Labor History Today

Labor History Today

Author: laborhistorytoday Language: English Episodes: 100
Behind every weekend, every safety regulation, and every paycheck that feels fair, there's a story-often a forgotten one. Labor History Today digs into those stories, moving beyond dry dates and names to recover the voices and confrontations that built the world we work in. Each episode connects a pivotal moment from the past, like the fight for an eight-hour day or the rise of a major union, directly to the conversations happening on picket lines and in break rooms right now. You'll hear about the strategies that succeeded, the personalities that led the charge, and the setbacks that reshaped movements. This isn't just a history podcast; it's a deep look at how understanding the battles for worker rights, from centuries ago to just decades past, provides essential context for today's struggles over wages, conditions, and dignity. Tune in for a grounded, narrative-driven exploration of how yesterday's strikes, protests, and organizing victories continue to fuel the demand for a more just tomorrow.
Episodes
The Greensboro Sit-Ins and the Power of Direct Action [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:22
This week on Labor History Today: The 66th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins — a turning point that helped ignite the modern Civil Rights Movement and reshaped American politics. We feature an in-depth conversation f…
A Banjo, a Brick, and a Bible [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:31
This week on Labor History Today, we remember Pete Seeger and how his songs helped build movements—from union halls to civil rights and environmental campaigns. Then we turn to the 1933 Funsten Nut Strike in St. Louis, l…
The Poet of the Lawrence Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
This episode of Labor History Today features historian Marcella Bencivenni on Arturo Giovannitti—Italian immigrant, poet, socialist, and labor organizer—whose role in the 1912 Lawrence textile strike made him a target of…
The Homestead Strike in Film and Song [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:26
This week on Labor History Today, we explore how the 1892 Homestead Strike continues to live on—not just in books and archives, but in film, music, and living memory. We begin with labor scholar and cultural critic Kathl…
Made by Labour [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
This week on Labor History Today, Simon Sapper talks with historian Martin Wright, co-author of Made by Labour: A Material and Visual History of British Labor, 1780–1924. The book traces the rise of the world’s first mod…
When Workers Tell Their Own Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:32
This week on Labor History Today, we move from repression to resistance—and from history to possibility. We begin with Labor History in Two and the 1917 trial of labor leader Tom Mooney, a stark reminder of how the justi…
Cecil Roberts: “ You must continue to fight”(Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:31
On this week’s Labor History Today: From Camp Solidarity in Matewan, West Virginia—the heart of the legendary Mine Wars—UMWA President Cecil Roberts reflects on the long struggle of coal miners to claim America’s promise…
Who’s Got the Power? Labor’s Post-Pandemic Upsurge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
In this episode of Labor History Today, labor organizer and researcher Eric Dirnbach talks with Dave Kamper, author of Who’s Got the Power: Hope for Troubled Times, about the post-pandemic union upsurge. From graduate st…
Labor’s Philadelphia Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:32
This week on Labor History Today, we head to Philadelphia with an excerpt from the Labor Jawn podcast. Hosts Sam and Gabe talk with labor historian Dr. Francis Ryan about Philly’s central role in U.S. labor history, why…
The Country Song That Powered a General Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:48
This week on Labor History Today, we revisit the 1946 Oakland General Strike through the eyes of labor educator and activist Stan Weir — and uncover the surprising role a chart-topping “country” hit played on the picket…