New Union Leader Matt Harris of Plumbers Local 8 and Donna Birks Takes the Lead at LEPCI

New Union Leader Matt Harris of Plumbers Local 8 and Donna Birks Takes the Lead at LEPCI

Author: KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio September 9, 2025 Duration: 1:00:00
Albert Einstein once said he’d rather have been a plumber. Here in KC Plumbers Local 8 has a new leader - Matt Harris. He’ll be on the Heartland Labor Forum this week. Then, Donna Birks rose through the ranks to become financial secretary of UAW Local 31 at the GM Fairfax plant, then led the Tri-County Labor Council and now in retirement is heading Labor’s Educational and Political Club Independent. We’ll talk to both Matt and Donna. Our feature is Labor Song of the Month with Mark Galus.

Drawn from the archives of the long-running radio program, the Heartland Labor Forum podcast brings you direct, unfiltered conversations about work, power, and the fight for dignity on the job. Produced by KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio, this series stands as the city's sole dedicated program focusing entirely on the workplace. It’s a space where workers' voices take center stage, offering perspectives often missing from mainstream news. Each episode digs into the real stories shaping labor in the Heartland and beyond, from local organizing drives and contract battles to national policy debates that impact everyday lives. You’ll hear from union members, organizers, journalists, and workers in non-unionized settings, all sharing experiences that clarify, motivate, and sometimes rightly anger. This isn't theoretical commentary; it's grounded reporting and analysis that speaks directly to the challenges and triumphs of working people. Tune in for a podcast that cuts through the noise, providing essential listening for anyone who earns a paycheck and wants to understand the forces that shape it. The archive is rich with history and immediacy, ensuring every discussion-whether from last week or last year-remains urgently relevant.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Heartland Labor Forum
Podcast Episodes
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Workers have been singing while working and singing about working since antiquity. This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we give thanks for labor and work songs that they’ve written. […] The post Thanks for the Labor M…
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