Punching Out: Recent Episodes
Punching Out
Ryan, Hannah, and Reece discuss recent layoffs in the video game industry, and the role AI might be playing.
Ryan, Noah and Lou discuss the World Cup and international sport in the shadow of a nationalist administration
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the state of AI in 2026: pushed by the weirdest of executives, reviled by the public.
Ryan and Lou talk to Greg about his work as a public defender and why Monroe County's Public Defenders have unionized.
Ryan, Lou, and Hannah discuss the American labor movement's disappointing record when it comes to opposing war.
Ryan and Noah talk to K.A. about the NY State Nursing Associaton's ongoing strike, and the organization that made it possible
Ryan, Hannah, and Lou discuss ICE's recent actions through the lens of their 2025 ramp up in hiring
Ryan, Noah, and Zoe discuss the labor battles that are currently taking place in the WNBA and NWSL.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss developments from other countries in 2025, and the lessons the US may learn from them.
In a year without Geniuses, Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss some of the people who fought to make 2025 better.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the arc of Jeff Bezos, once held up as one of the good billionaires, now happy to help the Trump administration.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss waves of layoffs and consolidations that have hit the TV and video game industries.
Ryan, Lou, and Matt discuss the shutdown's impact on healthcare, and hospital closures caused by the GOP megabill.
Ryan and Noah are joined by James to discuss academic freedom and the threats to it that have emerged over the last couple years.
Ryan, Hannah, Miriam, and Edwin discuss homelessness amid crackdowns by the Trump administration and Mayor Malik Evans
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the new requirements imposed on American safety net programs in the GOP omnibus bill
Lou, Megan, and Kate discuss the Girlboss aesthetic, its flaws, and the attempts at replacing it.
Ryan, Noah, Lou and Matt discuss the militarized response by the Trump administration towards pushback against its deportations.
Ryan, Lou, and Hannah discuss the nostalgia many Americans feel towards the post-war era of manufacturing labor, warts and all.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the Trump administration's resumption of workplace immigration raids, and ICE's roots in the War on Terror
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the widespread layoffs being illegally undertaken in the federal government, and what they portend for labor more broadly.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the rightward shift of tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos
Ryan, Noah, and Lou conclude the 2024 Genius Awards with discussions of New York's elected officials
Ryan, Noah, and Liz discuss undocumented farm labor in light of the electoral victory by a candidate promising mass deportations.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the recently-finished strike at Boeing, a company that may be representative of the country.
Ryan, Noah, and Zoe discuss the remarkable growth in popularity women's sports have experienced over the past couple years, and whether all that new attention and revenue will benefit the players at the center of it all.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the impacts of climate change on workers, and the Supreme Court on climate change.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the Republican nominee for Vice President, and the weird ideology that guides him
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the efforts at shutting down pro-Palestine protests on college campuses.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the labor abuses that have been required to build the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the changing landscape of youth athletics, and a wave of graduate student unionization
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss a disturbing trend of crowdsourced labor in games targeted to children.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss good news coming from the UAW and, of all places, the federal government
Ryan and Noah are joined by Rajesh and Howard to discuss the challenges faced by urban school districts like RCSD.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the connections between conservatives' targeting of diversity in education and America's ongoing teacher shortage.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss yet another round of media layoffs and the philosophical question of "what makes a Brand Authentic?"
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the hidden drudgery that underpins the tech industry's supposed innovations.
In our Fifth Annual Genius Awards, Ryan, Noah, and Lou take a look at the brightest minds in tech and public office
Ryan, Noah, and Zoe discuss the fledgling PWHL, and the landscape for women's pro sports in North America
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss graduate student unionization efforts, and the creep of the economy into high school students' lives
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the UAW's current strike against the big three automakers, and President Shawn Fain's role in adopting a more militant stance for the union.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the noxious comments made by real estate CEO Tim Gurner, and those in power who share his sentiment in quieter ways.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the labor impacts of the hottest summer so far, and the obstacles to even basic water break requirements.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, and how actos and studios might approach a long impasse.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the New York Times' decision to replace its unionized sports desk with The Athletic, and the broader symbolism of that move.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the tepid stances companies have taken towards embracing LGBT people in the face of growing right wing backlash.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou argue that fandom is increasingly a weapon wielded by entertainment executives against their workers
Ryan and Noah discuss the current Hollywood writers' strike, the last strike, and the technology that execs hope will be the industry's future.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss three seemingly contradictory stories about workplace trends
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the plague of book bans serving as harbingers of school privatization
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the effort to roll back state child labor laws - and the companies breaking the ones still on the books
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the scourge of non-compete clauses, which the FTC might be doing away with.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the National Resatuarant Association, the lobbying arm of restaurant bosses.
