The Future of American Labor
Labor writer,\xa0Steven Greenhouse, joins Ralph to discuss his new book \u201cBeaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present and Future of American Labor.\u201d Then Steve, David, and Ralph have a spirited discussion about how the 99% can wrest power from the 1%.
Steven Greenhouse is an award-winning reporter who covered labor and workplace issues for nineteen years at\xa0The New York Times.\xa0 He has also served as a business and economics reporter and a diplomatic and foreign correspondent. His latest work is\xa0Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor.
\u201cI think one of the reasons Trump won Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania is that workers were too misinformed, and they thought Trump was going to do wonders for them. And if unions did a better job communicating, educating, perhaps a weekly email newsletter about how Trump is hurting workers, how Trump has rolled back all these protections that Obama had provided, extending overtime to millions of more workers. Obama issued this very important rule that doesn\u2019t get enough attention that required Wall Street firms to act in the best interests of workers in handling their 401Ks. And Trump, doing a huge favor for Wall Street and really stabbing workers in back, scrapped that rule. Now, it\u2019s much easier for Wall Street firms to rip off workers.\u201d Steven Greenhouse, author of \u201cBeaten Down, Worked Up: The Past Present and Future of American Labor\u201d\xa0
\u201cIn no other industrial nation do corporations fight so hard to beat back and, indeed, quash labor unions. And they threaten to close their plant if they unionize. They threaten to even cut benefits if workers unionize. In 34% of unionization drives \u2013 one study found \u2013 the companies fire the workers who are leading the unionization drive in order to cripple the unionization drive.\u201d Steven Greenhouse, author of \u201cBeaten Down, Worked Up: The Past Present and Future of American Labor\u201d\xa0
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\u201cTens of millions of workers are making less today than workers were paid in 1968 adjusted for inflation, even though \u2013 because of automation etc. \u2013 you are twice as productive. One worker in Walmart produces as much as two workers in Walmart in 1968. You\u2019re getting zero benefit. All the productivity gains are going to pay Walmart\u2019s executives and top managers and not to you.\u201d Ralph Nader RALPH NADER RADIO HOUR EP 294 TRANSCRIPT (Right click to download)Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe