780 --> 00:41:12,100
I put a lot of work into this.
698
00:41:12,685 --> 00:41:14,575
I hope I executed it right.
699
00:41:15,505 --> 00:41:20,575
But, um, on that note, I just
hope everyone is safe out there.
700
00:41:21,085 --> 00:41:23,905
I know carrier versus carrier
is very uncomfortable.
701
00:41:24,875 --> 00:41:26,345
It's uncomfortable for the union.
702
00:41:26,555 --> 00:41:29,165
It's uncomfortable for the, the carriers.
703
00:41:29,495 --> 00:41:33,515
It's uncomfortable for everybody, but
the bottom line is if it's happening,
704
00:41:33,665 --> 00:41:37,325
we have to hold the management
accountable by addressing the issue.
705
00:41:37,655 --> 00:41:39,485
Work is not supposed to hurt.
706
00:41:40,625 --> 00:41:42,275
It's not supposed to hurt people.
707
00:41:42,665 --> 00:41:43,745
It's not supposed to hurt.
708
00:41:44,630 --> 00:41:49,580
For those of you who do bully, who
do bully carriers, please stop.
709
00:41:49,690 --> 00:41:50,740
Cut it out now.
710
00:41:51,430 --> 00:41:51,880
Okay?
711
00:41:52,150 --> 00:41:53,170
It's not worth it.
712
00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:54,430
It's not worth it.
713
00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:55,660
You don't like each other.
714
00:41:55,660 --> 00:41:56,710
You don't like each other.
715
00:41:56,890 --> 00:41:57,730
That simple.
716
00:41:57,820 --> 00:41:59,410
You don't need to talk to each other.
717
00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:03,445
You don't need to be standing near each
other, but you do damn well work together.
718
00:42:04,570 --> 00:42:07,840
Like it or not, we don't choose
who our coworkers are gonna be.
719
00:42:08,170 --> 00:42:10,780
Just like we don't choose who our
brothers and sisters are gonna be,
720
00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:12,880
who our mother and father is gonna be.
721
00:42:13,180 --> 00:42:15,700
The bottom line is that is the truth.
722
00:42:17,260 --> 00:42:20,410
So on that note, brothers and
Sisters Hot House loves you and
723
00:42:20,410 --> 00:42:21,910
Hot House is me, Richie Ray.
724
00:42:22,150 --> 00:42:24,040
I hope all of you have a great weekend.
725
00:42:24,250 --> 00:42:24,670
Peace.
726
00:42:24,670 --> 00:42:25,630
So.
727
00:42:26,213 --> 00:42:29,213
Hey, this is Dan Golodner from
Tales From the Ruther Library.
728
00:42:29,873 --> 00:42:33,923
I'm proud to be part of the Labor Radio
podcast network with more than 200
729
00:42:33,923 --> 00:42:37,943
labor radio shows and podcasts from
across the country and around the world.
730
00:42:38,453 --> 00:42:41,993
The Labor Radio Podcast Network
where working people speak.
731
00:42:41,993 --> 00:42:44,273
Find us@laborradionetwork.org.
732
00:42:44,692 --> 00:42:50,782
And finally on, we Rise fighting Olivia
Najera, an organizer with the Union
733
00:42:50,782 --> 00:42:55,162
of Southern Service Workers in North
Carolina talks about building worker
734
00:42:55,162 --> 00:43:00,562
power across the south and organizing
service workers in challenging conditions.
735
00:43:00,952 --> 00:43:03,052
I don't know what you'd be talking about.
736
00:43:03,052 --> 00:43:05,092
It's only the south.
737
00:43:05,812 --> 00:43:06,952
This is a cool one though.
738
00:43:06,952 --> 00:43:10,882
She really digs into the sort of
dynamics, the interpersonal dynamics
739
00:43:10,882 --> 00:43:15,622
that were involved when organizing the
Starbucks in a very rural community
740
00:43:15,622 --> 00:43:16,972
where everyone knew each other.
741
00:43:16,972 --> 00:43:19,582
Everyone was commenting on
the campaign, on Facebook.
742
00:43:19,848 --> 00:43:24,168
You know, a lot of people wonder why
there's not union density in the south.
743
00:43:24,228 --> 00:43:28,968
Listening to her talk about what she's
up against in this will really give
744
00:43:28,968 --> 00:43:33,648
you an idea of what organizers are up
against in the southern United States,
745
00:43:35,111 --> 00:43:35,711
Hello listeners.
