The Legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson: Pioneering Labor Solidarity

The Legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson: Pioneering Labor Solidarity

Author: Richard Hill, WPKN February 25, 2026 Duration: 27:09

The Labor Report talks with Gene Bruskin, veteran labor organizer, anti-war activist, and play write, known for leading one of the most significant private sector union victories of the 21st century, namely the successful effort to unionize 5000 workers at the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in North Carolina -- a victory which is documented in the film Union Time. Gene Bruskin shares the story of his long association and collaboration with Rev. Jackson focusing on Jesse's groundbreaking initiatives to forge alliances with the multi-racial working class and organized labor.
Hosts: Richard Hill and Michael Zweig


Tune in to The Monthly Labor Report for a grounded and historically-informed look at the forces shaping work and wages today. Host Richard Hill of WPKN is joined regularly by economist Michael Zweig, and together they move beyond the headlines to unpack what current employment numbers, policy shifts, and corporate strategies really mean for everyday people. Their conversations are rooted in a deep understanding of the long fight for workers' rights, often connecting today's organizing drives and legislative battles to past struggles for union representation and economic justice. This isn't just analysis for its own sake; it's a deliberate effort to provide context and clarity to a topic that directly impacts millions. Each episode of this podcast feels like a necessary briefing, blending news, commentary, and political insight to examine who holds power in the workplace and how that balance is-or could be-challenged. You'll hear a perspective that treats labor not as a dry economic indicator, but as the ongoing story of people seeking dignity and a fair share.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 13

The Monthly Labor Report
Podcast Episodes
The Working Class Majority -- America's Best Kept Secret [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:16
In this edition of the Monthly Labor Report, Michael Zweig discusses his book The Working Class Majority--America's Best Kept Secretand why class consciousness/awareness is important as working people struggle for equity…
The Fascist Assault on Higher Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:18
The May Labor Report focuses on the fully emergent fascist assault on higher education and intellectual life the US with special guest Fred Kowal, president of United University Professions (UUP) and economist Michael Zw…
Will Labor Lead in the Formation of an Anti-Fascist Front? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:06
UE President Carl Rosen and economist and labor historian Michael Zweig discuss the Trump/Musk fascist coup and what role labor will play in forming alliances with the different silos on the left and leading an anti-fasc…
Six Weeks Into Trump 2.0 and YES:  We've Got Fascism! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:50
This month the Labor Report focuses on the rapid devolution of the American political system into an authoritarian fascist oligarchy.Michael Zweig, economist and labor historian, provides an overview of these dangerous d…
Black Labor in the US -- Then and Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:23
A deep dive into the history of African American involvement in the US labor movement with Steven Pitts, recently retired labor policy advisor of the UC Berkeley Labor Center, and Michael Zweig, economist, labor and civi…