Re:Work by the UCLA Labor Center

Autoqueen Trilogy, Part III

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:14:41 +0000

Autoqueen Trilogy, Part Three concludes our miniseries chronicling the life of Mohana Sundari. Mohana is part of a small but growing group of women driving auto rickshaws in Chennai. Even in India, many are unaware that women drivers like Mohana exist. Part One traced her vivid childhood memories, while Part Two followed her into adulthood – through marriage, motherhood, financial struggle, and personal loss.

In this final episode, Mohana reflects on navigating a male-dominated profession, and shares how her journey led her to become president of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), a union dedicated to empowering women in non-traditional sectors.

Listen at reworkradio.org or your preferred podcast platform.

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This episode was produced in partnership with Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE) and Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS). ECTE is a non-profit organization committed to organizing women workers in the informal sector in Chennai. ECTE played an instrumental role in the formation of VPMS, a women-led union and the first cooperative to be registered within the state’s transportation sector. Building on the success of its women auto drivers' movement, VPMS is expanding its work to support women across other informal and gig economy sectors, creating pathways for long-term social and economic empowerment.

Autoqueen Trilogy, Part II

Wed, 27 May 2026 17:29:17 +0000

In the second installment of the Autoqueen Trilogy, we revisit Mohana Sundari, a thirty-nine-year-old woman living in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Mohana is part of a small but growing group of women driving auto rickshaws in the capital city of Chennai. Part One traced Mohana’s vivid childhood memories, and in Part Two her story moves into adulthood — through marriage, motherhood, financial struggle, and personal loss.

Through it all, Mohana challenges the limitations placed on women. She continually finds ways to reclaim her power as she works to build a future for herself and her daughter — on her own terms. Listen at reworkradio.org or your preferred podcast platform.

Content Advisory: This episode includes references to domestic violence and sexual assault.

***

This episode was produced in partnership with Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE). ECTE leads grassroots, worker-centered initiatives that use education, research, and storytelling to support economic justice and civic transformation in Chennai. At the heart of ECTE’s mission is a commitment to organizing women workers in the informal sector — an often-overlooked majority in India's labor force.

While Tamil Nadu is celebrated for having the largest share of women in the formal manufacturing sector, this progress narrative eclipses the lived experiences of the vast majority of women workers laboring in informal and unorganized sectors. ECTE equips these workers with tools to build worker-owned cooperatives, shape impact media, and advocate for inclusive policy change.

In partnership with the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE), ECTE played an instrumental role in the formation of the Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS) union and cooperative. Beginning in January 2023, ECTE and ACE worked closely with women auto drivers on the ground, helping bring members together, build relationships and trust, and support the organizing process through to the successful formation of the union and cooperative.

Autoqueen Trilogy, Part I

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:45:12 +0000

This episode of Re:Work by the UCLA Labor Center features Mohana Sundari, a thirty-nine-year-old woman living in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Mohana is part of a small but growing group of women driving auto rickshaws in the capital city of Chennai. Many, even in India, are unaware that women drivers like Mohana exist.

From an early age, Mohana has questioned and pushed against the limits placed on girls and women, forging her own path. The first installment in a three-part series, this episode explores Mohana’s family background and childhood, and the roots of her fiercely independent spirit. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

***

This episode was produced in partnership with Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE). ECTE leads grassroots, worker-centered initiatives that use education, research, and storytelling to support economic justice and civic transformation in Chennai. At the heart of ECTE’s mission is a commitment to organizing women workers in the informal sector—an often-overlooked majority in India's labor force.

ECTE has been a strong supporter of the formation of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), an all-women trade organization established in Chennai. Through this initiative, ECTE is partnering with workers and the organization's leadership committee, including Mohana Sundari, president of VPMS, to provide vital information, tools, and resources that enable women to explore alternative opportunities, leading to improved wages, living conditions, benefits, and an enhanced quality of life.

Re:Work presents "Colorado Welcomed Venezuelans. Many Now Live in Fear." (from Feet in 2 Worlds)

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 20:48:29 +0000

Today’s story comes to us from Feet in 2 Worlds, an independent media outlet and journalism training program that empowers the voices of immigrant journalists.

Over the past few years, around 40,000 Venezuelans arrived in Denver fleeing political and economic instability. Initially, with help from the city and non-profit organizations, many were able to find stable housing and jobs. But with all the recent changes in immigration policy, they now face an uncertain future.

