Belabored Podcast #136: Countdown to Janus, with Andy Stettner

Belabored Podcast #136: Countdown to Janus, with Andy Stettner

Janus v. AFSCME is the Supreme Court case labor has been dreading. Andrew Stettner of the Century Foundation joins us to talk what it means for workers and unions.

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The labor movement has been living in the shadow of a national assault on public-sector collective bargaining for a while now. We’ve talked a lot about Harris v. Quinn, how labor dodged a bullet with that case, and dodged another with the death of Scalia before the Friedrichs case could be decided. But Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31 is likely to be the case labor has been dreading, and we break it down for you today with Andy Stettner of the Century Foundation.

We also look at Uber’s failures in London and neoliberalism’s failures in France, a union drive at the Los Angeles Times and a labor solidarity mission to Puerto Rico post-hurricanes. For Argh, we consider forced labor “rehab” facilities, and how moving left is the solution to the rise of the populist right.

If you think our work is worth supporting as we soldier on through Trumplandia, please consider becoming a sustaining member of Belabored or donating or subscribing to Dissent. Help keep us going for the next 136 episodes!

News

The False Promise of Macron’s Labor Reforms (The Nation)

Macron tells workers protesting job losses to ‘stop wreaking f***ing havoc’ (Independent)

Is Uber Still Working in London? Taxi App’s Fate Hangs in the Balance after UK Ban (Independent)

Los Angeles Times Newsroom, Challenging Tronc, Goes Public With Union Push (New York Times)

Letter to the Los Angeles Times Newsroom (Los Angeles Times Guild)

New York unions send workers, thousands in donations to aid hurricane victims in Puerto Rico (New York Daily News)

Michelle:  Trump’s Visit Didn’t Help Puerto Rico’s Recovery Efforts. This Sustainable-Energy Plan Could. (The Nation)

Conversation: 

Andrew Stettner at the Century Foundation

Supreme Court poised to deal a sharp blow to unions for teachers and public employees (LA Times)

Building Power before Janus–And After: Lessons from CUNY (Labor Notes)

Argh, I Wish I’d Written That!

Sarah: Amy Julia Harris and Shoshana Walter, They thought they were going to rehab. They ended up in chicken plants (Reveal)

Michelle: Paul Mason, The AfD’s breakthrough shows that parties of the left must get radical (Guardian)