Episode 62 - Introducing New Labor Forum Editor Chris Maisano

Episode 62 - Introducing New Labor Forum Editor Chris Maisano

Author: CUNY SLU October 16, 2025 Duration: 41:46
At a live event at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, New Labor Forum Editor-at-Large Micah Uetricht interviews the journal's new Editor Chris Maisano, who introduces himself, offers some thoughts about the current state of the labor movement, and discusses his article "Does 'Left-Conservatism' Have a Future?" from the Fall 2025 issue of New Labor Forum.

What does it mean to stand together in a world that often feels fragmented? Reinventing Solidarity, from CUNY SLU, digs into that question without easy answers. This isn't a lecture series, but a collection of grounded conversations exploring how connection and mutual support are being reimagined right now. You'll hear from organizers, artists, scholars, and community members who are actively building bridges across differences, examining both the triumphs and the stumbling blocks in contemporary collective action. Each episode focuses on real-world examples, from workplace organizing and neighborhood initiatives to cultural projects that challenge old narratives. The discussions are nuanced, avoiding simple slogans in favor of honest talk about the hard work of building lasting bonds in our communities and institutions. Tune in for a thoughtful exploration of the practical and philosophical sides of coming together. This podcast offers a necessary space to consider how solidarity isn't just a historical concept, but a living, evolving practice we all have a stake in shaping.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 66

Reinventing Solidarity
Podcast Episodes
Episode 55 - New Directions in Labor Politics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:42
Understanding what labor must do under a hostile new presidential administration requires reflection on unions’ successful political strategies in recent years, the nature of contemporary capitalism, the role of politica…
Episode 54 - An Interview with the UAW's Jonah Furman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:51
It's been a new day in the United Auto Workers since the election of Shawn Fain as president in 2023, with the union carrying out an aggressive organizing and political program that has established the UAW as a major pre…
Episode 53 - Labor, Big Tech, and A.I.: The Big Picture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:32
What does the rise of artificial intelligence mean for workers and organized labor? And just what is AI, anyway? New Labor Forum editor-at-large discusses these questions and more with labor reporter Alex Press and techn…
Episode 52 - Free Trade, Repressed Workers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:09
How free was the imposition of the free trade model in the late-twentieth century? Not very, suggests political scientist Adam Dean’s research. The neoliberal trade model that has come to dominate the globe was imposed t…
Episode 51 - The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:07
Times change, in society, politics, and economics, but the labor movement rarely does. Which makes the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) a rare bird in US labor. New Labor Forum editor-at-large Micah Uetric…
Episode 50 - Queer Working-Class Politics and the U.S. Labor Movement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:15
Why are unions essential to LGBTQ liberation? Why is union organizing that advocates for all workers essential to uplifting queer workers? And why is queer advocacy so commonsense to many of today’s unionized workers? Po…
Episode 49 - Worker-to-Worker Organizing Goes Viral [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:13
As innovative new union organizing campaigns have taken off around the country in recent years, Rutgers labor scholar Eric Blanc argues that we can see the emergence of a new organizing model that has the potential to me…
Episode 47 - "The 2023 UAW Strike: A Turning Point in Labor History?" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:14
The United Auto Workers achieved a real breakthrough in their 2023 strike against the Big Three automakers. For this episode, our new editor-at-large Micah Uetricht interviews longtime labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein…