Unions Are Vehicles of Justice (with Mary Kay Henry)

Our America with Julián Castro

Lemonada Media

Society & Culture

4.6 • 884 Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2021

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For over 40 years, Mary Kay Henry has fought for the rights of workers with the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU. With the rise of COVID-19 and an increased reliance on essential workers, these rights have too often been disregarded, leaving many without adequate personal protective equipment or access to fair wages and benefits. This week, Mary Kay joins us to talk about unions as a vehicle of justice for a racially diverse workforce that’s representative of our country. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX. Resources from the episode: SEIU resolution in support of Black Lives Matter National Employment Law Project on raising the minimum wage to $15 NPR on Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan and his Build Back Better economic plan Mobile Workers Alliance Gig Workers Rising Rideshare Drivers United Listen to our episode on immigrant workers benefits, The Luxury of Paid Sick Leave, here Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, it's me Ricky Lake. You probably know me for my hit 90s talk show, but if I'm being totally
0:05.8	honest, I was juggling so much and didn't have time to stop and think about what truly went
0:10.5	into living a full and vibrant life.
0:13.1	We'll fast forward to today, I'm 55 and a half years old
0:16.7	and I am happier than ever.
0:18.4	And I'm so excited to help you find your joy
0:21.4	on my new show, The High Life with Ricky Lake.
0:24.0	Together we'll learn new ways to live better.
0:27.0	Listen to The High Life with Ricky Lake from Lemonotta Media.
0:30.0	Out now, wherever you get your podcasts. Labor unions are one of the strongest tools workers have to improve their conditions.
0:50.0	Time and again, we've seen that when workers band together to demand change, that change happens.
0:57.5	But in spite of this, union membership in America has been on a steady decline since the
1:02.3	early 80s. Right-to-work laws have weakened
1:05.1	the ability to gain leverage against exploitative working practices, and as corporations
1:10.4	like Amazon and Uber become increasingly powerful.
1:14.5	Their efforts to keep workers divided have increased.
1:18.2	Uber, Lyft, and other gig economy companies clinched a major win with the passage of Proposition 22.
1:24.1	That California ballot measure says that they do not have to classify their workers as company
1:28.8	employees.
1:29.8	NBC News tech correspondent Jake Ward explains how Prop 22 could impact those independent workers.
1:37.7	This is going on at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us all just how essential so many of our nation's
1:45.2	workers truly are. These jobs that were invisible, the security officer in a
	...

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