746
00:43:35,711 --> 00:43:41,231
We are back here with episode I
believe 1 31 of We Rise Fighting.
747
00:43:41,981 --> 00:43:45,311
It's good to be back
again with Olivia Najera.
748
00:43:45,311 --> 00:43:48,551
From organizer from Union
of Southern Service Workers.
749
00:43:49,091 --> 00:43:53,316
We were in Minneapolis in late
January and met, uh, sister Olivia.
750
00:43:54,066 --> 00:43:58,026
There and we're going to have a
conversation today with her takeaways
751
00:43:58,026 --> 00:44:02,226
and observations, and also talk about
the organizing that's going on in the
752
00:44:02,226 --> 00:44:06,546
south and other topics such as the
important role of culture in organizing.
753
00:44:07,446 --> 00:44:09,186
So Lavie, welcome to We Rise Fighting.
754
00:44:09,306 --> 00:44:10,806
Thank you for having me.
755
00:44:10,906 --> 00:44:12,166
I'm in Denver, Colorado here.
756
00:44:12,346 --> 00:44:12,436
Mm-hmm.
757
00:44:12,976 --> 00:44:16,306
Um, can, can you give
us here an idea of what.
758
00:44:16,741 --> 00:44:20,161
Organizing is like in North Carolina,
you know, I understand it's the south.
759
00:44:20,461 --> 00:44:24,361
Um, from, from last I checked
North Carolina had the lowest
760
00:44:24,361 --> 00:44:25,831
union density in the nation.
761
00:44:26,191 --> 00:44:26,311
Yeah.
762
00:44:26,341 --> 00:44:28,531
Um, so how does that play out exactly?
763
00:44:28,531 --> 00:44:29,881
Like, um.
764
00:44:30,571 --> 00:44:35,791
Are workers just automatically
fearful or is it management
765
00:44:35,791 --> 00:44:37,411
automatically retaliating?
766
00:44:37,411 --> 00:44:38,191
Is it both?
767
00:44:38,551 --> 00:44:41,701
Um, how does that climate
play out in, in the everyday?
768
00:44:42,001 --> 00:44:42,181
Yeah.
769
00:44:42,181 --> 00:44:47,341
What I've learned from that union fight
and also now as like on the other side
770
00:44:47,341 --> 00:44:50,431
as a staff organizer, is that actually
a lot of people in the south don't
771
00:44:50,431 --> 00:44:52,021
even really know what a union is.
772
00:44:52,441 --> 00:44:54,121
Um, so that's kind of.
773
00:44:54,946 --> 00:44:55,756
Good and bad.
774
00:44:55,786 --> 00:44:59,236
You know, it's good as, and you get
to be the one to explain it to 'em if
775
00:44:59,236 --> 00:45:00,736
you're the one to reach them first.
776
00:45:01,216 --> 00:45:04,906
Um, it's bad in the sense like they don't
see the power in it and they don't see
777
00:45:04,906 --> 00:45:07,456
how much you can actually win necessarily.
778
00:45:07,456 --> 00:45:11,476
So you have to really be,
um, creating that vision for
779
00:45:11,476 --> 00:45:12,886
them and showing them like.
780
00:45:13,306 --> 00:45:18,406
History of unions and other places
where unions, um, unions really
781
00:45:18,406 --> 00:45:19,846
make a difference in the workplace.
782
00:45:20,386 --> 00:45:24,316
Uh, so yeah, in particular where
I was working at Starbucks and
783
00:45:24,316 --> 00:45:25,786
where I grew up when I was younger.
784
00:45:26,146 --> 00:45:26,746
Um.
785
00:45:27,301 --> 00:45:28,921
It's a really Trump country town.
786
00:45:28,921 --> 00:45:31,591
It is super, like pretty rural.
787
00:45:31,951 --> 00:45:34,921
Um, yeah, it's Trump signs everywhere.
788
00:45:34,921 --> 00:45:38,611
It's not like, you know, I live in
Durham now, which is super liberal and
789
00:45:38,611 --> 00:45:41,641
super, uh, queer and politically active.
790
00:45:41,641 --> 00:45:42,751
It is not that at all.
791
00:45:42,931 --> 00:45:46,021
It's very white, very like
what you would kind of imagine.