Ryan, Lou, and Greg discuss a case that threatens labor in front of the Supreme Court, and NY governor Kathy Hochul's curious choice for chief justice.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss Hollywood's exploitation of its VFX artists, and the threat posed by AI art.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss Southwest Airlines' holiday meltown, and the industry's broader labor problems.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the Biden administration's decision to impose an unpopular bargain agreement on railroad workers who had threatened to strike
Ryan, Noah and Lou discuss the recent layoffs at Gannett, and then the recent layoffs at Elon Musk-owned Twitter.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss working from home, and the way it ties in to broader issues facing workers
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the successful unionization of Minor League Baseball players.
Ryan talks to Ross about their experiences working in the rail industry, and a contract battle that may result in the first nationwide strike in 30 years.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss recent unionization efforts in food service industries that have rarely seen them.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the climate legislation making its way through Congress, and the trouble with privately owned utilities.
Ryan and Noah talk to Tyler about a police shooting in Akron, and what organizers on the left can do about the issue.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss labor conditions in the video game industry, which has recently seen its first unionization in North America.
Noah talks to Crystal and Christine about the impending Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the failures of leading pro-choice groups to issue full-throated defenses of abortion.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the gutting of public services in the US, and what governments choose to fund instead.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the encouraging signs of a more active NLRB under the Biden administration.
Ryan and Noah talk with Tina about her experiences working as a nurse during the pandemic, and the things pushing people away from the field.
Ryan, Rich, and Noah discuss the 1946 Rochester General Strike, and the lessons that can be taken from it 76 years later.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the breakthrough unionization of an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the deja vu of the pandemic being declared over and workers being pressured back into offices.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the outcome of Major League Baseball's lockout, now that it's over.
Ryan and Noah talk with Drew about their experiences forming a co-op after their previous workplace shuttered
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the lockout in Major League Baseball, and the conditions faced by those who haven't yet reached the majors.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the impact Omicron is having on workers, and why Democrats seem loath to do anything about it.
In the second part of this year's Genius Awards, Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss honorable mentions, the geniuses who are now out of jobs, and name the Genius of the Year
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss some of the year's lesser geniuses in the first half of the third annual Genius Awards
Lou, Kate, and Noah discus the impending Supreme Court ruling on abortion, and its potential impacts on the working class.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss how ongoing Supply Chain Issues and increased inflation will affect this year's Black Friday and why this is once again a deliberate policy choice.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the unionization effort underway at Starbucks locations in Buffalo, and management's hamfisted responses
Ryan, Noah, and Zoe discuss recent sexual abuse scandals in the NWSL and NHL, and the disparity between their respective unions' responses. Content warning: sexual assault
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss how organized labor has, and has not, responded to the pandemic.
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Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the weird story of Ozy Media, which received hundreds of millions of dollars and very little attention.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss recent events in the world of labor, and something called the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.
Ryan, Noah and Zoë discuss amateur sports in light of the recent Supreme Court decision impacting NCAA athletes and the end of the 2020 Olympic Games.
Lou, Noah, and Greg discuss recent rulings from the Supreme Court, and rule changes from the NLRB
Ryan, Rich, and Jen discuss the Battle of Blair Mountain, one of the most heated conflicts in U.S. labor history
Ryan and Noah discuss the narrative that expanded unemployment benefits have resulted in a labor shortage in the service industry.
Ryan and Noah discuss the worrying trend of employers watching their workers on and off the clock
Andrew talks with Andi and Lex, restaurant workers who successfully unionized their workplace.
Ryan, Lou, and Mev discuss commuting as many workers prepare to return to their offices.
Ryan, Mev, and Lou discuss unemployment, and how exhausting the process of looking for work can be.
