Class Warfare and Economic Analysis; Class Warfare and Organized Labor; and New York Taxi Workers Alliance

Class Warfare and Economic Analysis: Professor Rick Wolff

Economically the United States is at a critical point as billionaires and corporations pull in historic profit during the so called jobless recovery. The United States government and governments worldwide now face rising costs to cover its debt. How does this happen? The local state and federal government need to free up money by taxing corporations and the rich, OR they can start cutting., laying off people and cutting programs. Governments have made the decision to cut without debating an alternative which is to tax the wealthy and the business community.

We talk with returning guest Professor Rick Wolff about the larger post-austerity cuts perspective and why the burden was put on the masses of people while corporations and banks were bailed out with bonuses. As wealth moves upward during this serious crisis, are there any solutions? In a recent article Debts, Truth and Lies in the US, Rick suggests that state and local governments can become less dependent on the federal government and corporations. Instead of giving unemployment compensation to workers, state and local governments could restart their economies by providing the unemployed with capital to start businesses.

Class Warfare and Organized Labor: Attorney Daniel Gross

The very rights that protect organized labor and the benefits of workers are being disassembled during one of the worst economic downturns to hit the United States. These are classic union busting techniques used by corporations and the far right wing of the Republican Party. In the last month, Republican governors of Montana, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey targeted organized labor with insidious laws to dismantle fundamental worker rights such as capping wages and removing bargaining power for public employees. This anti-public union push also reignited a progressive movement among unions in many states ending in some biggest worker demonstrations seen in years, yet some of these laws aimed at pulling apart unions were passed. We’re joined today by attorney Daniel Gross, co-founder and executive director of Brandworkers International, a non-profit organization protecting and advancing the rights of retail and food employees. We talk with him about the of rights of union employees as state politicians backed by corporations strike at the heart of traditional organized labor.

New York Taxi Workers Alliance: Bhairavi Desai

What does organized labor and class activism look like? In New York City, founding member of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance Bhairavi Desai has organized some of the biggest taxi strikes in New York history. The one day strike in April 1999, brought awareness to issues such as unfair regulations, medical checkups and health insurance for drivers.

The mass activism tactics also include going to court. Her activism has created a solidarity with immigrant workers around the world especially in Third World countries where people are forced to migrate into the US for jobs. More than 60 percent of cab drivers are immigrants from South Asia and Bhairavi who was born in India has bridged the many cultural differences. Bhairavi joins us to talk about her tireless work to organize immigrants not only around labor but also quality of life issues.

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