792
00:45:46,051 --> 00:45:49,471
Um, it's right out of Apple, like
right out on the outskirts, I
793
00:45:49,471 --> 00:45:50,851
guess, of Appalachian Mountains.
794
00:45:51,391 --> 00:45:51,961
So.
795
00:45:52,621 --> 00:45:55,291
That's the setting that I found myself in.
796
00:45:55,681 --> 00:46:03,061
Uh, and, uh, Starbucks was a particularly,
I think, good place for this to happen
797
00:46:03,061 --> 00:46:07,261
in because it just is gonna attract
even in a, a little town like that, the
798
00:46:07,261 --> 00:46:10,561
most sort of left or progressive people.
799
00:46:10,861 --> 00:46:13,741
Um, even if they're not like activists
or anything, you know, Starbucks is
800
00:46:13,741 --> 00:46:18,841
just known, at least historically,
like until now, I guess, um, as a
801
00:46:18,841 --> 00:46:20,851
very like progressive sort of company.
802
00:46:21,121 --> 00:46:21,751
So.
803
00:46:22,366 --> 00:46:25,336
Yeah, when I came in it was a lot
of young people, people of color,
804
00:46:25,636 --> 00:46:29,506
um, and they had all grown up there,
so they had never really left,
805
00:46:29,566 --> 00:46:32,746
uh, the, that even town, you know?
806
00:46:32,836 --> 00:46:38,896
Um, and yeah, it was, uh, I wanna say like
maybe half white, half people of color.
807
00:46:39,286 --> 00:46:43,546
Um, and the white people were queer,
you know, so it was just a very.
808
00:46:44,611 --> 00:46:47,311
Like the, the little niche
of this town where this could
809
00:46:47,311 --> 00:46:48,541
happen, I think the easiest.
810
00:46:49,021 --> 00:46:50,521
Uh, so that made it a bit easier.
811
00:46:50,521 --> 00:46:52,891
But yeah, when we had our, um.
812
00:46:53,446 --> 00:46:55,696
Or strike, and we were on the picket line.
813
00:46:55,696 --> 00:46:57,826
We're kind of on the side
of the highway on I 40.
814
00:46:58,186 --> 00:47:04,306
And so a lot of people saw us and
it was like when we were leading
815
00:47:04,306 --> 00:47:07,186
up to the strike, I was kind of
like, you know who's coming out?
816
00:47:07,186 --> 00:47:08,986
We're gonna strike, so we're not
gonna come to work, but we're
817
00:47:08,986 --> 00:47:10,276
really gonna come to the picket.
818
00:47:11,031 --> 00:47:11,991
And people were like, I don't know.
819
00:47:11,991 --> 00:47:12,321
I don't know.
820
00:47:12,321 --> 00:47:12,621
I don't know.
821
00:47:12,621 --> 00:47:15,441
Because this is the small town,
like everyone knows everyone.
822
00:47:15,441 --> 00:47:17,811
It's not like when you're in a big
city when you can just be out there.
823
00:47:17,811 --> 00:47:18,681
You don't know who's out there.
824
00:47:18,891 --> 00:47:23,901
This is like everyone knows you and their
Facebook, you know, uh, town page is very
825
00:47:23,901 --> 00:47:26,031
active and people have a lot of opinions.
826
00:47:26,391 --> 00:47:26,721
So yeah.
827
00:47:26,721 --> 00:47:30,016
When we did our, um, picket
line, actually we had like 20.
828
00:47:30,826 --> 00:47:34,066
Something people at the picket
line, which is a lot considering our
829
00:47:34,066 --> 00:47:36,466
workplace was like about 18 people.
830
00:47:36,856 --> 00:47:39,856
And, uh, we won our Union 16 to one.
831
00:47:40,156 --> 00:47:44,386
Um, but yeah, we had, um, people
from the Triad Workers Assembly come
832
00:47:44,386 --> 00:47:47,296
out and support us and the news came
out, you know, it was very cool.
833
00:47:47,596 --> 00:47:51,136
But yeah, afterwards the Facebook
page, you know, people had
834
00:47:51,136 --> 00:47:53,236
opinions like, what's going on
out there and what are they doing?
835
00:47:53,236 --> 00:47:56,986
And oh my God, like they don't, they
already get enough, you know, and they
836
00:47:56,986 --> 00:47:58,276
didn't, they shouldn't be complaining.