This episode is a part of a Feet in 2 Worlds series called The Hustle, which focuses on the ways in which immigrants navigate a changing economy — today and throughout history. To learn more about Feet in 2 Worlds, please visit fi2w.org.

Healing Together

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:44:45 +0000

Healing Together features Domenique Harmon, a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and workers’ rights. Domenique shares how her experiences in the cannabis industry, mental health spaces, and UFCW have shaped her professional journey and personal path to healing. *Please note, this episode contains references to child abuse, suicide, and war.* To read the UCLA Labor Center’s report on cannabis workers, please visit bit.ly/uclacannabisreport. To learn more about The Amazing Movement, please visit www.theamazingmovement.com or @theamazingmovement on Instagram.

Re:Work presents ”The Shifting Immigrant Hustle” (from Feet in 2 Worlds)

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:22:12 +0000

Today we are sharing an episode from our friends at Feet in 2 Worlds, an independent media outlet and journalism training program that empowers the voices of immigrant journalists. We hear from women who work at the intersection of labor and immigration, including our own Labor Center director Saba Waheed. These women discuss the most pressing threats to immigrant workers, as well as the ways immigrants can resist and also support one another. This episode is a part of a Feet in 2 Worlds series called The Hustle, which focuses on the ways immigrants navigate a changing economy — today and throughout history. To learn more about Feet in 2 Worlds, please visit fi2w.org.

Re:Work and the IRLE present ”The Reality of Workers and Learners – A Personal Story”

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 17:00:04 +0000

Today we are bringing you a piece produced by Ritika Sarma and Jimmy Mancilla, students in UCLA’s Labor Summer Research Program (LSRP). The piece is part of a larger 3-part series, “The Reality of Workers and Learners,” which examines the challenges faced by student workers, many of whom work over 20 hours a week. The episode opens with brief remarks by Lucero Herrera, a senior research analyst at the UCLA Labor Center and LSRP instructor. To listen to the rest of the series, please visit youtube.com/uclalabor. To visit the website LSRP students created, visit bit.ly/4k9G9ui

Re:Work and the IRLE present ”May Day”

Thu, 15 May 2025 17:12:11 +0000

In honor of May Day 2025, Victor Narro, project director at the UCLA Labor Center and career organizer, joined Tobias Higbie, UCLA IRLE Director and professor of labor and history, for a conversation on the significance of May Day in Los Angeles. They discuss how May Day unites diverse coalitions to engage in a powerful act of collective resistance, share an inside look at the process of planning major direct action campaigns, and provide expert tips on how to maintain a sustainable career in social justice work. You can also watch their conversation on the IRLE's YouTube channel @UCLA-IRLE

Re:Work presents Código Doméstico, Part Two

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we bring you two more stories from Código Doméstico that have been translated into English. Código Doméstico is a podcast produced by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero. It aims to expose working conditions for women hired as cleaners through apps in Central and South America as well as the US.

At the heart of this show is deep listening and fostering collaborations to fight for the dignity of workers in the digital platform economy. Today’s episode features stories from Paola and Giselle.

To listen to the original Código Doméstico podcast episodes, and to learn more about the broader project, please visit codigodomestico.com. You can also listen on Spotify: bit.ly/codigodomestico

To read the related research by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero, please visit bit.ly/codigodomesticoreport

Episode Art:
Jessi (top left) by Priscila Barbosa, instagram.com/priii_barbosa
Roxy (top right) by Marisol Rivera, instagram.com/mar___rivera
Paola (bottom left) by Saro Agustina, instagram.com/saroagustina
Giselle (bottom right) by Day Cuervo, instagram.com/daycuervo

Re:Work presents Código Doméstico, Part One

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We bring you two stories from Código Doméstico that have been translated into English. Código Doméstico is a podcast produced by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero. It aims to expose working conditions for women hired as cleaners through apps in Central and South America, as well as the US.

At the heart of this show is deep listening and fostering collaborations to fight for the dignity of workers in the digital platform economy. This episode features stories from Roxy and Jessi.

To listen to the original Código Doméstico podcast episodes, and to learn more about the broader project, please visit codigodomestico.com. You can also listen on Spotify.

To read the related research by Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero, please visit bit.ly/codigodomesticoreport

Episode Art:
Jessi (left) by Priscila Barbosa
Roxy (right) by Marisol Rivera

Beyond the Glass Wall

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

These days, we hear more and more about burnout, as well as rising anxiety levels, particularly in light of the recent presidential transition. How do we want to think about burnout, anxiety, and the emotional and mental load we carry when working in the social justice sector — especially when you have a personal connection to what you’re fighting for?