Ryan, Greg, and Alex discuss the trend of companies espousing progressive views - on everything except labor.
Lou, Rachel, Emily, and Mev discuss the state of the MeToo movement in 2021, in light of accusations made about Governor Andrew Cuomo's misconduct.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the disturbing trend of workers being attacked for trying to enforce mask rules during the pandemic.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the failure of Senate Democrats to pass minimum wage, the push for the PRO Act, and how America's structures impact workers.
Ryan and Rachel are joined by Jon and Becca to discuss working in comedy and theater before and during the pandemic.
Ryan, Mohini, and Jean Allen discuss the debate over raising the minimum wage, the chances of it happening through congress, and what lessons can be learned from the Fight For 15 movement
Ryan and Noah talk to Colette Shade about her article in the New Republic "Crying at Work Isn't The Answer"
Ryan talks to freelance photographers Jenn March and Joe Philipson to discuss the difficulty of finding stability in that line of work.
Ryan and Noah discuss the gig economy, and the threat it poses to labor standards nationwide.
Ryan talks to Kate and Graham about their experiences working at non-profits, and the history of the sector in the United States.
Ryan and Noah talk to Liz about the problems facing farmers and farmworkers in the U.S.
Ryan and Noah examine why Trump had some convinced he was an ally of the working class, and discuss what to expect from a Biden administration.
Ryan talks to listener James about his experiences working at a pair of dangerous jobs.
Ryan talks to retired postal worker Jim to discuss recent goings on at the post office.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the short-lived wave of strikes against police violence by athletes, and what they say for the broader labor movement.
Noah, Arthur, Brian and Jake discuss their thoughts, as teachers, on their respective schools' reopening plans.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the current state of affairs in the United States, and how we got here.
Noah, Lou, and Greg discuss recent Supreme Court decisions and their impact on LGBTQ workers.
Ryan talks to Noah, Rich, and Chris about the push to reopen schools in the fall, and their concerns.
Noah and Lou discuss the cultural attitudes that have America in its current predicament
Ryan and Noah discuss the place of police unions within broader labor organizations, and the place of police in city budgets.
Noah, jake, Brian, and Arthur discuss how their work as teachers has had to change during the Coronavirus pandemic,
Ryan, Chris, and Rich discuss the impacts of coronavirus on the world of sports, and the health and financial risks posed to players as leagues resume play.
Noah, Lou, and Walter discuss working from home, and how the current crisis will be used to sell changes to work going forward.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss how the pandemic response has enriched some of the country's richest companies.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss why the "hero" label given to essential workers during coronavirus rings hollow.
Ryan and Earl discuss, remotely, some of the myriad ways in which companies are squeezing workers during the coronavirus crisis.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss some of the myriad ways the coronavirus pandemic is affecting workers, and potential responses to the crisis
Noah, Lou, and Anita discuss the nebulous quality of grit, which all workers are now expected to possess
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss recent stories that illustrate how employers are using new technologies to make workers jump through hoops.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the ways bosses take advantage of those entering the workforce.
Ryan, Rich, and Anita discuss and critique television depictions of working class issues and the police.
Ryan, Earl, and Dave discuss the obstacles to organizing in white collar fields such as tech and journalism.
In the first part of the Genius Awards 2019, Ryan, Noah and Lou mock some of the year's most brilliant figures, including old favorite Adam Neumann.
Ryan, Rich, and Lou discuss getting hurt on the job, and how the Trump administration is making things less safe for everyone.
Noah, Louise, and Jean Allen try to define the concept of emotional labor: what it is, but also what it is not.
Ryan, Noah, and Rich discuss Kamala Harris's proposal to extend school days, and why it's the wrong solution to working parents' problems.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the 2019ness of WeWork, and what it says about the broader gig economy.
Rich, Earl, and Lisa discuss Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and how their approaches to labor policy differ.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss private equity, the industry secretly behind the collapse of everything from local news outlets to grocery stores.
Ryan, Noah, and Earl address some common misconceptions about what it means to be working class.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the ongoing UAW strike, and the UAW's prominent place in American labor history.
American companies have the ability to severely curtail their workers' political speech. Ryan and Noah discuss this, and try to figure out just what they mean by "politics."