837
00:47:58,276 --> 00:48:00,316
And it was on Christmas
Eve, so everybody was like.
838
00:48:00,856 --> 00:48:01,456
Oh my gosh.
839
00:48:01,456 --> 00:48:05,416
They have to ruin Christmas
by being all, you know, doing
840
00:48:05,416 --> 00:48:06,946
this strike and all this stuff.
841
00:48:06,946 --> 00:48:12,316
So there is a lot of opinions and I
think that, um, that obviously like
842
00:48:12,316 --> 00:48:15,171
kind of made people, oh, like, I
don't know, it made people kind of.
843
00:48:16,531 --> 00:48:17,581
Have second thoughts.
844
00:48:17,581 --> 00:48:21,421
Maybe not, not regrets or anything, but
just like, dang, like it's really hard
845
00:48:21,421 --> 00:48:25,651
when you, people know you and people know
who you are and people who you know are
846
00:48:25,651 --> 00:48:30,661
talking about what we did and they're not
aligned with it, you know, very publicly.
847
00:48:31,021 --> 00:48:34,471
So I think that was a really
particular, um, situation we had, but.
848
00:48:34,881 --> 00:48:37,821
At the, you know, after that we
just saw the immediate wins just
849
00:48:37,821 --> 00:48:39,321
from winning a union election.
850
00:48:39,351 --> 00:48:42,411
You know, Starbucks, workers United
doesn't even have a contract yet, but
851
00:48:42,411 --> 00:48:46,761
just winning a union election gives
you, um, so much and one of the.
852
00:48:47,161 --> 00:48:49,711
Best things was the wine garden
rights where you can't be in a
853
00:48:49,711 --> 00:48:54,091
disciplinary meeting or you, you, you
are required to be able to have, um,
854
00:48:54,151 --> 00:48:56,011
a union rep in a disciplinary meeting.
855
00:48:56,401 --> 00:49:00,301
Um, which is just like, that
even was crazy for anyone to
856
00:49:00,301 --> 00:49:01,681
imagine that we would have that.
857
00:49:01,681 --> 00:49:02,041
Right.
858
00:49:02,431 --> 00:49:05,911
Um, and we saw that pretty immediately
'cause there was retaliation.
859
00:49:06,291 --> 00:49:11,151
Uh, right after that and we were able
to call on our union rep. So, um,
860
00:49:11,181 --> 00:49:16,281
yeah, that was kind of the particular
scenario of this town in North Carolina.
861
00:49:16,341 --> 00:49:19,191
Uh, and most of those people had
never even gone to a protest.
862
00:49:19,191 --> 00:49:20,241
I would say none of them did.
863
00:49:20,301 --> 00:49:23,691
Um, 'cause I asked, they'd never gone
to any action before, and their first
864
00:49:23,691 --> 00:49:25,431
one was a strike at their own workplace.
865
00:49:25,431 --> 00:49:28,701
So, um, it was really, really
like a profound moment.
866
00:49:28,981 --> 00:49:29,791
That's wild.
867
00:49:29,841 --> 00:49:32,211
Thank you so much and thank
you so much for your time and
868
00:49:32,241 --> 00:49:33,291
hanging out with us today.
869
00:49:33,291 --> 00:49:34,461
I learned a lot.
870
00:49:34,821 --> 00:49:36,081
So thank you Olivia.
871
00:49:36,321 --> 00:49:39,081
And thank you listeners
for checking in and listen.
872
00:49:39,506 --> 00:49:42,536
Uh, we'll be back with you
real, real soon, I'm sure.
873
00:49:42,806 --> 00:49:46,196
Um, for now we're gonna say
goodbye, love and solidarity to all.
874
00:49:46,196 --> 00:49:46,976
Take care everyone.
875
00:49:47,136 --> 00:49:48,366
Hello, powerful people.
876
00:49:48,366 --> 00:49:51,696
This is Seth Harris from
The Power At Work Blog.
877
00:49:51,936 --> 00:49:56,286
We are proud to be a part of
the Labor Radio podcast network.
878
00:49:56,526 --> 00:50:01,416
It has more than 200 labor radio
shows and podcasts from across
879
00:50:01,416 --> 00:50:03,216
the country and around the world.
880
00:50:03,216 --> 00:50:08,136
The Labor Radio Podcast Network
where working people speak.
881
00:50:08,556 --> 00:50:12,246
Find us@laborradionetwork.org.