In this episode, Ainee Athar shares her immigration challenges and journey into advocating for immigrant rights, as well as her experiences with burnout and her pivot to climate justice.

Re:Work presents "Disclose! Divest!: Behind the Fight Over College Endowments" (from Making Contact)

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 20:21:00 +0000

We’re closing out the year with an episode from our friends at Making Contact:

As graduation approached this year, students around the country began protests after calls for divestment from Israel were initially ignored by university leadership. The campus encampments were met with physical violence and the mainstream press dismissed the students’ demands as naive and immature. But, it turns out that there’s a lot we should be asking about college endowments.

We take a look at what an endowment is and how they’re invested. Then we learn why transparency around the endowment (and divestment!) might actually benefit the entire college community.

We talk to Kelly Grotke, a financial researcher from Pattern Recognition, a research collective focused on financialized higher education. And, with Andrea Pritchett, we look at the links between the encampments today, and those from the 80s, when students protested South African Apartheid.

Episode Credits:

Host: Salima Hamirani
Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang
Executive Director: Jina Chung
Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong
Engineer: Jeff Emtman
Digital Media Marketing: Anubhuti Kumar

Learn more about Making Contact

A Beautiful Kind of Foundation

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 18:47:00 +0000

We are approaching the 60th anniversary of the UCLA Labor Center, and we are celebrating - both how far we’ve come and where we’re going next!

In honor of our anniversary, in this episode we’re sharing insights and memories from our colleagues about their work and evolving connections to the UCLA Labor Center, which they were all introduced to as students. We end with a powerful speech by a recent UCLA Labor Studies graduate.

This episode will be the first track in our 60th Anniversary mixtape coming out in September.

Re:Work and the IRLE Present "Labor Studies 101"

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 19:42:00 +0000

It’s back-to-school season, and we’re sharing a recording of "Labor Studies 101" from our archives at the IRLE, the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment.

In this episode, our IRLE director, Toby Higbie, interviews Kent Wong, our previous long time director of the UCLA Labor Center. Toby and Kent talk about the history of the Los Angeles labor movement and what makes it so unique; Kent’s personal background and what brought him to activism; the connections between the labor movement and nonviolent philosophy; hopes for the future; and so much more.

The class was recorded in the spring of 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic and as we were headed into a presidential election — so there are layers of history baked into this episode.

Publications by Kent Wong
Watch Kent's "Labor's Voice" series

Radical Therapy

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:36:00 +0000

In a fast-paced society that often privileges work, wealth, and individual success, where there isn’t always time or space to process, how can we do social justice oriented work while taking care of ourselves?

In Radical Therapy, we speak with Claudia Morales, an LA-based therapist whose work exists at the intersection of social justice and mental health. Claudia shares her journey to developing a radical approach to therapy, one that centers community and emphasizes connection — to one other, to ourselves, to ancestral wisdom, to the Earth, to storytelling and art, and much more.

To learn more about Claudia’s work, visit socialjusticehealing.com. Or find her on Instagram @socialjusticehealing.

Remembering Rev. James Lawson Jr. - Soul Force Part II

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 19:13:00 +0000

Rev. James Lawson Jr. passed away on June 9, 2024. Rev. Lawson was one of the civil rights movement’s most prominent leaders and a lifelong advocate of nonviolence, soul force. He co-taught a UCLA labor studies class on nonviolence for over 20 years with our previous labor center director Kent Wong, and our building, the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center, is named in his honor.

As we remember Rev. Lawson and process this deep loss for our community, we are sharing our episode Soul Force Part II, in which Rev. Lawson reflects on his memories of the civil rights movement, including the profound impact of losing his friend Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders fighting for justice. He emphasizes the importance of embracing nonviolent struggle for a better world.

In 1974, Rev. Lawson moved to Los Angeles and played a pivotal role in infusing nonviolence into the Los Angeles labor movement. He has shaped decades of organizing in labor and immigrant rights, and inspired generations of students and activists.

We feel the profound impact of losing Rev. Lawson, and he will be deeply missed. Let us carry on his memory, his teachings of love and soul force, and continue his work for a more just world.

Re:Work presents "Reclaiming, part 1: Home is Little Tokyo" (from State of the Human)

Wed, 15 May 2024 19:21:00 +0000

It’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we’re sharing an episode about gentrification in Little Toyko from State of the Human, a podcast of the Stanford Storytelling Project.

