This is Jackabin Radio and I'm Susie Wiseman.

Imagine you walk into a warehouse where the workers are on break and you stumble into a vigorous

nuanced discussion of Marx's notion of surplus value, how it relates to organizing on the shop floor,

and then how it applies to flexible and often women's

labor. Then the conversation turns to Gramsci and workers councils in Turin and

you know you aren't in Kansas. This is exactly what Carolina Bonnio's

encountered on her first visit to a warehouse in Chile beginning her study of

how unions responded to Walmart's entry into Chile that turned into the book, Building Power From Below,

Chillion workers take on Walmart. Incredibly, the majority of Walmart's workers in

Chile are unionized. Yes, at Walmart, the epitome of vigilant anti-unionism. Part of the

deal Walmart had to accept when the U.S.'s largest employer bought a supermarket chain

with a degree of worker organization already in place.

The biggest story is what happened next.

Chillion retail and warehouse workers built their power by organizing rank and file

lead unions and winning real economic gains,

along with respect and dignity on the job.

We'll ask Caroline about the tactics

and strategies they use to challenge Walmart culture

and pose the question

whether they are applicable elsewhere, especially right

here in the United States.

And then Nelson Lictonstein joins the discussion on Walmart and organizing retail workers

...