882
00:50:12,246 --> 00:50:16,326
That's all one word,
labor radio network.org.
883
00:50:16,741 --> 00:50:17,311
Thanks.
884
00:50:17,425 --> 00:50:21,445
And now it's time for our
regular speed round shows.
885
00:50:21,805 --> 00:50:22,255
You should know.
886
00:50:22,860 --> 00:50:24,210
Oh, Patrick, I like that.
887
00:50:24,210 --> 00:50:27,270
That had a whole Sunday,
Sunday, Sunday to it.
888
00:50:28,170 --> 00:50:30,450
We're giving him the
opening for that every week.
889
00:50:30,450 --> 00:50:31,170
I like it.
890
00:50:31,724 --> 00:50:35,594
On radio Labor Canada, United
Steel workers from Canada and
891
00:50:35,594 --> 00:50:39,254
the US head to Mexico to fight
for a fair deal for workers in
892
00:50:39,284 --> 00:50:41,774
upcoming Kuzma trade negotiations.
893
00:50:41,954 --> 00:50:47,354
On work stoppage, the host discussed
rising tensions with Iran, a possible
894
00:50:47,354 --> 00:50:53,624
strike by contingent faculty at NYU
and a strike launched by incarcerated
895
00:50:53,624 --> 00:50:56,684
workers in Alabama prisoners, which.
896
00:50:57,299 --> 00:51:01,409
I love when prisoners strike because
it reminds people that they are
897
00:51:01,409 --> 00:51:06,419
workers, they actually against
their will, but they are workers.
898
00:51:06,659 --> 00:51:08,789
It is forced labor.
899
00:51:09,254 --> 00:51:09,684
Thank you.
900
00:51:09,684 --> 00:51:10,084
It really is.
901
00:51:10,214 --> 00:51:10,644
Thank you.
902
00:51:10,859 --> 00:51:14,819
And not only that, be sure to listen to
their headline section where they talk
903
00:51:14,819 --> 00:51:18,209
about AI surveillance at the Burger King.
904
00:51:18,209 --> 00:51:20,549
Drive through seriously, folks.
905
00:51:20,604 --> 00:51:22,194
I know it leaves you
speechless, doesn't it?
906
00:51:22,194 --> 00:51:23,064
I got nothing.
907
00:51:23,124 --> 00:51:23,934
I got nothing
908
00:51:25,464 --> 00:51:26,514
on pipe up.
909
00:51:26,724 --> 00:51:32,124
Newly elected United Association
business Managers, including my
910
00:51:32,124 --> 00:51:36,894
buddy Cameron, talk about their
journeys into the pipe trades and how
911
00:51:36,894 --> 00:51:38,359
they're strengthening their locals.
912
00:51:38,963 --> 00:51:40,113
Cam's a really cool dude.
913
00:51:40,347 --> 00:51:40,917
Mention?
914
00:51:41,183 --> 00:51:41,363
Mm-hmm.
915
00:51:41,608 --> 00:51:43,643
Do, do you get 20 bucks
every time you say that?
916
00:51:43,643 --> 00:51:44,453
Or what's the deal?
917
00:51:44,903 --> 00:51:46,343
I'm texting him right now.
918
00:51:48,593 --> 00:51:50,813
Hey, as long as we can
monetize it, we're good.
919
00:51:50,984 --> 00:51:55,574
And on labor history today, historian
Eric Arison, mark, the centennial of the
920
00:51:55,574 --> 00:52:00,194
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car, porters and
Tracers, how a Philip Randolph and Black
921
00:52:00,254 --> 00:52:04,209
Railway Workers built the first major
black LED union in the United States.
922
00:52:04,641 --> 00:52:09,801
head to labor radio network.org
to find links to these shows and
923
00:52:09,801 --> 00:52:11,061
the other shows in the network.
924
00:52:13,971 --> 00:52:19,041
Alright folks, that's a rep for this
week's Labor Radio Podcast weekly.
925
00:52:19,041 --> 00:52:24,441
Your roundup from 200 more than
200, Harold tells me almost two 50.
926
00:52:24,441 --> 00:52:25,311
Is that right, Harold?
927
00:52:25,611 --> 00:52:26,151
That's right.
928
00:52:26,151 --> 00:52:27,351
Coming up on two 50.
929
00:52:27,801 --> 00:52:28,371
Wow.