Little Tokyo is a small neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles. Since 1905, it has been home to generations of Japanese Americans. Today, gentrification is threatening to destroy everything these families have built. This episode tells the story of one community's struggle for survival and the ways in which historical development has both fractured and solidified its people. For some, home is a bed one sleeps in. For us, home is Little Tokyo. This episode was produced by Leah Chase with the Stanford Storytelling Project.

To learn more about the Stanford Storytelling Project, please visit storytelling.stanford.edu.

Re:Work and the IRLE Present "Changing Lives, Changing L.A."

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:42:00 +0000

In partnership with the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE), Re:Work presents “Changing Lives, Changing L.A.,” a play created from transcripts from the UNITE HERE Local 11 Oral History Project and originally performed before a live audience at Loyola Marymount University and UCLA.

Portrayed by professional actors, four members of UNITE HERE Local 11 share their stories of becoming leaders in their union, and fighting for a better life while helping transform Los Angeles.

Special thanks to Emma Worthington, Regla Soto, Soledad Garcia, and Ignacio Ruiz for sharing their stories.

“Changing Lives, Changing L.A.” was conceived by veteran organizer Vivian Rothstein and crafted by playwrights Doris Baizley and Rose Portillo. It was directed by Rose Portillo and Doris Baizley, and produced by Vivian Rothstein.

The oral histories of the women and men of UNITE HERE Local 11 were voiced by actors Joyce Guy, Marco Rodriguez, Rose Portillo, and Sarita Ocón. Access the UNITE HERE Local 11 oral history interviews here.

Watch a video recording of the play here. The video recording was edited by Robert Hillig.

Re:Work's audio version was produced by Veena Hampapur and Saba Waheed with mixing by Aaron Dalton.

Thank you to the individuals and organizations who made this presentation possible including:

UNITE HERE Local 11
Tobias Higbie, Professor of History and Labor Studies, UCLA
UCLA Department of History and Luskin Center for History and Policy
Research assistants: Danielle Wilson, Michael Dean, Liliana Katz
CASE - Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy
John Wilhelm
Interviewers: Danielle Wilson, Antonio Mendoza, Gaspar Rivera Salgado, Vivian Rothstein
Marco Amador

Re:Work presents "Is work-life balance a privilege for Latinos?" (from the Pulso Podcast)

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000

We’re closing out the year with an episode from our friends at the Pulso Podcast:

Latinos work hard. But is our "work hard" attitude too closely connected to our sense of self-worth? The Pulso Podcast brings you the untold stories & unheard voices that make up our history, our culture, nuestra gente. For Latinos, by Latinos

This episode was produced by Maribel Quezada Smith with editorial oversight by Charlie Garcia. Audio engineering & music by Julian Blackmore.

Encore: Here Comes Mau!

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:39:00 +0000

This fall, California’s fast food workers won a historic victory when Governor Newsom signed AB 1228, which ensures the creation of a fast-food industry council with the ability to determine wages and industry standards, and which, importantly, includes worker voices. The bill also means that by next spring, the minimum wage for California’s fast-food workers will go up to $20 an hour.

In this episode, Mauricio Juarez shares his journey from working in the silver mines in Taxco, Mexico to working in fast-food in San Diego in his sixties, and becoming a part of the Fight for $15.

To learn more about the fast-food industry, please check out our recent reports:

(2022)"Fast-Food Frontline: COVID-19 and Working Conditions in Los Angeles"

(2021) "The Fast-Food Industry and COVID-19 in Los Angeles"

These reports were a collaboration between the UCLA Labor Center, UC Berkeley Labor Center, UCLA Labor Occupational Health and Safety Program, and UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program.

Learn more about the Fight for $15.

Re:Work presents "Delivering Community" (from Feet In 2 Worlds: A Better Life?)

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 19:11:00 +0000

We've partnered with Feet in 2 Worlds: A Better Life? and are excited to share an episode from their show!

A Better Life? Producer Oscar Durand tells the story of Cesar, a delivery worker from Mexico who found a cause and a community while organizing his fellow delivery workers in New York. We also speak with Hildalyn Colón Hernández from Los Deliveristas Unidos, a group that advocates for delivery workers in New York City.

Re:Work presents "Who Gets To Be a Citizen of the United States (with Ramtin Arablouei)"

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:23:00 +0000

We've partnered with Immigrantly and are excited to share an episode from their show!