Lou and Kate talk about child care, an industry that currently doesn't serve the workers who provide it or those who need it.
Noah and Rich discuss Amazon's latest effort to make their working conditions sound tolerable.
Ryan, Noah, and Earl discuss a last week's walkout at an Amazon warehouse, and the company's broader ambitions.
On July 4th, Noah and Louise talk about American labor history, and what freedom really means.
Ryan and Noah discuss New York's Greenlight Law, Wayfair workers' walkout, and the exploitation of undocumented immigrants.
Alfred. Rich, and Linda discuss their experiences as adjuncts, and the stark contrasts between those of full-time faculty.
Noah, Louise, and Alfred return to Noah's inbox to learn more about how HR departments view the world.
Noah and Anita discuss a few of the many Democratic candidates for president, and their respective approaches towards labor.
Ryan, Noah, and Earl discuss the tech industry's vision for the future of work, and recent pushback from employees of its biggest companies.
Noah and Louise discuss the psychological impacts of work, in light of recent stories about Facebook's content moderators.
Ryan, Noah, and Anita discuss recent stories about labor issues in the video game industry, from crunch to sexism.
Noah, Zoe, and Greg discuss the bleak landscape for LGBTQ workers' rights as a major Supreme Court decision looms.
Ryan, Noah, and Earl discuss the meritocratic ideal so commonly held in America, and why it is misguided.
Rich talks to activists Chris and Jai about the power of police unions, and why they shouldn't be thought of like other unions.
Noah, Ryan, and Louise discuss three groups of workers being underpaid by colleges; athletes, adjuncts, and grad students.
Noah talks to Bryan and Jake about their experiences as teachers trying to organize for better conditions in their workplaces.
Noah, Rachel, and Anita talk about student debt, at both a personal and national level.
Noah, Ryan, and Chris discuss baseball's free agency freezeout, and the way it reflects trends in and out of the sports world.
Ryan, Noah, and Lou discuss the impact climate change will have on the working class, and why the labor movement hasn't yet caught on.
Ryan, Rich, and Earl discuss the so-called government shutdown's impacts on federal employees, and lessons they could learn from the LA Teachers' strike.
Dave and Mike host a discussion with local artists Ray Ray, Tara, and Gary about their work, and the struggle to get paid for it.
Check out some of their work: http://rayraymitrano.com/ http://www.vsw.org/ https://garylamaar.bandcamp.com/
Ryan talks with teachers Noah and Nicole about their jobs, the struggles they face, and the changes they'd make to improve their line of work.
Noah, Louise, and Greg discuss the changes to the American labor landscape over the past year, and whether workers can hope for better in the future.
Ryan, Earl, and Sid discuss the thrill of quitting, and the obstacles keeping people from leaving bad jobs.
Lou, Amanda, and Zoe discuss the difficulties for women in coaching sports, and how it reflects broader issues for women obtaining leadership positions.
Ryan and Lou talk to Sid about his work as an inside organizer, attempting to build union power from the inside.
Louise and Rachel discuss their experiences working retail on Black Friday, and, along with Noah, try to come up with a better alternative.
Ryan, Noah, and Earl discuss 80-hour weeks at Rockstar Games and the ethos that produces such conditions.
Louise and Noah set out the case against management - at least as it's presently conducted.
Originally, we aired two half-hour episodes on the subject of healthcare. Here they are spliced together!
Louise, Ryan, and Noah share some October horror stories—the violent labor battles that get overlooked in history class, and the continued resonance of class warfare today.
Andrew, Jay, and John discuss "the side-hustle," the secondary work now ubiquitous among millennials.
Noah, Karen, and Rich revisit Puerto Rico, one year after Hurricane Maria, to discuss the ways in which the recovery is being used to weaken worker power.
On our 50th episode, Lou, Noah, and Amanda discuss the job-shaming discourse, and what liberals get wrong about the "dignity of work."
Ryan, Lou, and David talk about the weekend, how it came to be, and how to make it better for all workers.
Ryan, Noah, and Earl discuss workplace democracy, and why it's so important, in light of a recent bill by Elizabeth Warren.
Ryan, Lyle and returning guest Zoe discuss their difficulties trying to make money in journalism, and the broader problems plaguing the industry.
