Episode 70 - UAW's Rocky Road to Reform with Nelson Lichtenstein

Episode 70 - UAW's Rocky Road to Reform with Nelson Lichtenstein

Author: CUNY SLU August 4, 2026 Duration: 45:12
The eminent labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein joins New Labor Forum Editor-at-Large Micah Uetricht to talk about the ongoing conflicts in the United Auto Workers (UAW) on the latest episode of Reinventing Solidarity. New Labor Forum has hosted a wide range of commentary and analysis on the UAW in print and on our website, including: -“Seizing the Moment: Lessons from the Front Lines of the UAW’s Fight to Scale Up,” by Chris Brooks -“It’s All About the Leaders: Manufacturing Wins in the UAW,” by Michael Belt and Carla Villanueva -“Shawn Fain’s UAW Is Facing Strong Headwinds,” by Nelson Lichtenstein -“Riding the Whirlwind vs. Systematic Organizing,” by Marc Kagan

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: 50

Reinventing Solidarity
Podcast Episodes
Episode 38 - "Making Hope and History Rhyme" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Over the past half-century, labor activists Marilyn Sneiderman and Stephen Lerner have been responsible for spurring major strategic advances in union organizing and movement building. Here, they discuss their recent New…
Episode 37 - Why We Need Debtors' Unions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:43
A dramatic increase in national consumer debt began in the mid-1980s and currently stands at 16.5 trillion dollars, making it a key feature of capitalism in the 21st century. Average household debt today in the U.S. – mo…
Episode 36 - The Worker-Led Upsurge: Amazon and Starbucks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:53
Solidarity against the odds is what workers managed to achieve at the JFK8 Amazon Fulfillment Center on Staten Island and at the Elmwood Avenue Starbucks in Buffalo, New York. In this episode, School of Labor and Urban S…
Episode 35 - Who Pays for Inflation? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:37
The fact that current inflation rates are higher than they have been in decades weighs not only on households and businesses, but has also shifted the political landscape. As we head into the 2022 midterms and then the 2…
Episode 34 - Organized Labor and the Global Climate Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Sean Sweeney, Director of SLU’s Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, speaks with journalist Laura Flanders about continued botched efforts by countries around the globe to meet the targets set forth in 2015 Paris Agreement…
Episode 33 - "Sunbelt Blues: The Failure of American Housing" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:44
This episode offers a discussion of Andrew Ross’ recent book, Sunbelt Blues: The Failure of American Housing. Ross shares his firsthand account of the burgeoning and largely overlooked housing emergency in our nation’s s…
Episode 31 - "100 Percent Democracy" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:31
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