Immigrantly is a weekly podcast hosted by rights activist and social entrepreneur Saadia Khan that bears witness to the extraordinariness of the immigrant experience

Today we have a fellow podcaster in our midst. Ramtin Arablouei is the co-host and co-producer of NPR's podcast Throughline. This show explores history through creative, immersive storytelling designed to reintroduce history to new audiences. Ramtin embodies this perspective personally and professionally. Born in Iran, he immigrated to the U.S. with his family as a child and later graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland with a B.A. in psychology and history. Along with hosting and producing, Ramtin is also a trained audio engineer and has written and mixed music for many award-winning podcasts, including TED Radio Hour and Hidden Brain. Ramtin generously offered his time to us to talk about an episode he reported back in early June this year called "By Accident of Birth." It's about the story of Wong Kim Ark, who, after returning from a trip to China in 1895, was barred from re-entering the country according to the Chinese Exclusion Act, which denied citizenship to Chinese immigrants. His subsequent legal battles culminated in the 1897 Supreme Court case, the United States. v. Wong Kim Ark: the case that would forever change the path of American immigration law and play a pivotal role in the ongoing battle over who gets to be a citizen of the United States.

The Tractor Princess

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 21:52:00 +0000

“The Tractor Princess” draws on excerpts from an oral history interview that is a part of a community archive and research initiative called Watsonville is in the Heart, which highlights the stories of Filipino families from the greater Pajaro Valley region in California.

In this episode of Re:Work, Antoinette Yvonne DeOcampo-Lechtenberg paints a picture of growing up in a rural farming community in the 1960s and 1970s, as the daughter of a Filipino immigrant from the manong generation.

Watsonville is in the Heart originated with community organizer and Tobera Project founder Roy Recio, and the team now includes UC Santa Cruz faculty and students. To learn more about this initiative, and to hear Antoinette’s full interview, please visit wiith.ucsc.edu.

'Watsonville is in the Heart' on SoundCloud

Here Comes Mau!

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:54:00 +0000

There’s a tendency to associate fast-food with American nostalgia, which can shield issues in the franchise structure ranging from wage theft to violence and safety concerns.

Most recently, fast-food workers have been at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 in their public facing jobs, in addition to confronting difficult work conditions that became more acute during the pandemic.

In this episode, Mauricio Juarez shares his journey from working in the silver mines in Taxco, Mexico to working in fast-food in San Diego in his sixties, and becoming a part of the Fight for $15.

To learn more about the fast-food industry, please check out our recent reports:

(2022)"Fast-Food Frontline: COVID-19 and Working Conditions in Los Angeles" - bit.ly/fast-food-frontline

(2021) "The Fast-Food Industry and COVID-19 in Los Angeles"

These reports were a collaboration between the UCLA Labor Center, UC Berkeley Labor Center, UCLA Labor Occupational Health and Safety Program, and UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program.

Learn more about the Fight for $15.

Re:Work presents "Hunger Strike!" (from Self Evident and AZI Media)

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 14:00:00 +0000

We’ve partnered with Self Evident, and are excited to share an episode from their show! Self Evident is a podcast focused on the full range of Asian American perspectives, which are too often erased from the national discourse.

This episode is a collaboration between Self Evident and AZI Media, and is part of a project called “Advancing Democracy” by the Solutions Journalism Network.

When Augustine Tang’s father passed away, Augustine decided to inherit his taxi medallion – the license that had allowed his father to drive a yellow taxi cab in New York City for decades. But the medallion came with a $530,000 debt trap and years of struggling to escape it.

Augustine’s friend Kenny, a fellow taxi cab driver, committed suicide. So did several other drivers who were crushed under the weight of these impossible debts. In hopes of preventing another death, Tang joined a push by the local taxi drivers’ union, to campaign for debt relief. And eventually, city resistance to worker demands culminated in a 15-day hunger strike to convince City Hall that immigrant taxi drivers deserved a fair deal.

The drivers’ struggles for livable working conditions showed how political power doesn’t just come down to votes. It’s a reminder how strong collective will can be, especially for those often silenced and ignored by our imperfect democracy.

Please take a short survey after listening at tinyurl.com/azitaxi — to help Self Evident fund more stories like this one!

Soul Force, Part II

Thu, 05 May 2022 18:56:00 +0000

Civil rights icon, Reverend James Lawson Jr., shares his recollections of the 1960s and working closely with Martin Luther King Jr.

