CUNY TV's City Works: Recent Episodes
CUNY TV
City Works is a show that highlights the vast array of workers across New York City. Hosted by Laura Flanders and produced in collaboration with the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, the show spotlights the occupations and projects of the working people of our city, with inquiry carried out by one of the nation’s most outstanding universities.
On this hour-long episode of City Works, Laura speaks to the political directors of three unions to discuss what’s at stake for workers in the 2024 presidential election, and post-electoral strategies to keep organized labor on the offense.
On this special episode of City Works, Laura takes us through the last year of conversations with organizers from the UAW, the WGAE, and the PSC, as well as local labor advocates in NY, to explore the resurgence of labor activity around the country.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders talks to Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, attorney Richard Winsten, and reporter Amir Khafagy, about the rise of immigrant construction worker deaths in the city and the organizing being done to reverse it.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks with Vincent Alvarez of the NYC Central Labor Council and Council Member Carmen De La Rosa about the current state of organized labor in the city, and the impact unions have had on their own lives.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks with Richard Blum from the Legal Aid Society and Joanna Wuest from Mount Holyoke College, to talk about the rise and importance of LGBTQ+ leadership in the organized labor movement.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks with James Davis from the PSC, and Anne Balay from SEIU Local 509, about the adjunct professors struggling with low pay, long hours, and insecure employment in colleges around the country.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks with Mikhael Simmonds from CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism, and Virginia Doellgast from Cornell ILR, about the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders interviews CUNY SLU's Kafui Attoh and Cameron Black and Georgetown’s Katie Wells about some remarkable transformations in the labor market that are reimagining the way people work and earn a living.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to Brian Schneck, President of UAW Local 259, and Jane Slaughter, co-founder of Labor Notes, about the UAW’s historic strike and victory against the “big three” automakers.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to labor historian Steve Fraser and Nina Mast, an economic analyst with the Economic Policy Institute, about the EPI’s recent report on the alarming increase in child labor across the country.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to labor historian Jeff Schuhrke and organizer Ron Kaminkow about the critical working conditions faced by our nation’s railroad workers and their fight for workplace justice.
On this episode of City Works, staff writer for Jacobin Magazine Alex Press, and WGAE council member Josh Gondelman sit down with Laura Flanders to talk about the WGA and SAG-AFTRA’s ongoing strikes in the entertainment industry.
On this special one-hour edition of City Works, new developments and new strategies from organizers, union leaders and labor scholars who participated at the recent SLU conference, “How Workers Win: Rebuilding Labor’s Power for the 21st Century”.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders talks to Irene Tung, a Senior Researcher at NELP, and Ellen Dichner, former Chief Counsel with the NLRB, about how legislation is aiming to push back against unjust firings and other abuses by employers.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders is joined by CWA organizer Erin Mahoney, Polygon journalist Nicole Carpenter, and QA tester Rhyanna Eichner for an inside look at the unprecedented push to unionize the video games industry.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders is joined by tenant advocates Jasmin Sanchez and James Rodriguez to discuss the importance of public housing to New York’s working class, and efforts to protect it from privatization.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to journalist Juan González about his long career in social activism, the history of American journalism, and his advice for new generations of organizers and advocates.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to Rebecca Lurie, LaRay Brown, and NYC Council Member Sandy Nurse about the recent enthusiasm surrounding worker cooperatives and their potential to build more just workplaces.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders hosts a reporter roundtable with journalists Rozina Ali, Gabrielle Gurley, and Kim Kelly, to talk about the 2022 midterm election and how working people figured into the results
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to Ellen Cassedy, co-founder of the 9to5 movement, and Sarita Gupta, VP of U.S. Programs at the Ford Foundation, to discuss the history and current state of organizing women in offices and beyond.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to organizers from both new and veteran unions, with Brett Daniels from the Amazon Labor Union and Joanne Borts from Actors’ Equity.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to Ligia Guallpa, Joshua Wood and Andrew Wolf, three activists working to organize NYC’s app-based delivery workers for better working conditions in the often hazardous profession.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to the authors of a new book, The Future We Need, about organizing in new industries and beyond. And organizer Marianne LeNabat talks about the hard work that lies ahead of recent labor victories.
On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks with Professor Penny Lewis about her new book, A People’s Guide to New York City. And an SLU digital event explores what role worker pension funds can play in building a progressive economy.
On this episode of City Works, host Laura Flanders examines the growing crisis in elder care with National Domestic Workers Alliance founder Ai-jen Poo, former NYC Deputy Mayor J. Philip Thompson and Public Health Professor Maggie Ornstein.
On this episode of City Works, two outstanding thinkers, NYC Health Department First Deputy Commissioner Dr. Torian Easterling and author/journalist Heather McGhee, help unravel the fundamental inequality that holds back this nation.