Rich, Ryan, and Cadejo explore the Democratic Party's dual-history of posing as a "Party of the People" while trying to shut out the working-class and its more radical elements.
Lou and Amanda are joined by guest Zoe Hayden, founder of VictoryPress.org, to talk about the labor problems facing women's sports.
Ryan, Earl, and Nadia discuss David Graeber's book "Bullshit Jobs," and the significance of the fact that so many people are doing meaningless work.
Ariel and Tom talk with journalist Doug Henwood about the complex but relevant world of finance capital and the issues of the day.
The song at the end is "Ghosts of American Astronauts," by The Mekons
In the third episode of our Human Resentments series, Noah, Alfred, and Louise dive back into the emails that explain how HR professionals view the world
Where should #MeToo go from here? What would real justice entail for victims of sexual harassment and assault? Rachel, Mohini, and Emily try to untangle the issues of power imbalance and consent in the workplace and beyond.
We pieced together some of our past conversations about what the future could look like. Segments on this show come from episodes 11, 24, 33, 31, 18, and 29.
Noah, Amanda, and Louise discuss the trope of the genius on TV, in history, and in our present society, and offer a counter-narrative about how society's great achievements are made.
Ryan, Noah, and Amanda take a closer look at the labor histories of America's major sports, to find out how things got to be the way they are today.
Ryan, Noah, and Louise discuss the wide variety of ways in which the Trump administration is empowering bosses at the expense of their workers
Ryan talks with David about his experience driving for Uber and Lyft, and the ways in which gig economy companies exploit workers.
Lou, Cadejo and Rachel discuss the attitudes and people that make working in retail particularly unpleasant
Lou, Rachel and Amanda discuss the experience of being a woman at work, and the various archetypes and norms to which women are expected to adhere.
What would a federal job guarantee mean for workers? What would it mean for society? Ryan, Noah and Earl take some time explore the possibilities and pitfalls of the idea.
Tom, Chris and Ariel sit down with Nashville-based musician Buick Audra of "Friendship Commanders" to get some insight into the life of a working musician in today's grueling entertainment industry. Featuring a clip from Friendship Commanders' song "Animals Of Pride" of the album "DAVE."
Lou, Amanda, and Karen talk about work-life balance as it exists under capitalism, and what a good balance would actually look like
Just in time for May Day, Rich, Cadejo, and Nadia tell the story of the Haymarket Affair and discussed the continued struggle for an eight-hour work day.
Ryan, Abby, and Earl engage on a wide-ranging discussion that goes from work ethic to the ongoing teachers' strikes and back again. The article that inspired the title of this episode, an excerpt of which is read in the final minutes, can be found here: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/01/alive-in-the-sunshine/
Ryan plays DJ for an hour of songs about work and labor.
The full list of songs played on this show: Billy Bragg - There is Power in a Union Among The Oak & Ash - Joseph Hillstrom (1879-1915) Johnny Paycheck - Take This Job And Shove It Johnny Cash - Sixteen Tons (Live) Bruce Springsteen - Factory Bon Jovi - Living On A Prayer A Tribe Called Quest - Rap Promoter Lynyrd Skynyrd - Working For the MCA The Clash - Magnificent Seven (Live) The Minutemen - This Ain’t No Picnic MDC - I Hate Work Rancid - Harry Bridges Sleater-Kinney - Price Tag Nine Inch Nails - The Hand That Feeds Love And Rockets - Dog End Of A Day Gone By
Last time, Louise, Alfred and Noah gave you a peek into the secret world of Human Resources. Listen as they go even deeper. What they find will shock you . . . Or probably not, if you listen to this show.
Noah, Karen, and Rich talk about the slow pace of recovery in Puerto Rico, and the vultures now circling the island.
Ariel and Lou talk with Kristin about her work in corporate diversity training and wrestle with issues surrounding the creation of genuinely inclusive workplaces.
Ryan, Rachel, and Dave examine the ways in which unemployment is an economic benefit for some, but a punishment and source of shame for others.
How should we think about so-called "entry-level" jobs, and those who work them? On this episode, Chris and Ariel discuss the increasing permanence of what used to be considered transitional work.
