Labor Jawn: In Story & Song

Labor Jawn: In Story & Song

Author: Gabe Christy and Young Sam James December 24, 2025 Duration: 1:55:28
On November 18, 2022, Labor Jawn hosted their first live show In Story and Song at the Philadelphia Folksong Society. Join the hosts of the Labor Jawn podcast in celebrating the labor movement through song and story. Relive the struggles and victories of the working class with historian Gabe Christy as musician Young Sam James leads you and a few special guests in the anthems and ballads that defined an entire movement. Guests are Pie-Eyed Preachers, Bevan Dayn, and Molly Hebert-Wilson. Intro...

There’s a particular rhythm to a city’s past, one often drowned out by the usual stories of founders and famous figures. Labor Jawn tunes into a different frequency, following the beat of everyday life and collective struggle that truly built Philadelphia. Hosted by historian Gabe Christy and musician Young Sam James, this podcast digs into the rich, gritty, and frequently overlooked working-class history of the city and the wider world it connects to. Each episode feels like a conversation you’d overhear in a neighborhood taproom, blending rigorous historical research with the cultural echoes found in music and art. You’ll hear about the factory floors and union halls, the dockyards and domestic spaces where ordinary people organized, created, and pushed for change. The dynamic between Christy’s expertise and James’s cultural insight makes the past feel immediate and surprisingly relevant, revealing how yesterday’s fights for dignity and a fair wage still resonate today. It’s a deep, engaging listen for anyone curious about the real foundations of a city, understanding that history is never just about dates, but about the sound of countless voices rising together. Find more from Labor Jawn wherever you get your podcasts.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Labor Jawn
Podcast Episodes
General Strike of 1835 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:00
The first general strike in US history. Originally aired: January 3, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Tinicum & Eastwick - Interview with Will Caverly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:32
In this special interview episode, Sam and Gabe are joined by Will Caverly, author of Tinicum & Eastwick: Environmental Justice and Racial Injustice in Southwest Philadelphia. When plans to overhaul Southwest Philadelphi…
1975 Pennsylvania AFSCME Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:23
After years of fighting, political pressure, and organizing, municipal employees take on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Originally aired: November 13, 2023. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Shirtwaist Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:51
The 1909-1910 Shirtwaist Strike in Philadelphia and 15 year old union leader, Bessie Hyman. Originally aired: November 22, 2021. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
1971 SEPTA Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:11
After SEPTA officially took over from the defunct Philadelphia Transit Company, Transit Workers United Local 234 had to fight for their next contract, facing opposition from the city, state, and even their own union. Sup…
1946 Bakers Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:04
Amidst post-war inflation, a grain shortage, and growing anti-union sentiment, the bakers of Philadelphia marched out on strike to fight for wages, hours, and conditions. Originally aired: December 25, 2023. Support the…
Transit and Labor History - Interview with Alan Fisher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:59
We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to talk with Alan Fisher, a transit youtuber with an affinity for trains and a passionate distaste for car-centric urban planning. The conversation ranges from the…
1934 Seabrook Farms Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:34
At one of the most industrialized farms in the country, Black and Italian farm workers stood up against violent repression from corrupt policemen, farmer vigilantes, the KKK, and the "Henry Ford of Agriculture," to get f…