930
00:52:28,371 --> 00:52:31,191
In the Labor Radio Podcast network.
931
00:52:31,314 --> 00:52:35,964
Find links to every
show@laborradionetwork.org and follow
932
00:52:35,964 --> 00:52:43,030
hashtag Labor Radio Pod on Blue
Sky, Facebook, Instagram, and that.
933
00:52:43,630 --> 00:52:45,370
Other social media,
934
00:52:45,580 --> 00:52:46,270
the cesspool
935
00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:51,400
that has the Musky smell, and
hey, tell us what you think.
936
00:52:51,640 --> 00:52:54,245
info@laborradionetwork.org.
937
00:52:54,743 --> 00:52:59,713
Now, every time I go on X, the tweet
at the top of the thing is by Musk.
938
00:52:59,763 --> 00:53:04,773
I click the three dots and say Hide
or no more posts from Elon Musk.
939
00:53:04,773 --> 00:53:07,563
And yet every time I log
back on again, there he is.
940
00:53:07,683 --> 00:53:08,943
I thought it was just me.
941
00:53:09,213 --> 00:53:13,353
So he, so he has a way of just making,
forcing us all to look at his damn tweets.
942
00:53:13,606 --> 00:53:14,356
It seems that way.
943
00:53:15,046 --> 00:53:17,926
Every time you go to X grok laughs at you.
944
00:53:18,316 --> 00:53:22,126
And also deprives a little girl
in Kansas, city of a glass of
945
00:53:22,126 --> 00:53:23,836
water because ai just saying,
946
00:53:24,361 --> 00:53:29,161
So would the little girl be wearing
a a, a Labor Radio podcast T-shirt?
947
00:53:30,278 --> 00:53:31,778
Do you need new clothes?
948
00:53:31,988 --> 00:53:36,278
Support the network with Union
made t-shirts, two colors, little
949
00:53:36,278 --> 00:53:39,188
sizes@laborradionetwork.org.
950
00:53:39,728 --> 00:53:40,778
You want me to do that again?
951
00:53:41,198 --> 00:53:41,583
No, no, no.
952
00:53:41,588 --> 00:53:42,218
It's perfect.
953
00:53:42,218 --> 00:53:42,998
It's perfect.
954
00:53:43,083 --> 00:53:45,188
That's a, that's a print right
there if I ever heard one.
955
00:53:46,493 --> 00:53:49,793
And even though they're really
starting to rethink this,
956
00:53:50,783 --> 00:53:52,493
who gave these people a contract?
957
00:53:53,303 --> 00:53:57,983
This podcast is recorded under a SAG
after a collective bargaining agreement.
958
00:53:58,073 --> 00:53:59,843
I am so sorry, Sean Aston
959
00:54:01,223 --> 00:54:03,838
edited this week by Patrick Dixon.
960
00:54:04,408 --> 00:54:06,228
I'm produced by Chris Garlock.
961
00:54:06,363 --> 00:54:07,893
And social media.
962
00:54:07,983 --> 00:54:10,353
Oh, they always say, always and forever.
963
00:54:10,353 --> 00:54:10,833
Like I said,
964
00:54:10,833 --> 00:54:11,493
read the script.
965
00:54:11,493 --> 00:54:11,673
Read
966
00:54:11,673 --> 00:54:14,943
the script, Vincent to
the Pit of Tartars by me.
967
00:54:14,943 --> 00:54:16,053
Harold Phillips
968
00:54:16,563 --> 00:54:20,013
For the Labor Radio Podcast
weekly, I'm Chris Garlock.
969
00:54:20,523 --> 00:54:21,783
I am Harold Phillips.
970
00:54:21,813 --> 00:54:26,633
Stay active, Stay tuned to your
local labor radio show or podcast.
971
00:54:26,999 --> 00:54:28,649
And I'm Patrick Dixon.
972
00:54:28,739 --> 00:54:30,029
We'll see you next week.
973
00:54:30,059 --> 00:54:33,449
And as they say, me hot
house is too hot house.
974
00:54:33,645 --> 00:54:34,785
Ah,
975
00:54:34,965 --> 00:54:37,635
and he's always in the hot house.
976
00:54:37,635 --> 00:54:37,665
I
977
00:54:38,475 --> 00:54:39,075
like it.
978
00:54:39,075 --> 00:54:39,825
I like it.