Today's Labor History

This week’s Labor History Today podcast: Coronavirus essential workers’ rights
On this week’s show, organizer and union rep John Barry on “Coronavirus ‘essential workers’ have rights too;” ethnographer Candacy Taylor on "Beauty Shop Culture and the Labor of Hairdressing" and Tales from the Reuther Library podcast host Dan Goldner celebrates Frances Perkins’ birthday.
Last week’s show: Socialists, suffragettes and fear at work

IWW organizes the 1,700 member crew of the Leviathan, then the world’s largest vessel - 1930

- David Prosten

Today's Labor Quote: John Costa

“We are prepared to take whatever aggressive action is necessary in order to protect our members and their families. Nothing is off the table. Dying is no way to make a living.”

Costa is president of the Amalgamated Transit Union. The ATU and the Transport Workers Union represent members who operate the majority of bus, subway and streetcar systems across the country, and the two unions earlier this week vowed to take action if system operators don’t better protect their members from COVID-19.