Executive Director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, Bhairavi Desai, and NYC Taxi Owner/Driver, Richard Chow, speak to City Works host Laura Flanders about their historic campaign to alleviate the huge financial crisis faced by medallion owners.
On this episode of City Works, host Laura Flanders speaks to the director of CUNY SLU’s International Program for Labor, Climate and Environment, Sean Sweeney, who recently attended the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Scotland.
On this episode, Zephyr Teachout and SLU's Samir Sonti talk about a renewed public interest in breaking up industrial monopolies. And Laura Flanders talks to columnist Christopher Mims about his new book “Arriving Today", and the global supply chain
On this episode of City Works, the de Blasio administration is reexamined in a “Tale of Two Cities Revisited” panel discussion held by SLU, and by guest Deepak Bhargava, who talks about the progressive agenda and its prospects under the next mayor.
On this episode of City Works, Laura speaks to Ruth Milkman and Stephanie Luce about two reports that they co-authored: the annual State of the Unions Report, and Changing the Subject, a report on Occupy Wall Street and its effects ten years later
What can the experiences of disabled workers tell us about the possibilities of work after COVID? On the season premiere of City Works, Laura Flanders talks with three advocates about the past, present and future of disability in the workplace.
Join us for a discussion with two leading LGBTQ activists at a pivotal time for the transgender workforce. Features Kris Hayashi, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center, and Amber Hollibaugh, activist, filmmaker, and author.
On this episode: worker wins and losses. While the union drive at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama failed, undocumented workers gained a huge victory elsewhere. Joining Laura Flanders are Jessica Garcia from the RWDSU, and Angeles Solis.
Essential workers are the life blood of New York City, and have been most vulnerable at the forefront of work during the pandemic. What does the future hold for them? Laura Flanders talks to an MTA bus driver, a teacher, and a public health expert.
Laura Flanders chats with Dorian Warren Felicia Wong to discuss the Biden administration's connection to the working class. Plus, highlights from the SLU public forum entitled "The First 100 Days: Policy Priorities for Labor and Social Justice Movements."
Laura Flanders sits down with Cea Weaver, a tenant advocate, and Winsome Pendergrass, a domestic worker, both who have fought for tenant's rights and against evictions, to discuss tenant organizing in this fraught time.
Laura Flanders discusses the Joe Biden electoral win for President, and what it means for labor. Roundtable includes Harold Meyerson of the American Spectator, freelance journalist Michelle Chen, Juan Manuel Benitez of NY1, and Jeet Heer of The Nation.
Laura Flanders talks with Professor Janet Gornick of the CUNY Graduate Center about economics and poverty in a time of COVID-19; and Minnie Roh reports on businesses and workers during this challenging time, and how they have endured.
Laura Flanders speaks with Ruth Milkman about her new book, "Immigrant Labor and the New Precaroit." And later, she talks to Cristina Jimenez of United We Dream and Kazi Fauzia of DRUM NYC about changing the immigration narrative in an election year.
Can police unions work in any meaningful way with labor and BLM movements? Laura Flanders talks with Terry Melvin, Executive Director of the Racial Justice Task Force of the AFL-CIO, and David Unger, SLU labor educator.
Highlights from a conference on immigrant and migrant workers featuring Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal; and stories from two COVID-19 frontline workers, Kelly Cabrera from Jacobi Medical Center, and Dr. Frank Proscia.
How are domestic workers faring in this pandemic? Laura Flanders speaks with Ai-Jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Crystal Crawford, a domestic worker in Atlanta, about the challenges these unofficial essential workers face.
Laura Flanders talks with Wes McEnany, of the Campaign to Organize Digital Workers, and Kevin Agwaze, of Game Workers United UK, about the stressful working conditions gamers and coders face, and what is being done to change it.
Host Laura Flanders talks with Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, President of NYSNA and an E.R. nurse at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, and Pat Kane, RN, Executive Director of NYSNA, about what healthcare means on the front lines.
Randi Weingarten; Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates on the strikes of 2019 and what comes next.
On this month's program: Highlights from the recent "Beyond Resistance: A Progressive Immigration Agenda for 2020" held at the School of Labor and Urban Studies. And, a follow-up interview with Deepak Bhargava.
On this month’s City Works: Street vendors and the issues they face; Vincent Alvarez, President, New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Beverley Brakeman of the UAW; and subway opera.
On this month's City Works: A look at the pervasive problem of wage theft; bartender and aspiring actress Christian Cordova; Ruth Milkman on the State of the Unions; and subway dancer Isyrel Jules Tales.
On the first episode of City Works: How gig workers make ends meet; what nail salon workers are doing to improve conditions; author Steve Greenhouse on labor history; a blacksmith in Central Park; and the Robert Anderson Jazz Band.