Alfred is joined by Jonny and Charlotte for a discussion on the obstacles to meaningful employment for adults with disabilities, and how things could be improved.
What do HR departments really think about you? Alfred, Louise, and Noah go straight to the source to find out how employees are always assumed to be trying to get away with something.
Ryan, Noah, and Chris take a look at labor issues in the world of sports, from MMA to the NCAA, with an eye towards why these struggles matter for broader society.
Alfred, Abby, and Babak continue their series on work in popular culture with a focus on movies and how they portray everything from bad bosses to the American Dream.
Karen and Alfred examine the value of work in late capitalism, and speculate about a post-work future.
Lyle and Earl talk with Maria, host of Foreign Exchange on WAYO, about her experience as a freelance translator, and the broader issues facing freelancers as a whole.
Chris, Ariel, and Emily discuss working in local media, and the impact that working conditions have on the quality of journalism we receive.
On the first episode of 2018, Cadejo, Ryan, and Karen look back at the past year for both workers and our show, before looking ahead to what the new year might have in store.
Cadejo, Ryan, and Rich give an overview of key moments in American labor history, and talk about why the past still matters today.
For those interested in learning more, they also recommended some books: From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend American Workers, American Unions Making the New Deal Collision Course Subterranean Fire
Ryan, Rich, and Amanda dig into the mythic image of entrepreneurs in American society, and the troubling outcomes of that narrative for Uber drivers and LuLaRoe sellers alike.
Articles referenced: https://thebaffler.com/salvos/dreams-incorporated https://qz.com/1039331/mlms-like-avon-and-lularoe-are-sending-people-into-debt-and-psychological-crisis/
Abby, Babak and Alfred discuss how portrayals of work and workers in literature were consumed by a popular audience, and how those fictional images of work still reverberate within our political and cultural landscape today. They talk about bad bosses, labyrinths of bureaucracy, silencing of dissent, violently suppressed workers, and the toxic influence of certain books on the impressionable and simplistic minds of policy makers today.
On the second part of our discussion on healthcare, Karen, Abby, and Nadia discuss the New York Health Act and the possibility for universal healthcare in NY.
Groups fighting for the bill include http://www.nyhcampaign.org/ http://www.dsa-rochester.org/ http://www.metrojustice.org/
In the first part of our discussion on healthcare, Karen, Abby, and Nadia talk about our current system of employer-sponsored insurance, how it came about, and the problems it poses for women in particular.
This article gets a mention: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/facing-brain-surgery-a-health-economist-finds-the-health-care-market-hard-to-navigate/2012/11/05/0a931b5c-fcf1-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_story.html
Cadejo, Nadia, and Rachel talk about the overnight shift, and how night workers are subjected to harassment and health problems.
Emily, Ariel, and Chris discuss sexual harassment in the workplace, in light of highly-public recent examples. They interview Gwen, a former nurse who was made to choose between her own safety and providing much needed care for a patient.
Ryan, Tom, and Alfred talk about the exploitation of prison labor, those who benefit from the practice, and how it impacts those who aren't incarcerated as well as those behind bars.
Articles discussed: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/magazine/the-incarcerated-women-who-fight-californias-wildfires.html https://www.revealnews.org/article/they-thought-they-were-going-to-rehab-they-ended-up-in-chicken-plants/
Karen, Lyle and Richard talk about Amazon's quest for public money in exchange for crappy jobs.
Abby, Babak, & Alfred make the argument that liberal arts educations are now neoliberal arts educations, where meritocracy myths and romantic ideals about the pursuit of Knowledge mix with predatory pricing and high student loan debts to reproduce privilege for the already-privileged, and produce an indebted and desperate workforce made up of everyone else.
With threats of retribution for protesting athletes in the news, Ryan and Cadejo discuss the broader of free speech in the workplace, and the different rules bosses and their workers.
On our third episode, Chris, Ariel, and Emily talk to Salvatore about his layoff from a company after 20 years, and how these mass layoffs result in the precarity faced by those entering the workforce today.
On our second episode, Karen, Lyle, and Rich discuss the workplace dangers faced by nurses and the history of the 1199 union.
On the first episode of Punching Out, Alfred, Abby, and Babak spoke with Parisa about the unpleasantness of her first job, and we discussed work in the STEM fields.