Reverend Lawson presents the nonviolent movement in America as the "nuclear engine" of the mid-20th century civil rights movement, and as a strategic series of organizing campaigns for racial and economic justice.

This is the second part of our miniseries on Reverend James Lawson Jr.

Transcript

This episode contains material from Rev. Lawson's UCLA Labor Studies course, Nonviolence and Social Movements, which he teaches with UCLA Labor Center Director Kent Wong. To watch the class, visit bit.ly/UCLALawson.

Books by Rev. Lawson:
bit.ly/revolutionarynonviolence
books.labor.ucla.edu/nonviolence

Soul Force, Part 1

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 19:55:00 +0000

On Dec. 11, 2021, the UCLA Labor Center’s historic MacArthur Park building was officially named the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center, in honor of a civil and worker rights icon who has been teaching at UCLA for the last 2 decades.

In this episode of Re:Work, 93-year-old Rev. Lawson shares stories from his youth, and how he came to discover soul force and the path of nonviolence.

Transcript

Books by Rev. Lawson:
bit.ly/revolutionarynonviolence
books.labor.ucla.edu/nonviolence

Re:Work presents "Hello, Freedom Man" (from Self-Evident)

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 20:49:00 +0000

In this episode, a daughter of Vietnamese refugees seeks out Southeast Asian Americans with criminal convictions who are at risk for deportation under the Trump administration — and the organizers fighting to keep them in the only home they’ve known.

Learn more about Self Evident at selfevidentshow.com, and subscribe to them wherever you get your podcasts!

Stranded

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 21:38:00 +0000

In 2020, India suddenly went into a national lockdown without advance planning or adequate government support, which led to a humanitarian crisis in addition to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Millions of jobs disappeared and hunger was a serious issue. Tens of millions of migrant workers struggled to get home — often on foot — and many died attempting the journey. In this episode, we bring you the story of Gulzar, a migrant worker who left his village as a child and traveled across the country, to earn money to support his family.

For more info on the Stranded Workers Action Network, visit strandedworkers.in/
This episode features music from Elephants with Guns
Voiceover by Shawn Jain

It's Magic

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 17:25:00 +0000

We often refer to birth as miraculous, and it can also seem mysterious. Many times there is a veiling around birth and labor, and the types of work mothers and birthworkers do to bring new life into this world. In this episode, Allegra Hill shares birth stories from her family and how her personal journey led her into the world of birthwork.

It is part two of our miniseries on Black midwives in Los Angeles devoted to helping women experience empowered births through their birthing center and foundation.

The Calling

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 18:18:00 +0000

Despite a long tradition of midwifery in the Black community, which predates the founding of the United States, less than 2% of midwives today are Black. In this episode we share the story of Kim Durdin, who found her calling in reclaiming midwifery and birthwork.

It is part one of two episodes where we bring you the stories of Black midwives in Los Angeles devoted to helping women experience empowered births through their foundation and birth center, Kindred Space LA.

The Graduate

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 16:02:00 +0000

When we think about college, there’s a certain whimsical image, a time of self discovery and carefree fun before you step out into the “real” world. But now, with the rising costs of education and living expenses, most students work, and work a lot.

In this episode of Re:Work, Adolfo González shares his decades long journey to provide for his family while pursuing his education.

To learn more about “workers and learners” like Adolfo, visit our publications page at labor.ucla.edu.

And to learn more about farmworkers, check out these reports from the UCLA Labor Center Global Solidarity Team:
http://bit.ly/farmworkerrebellion
http://bit.ly/liberationlinked

[No] Child Left Behind

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:42:00 +0000

We often see children as innocents who need love, support, and stability. But not all young people are nurtured this way. Too often youth from marginalized communities of color are not seen as needing protection -- they are treated as the ones we need protection from.

We see this in this episode with Phal Sok, who was once a kid in Long Beach forced to grow up too soon. This episode is part two of our series on Cambodian refugees who get caught up in the criminal justice system at a young age.

Redemption

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:34:00 +0000

In today’s political climate, there’s a prominent narrative of "bad" immigrants who don’t deserve to be here. This isn’t new -- it’s a part of a much longer history of criminalizing immigrants and refugees in the United States.

This episode is the first of two that explore the experiences of Cambodian refugees who get caught up in the criminal justice system at a young age. Billy Taing shares his story of fleeing the Khmer Rouge and resettling in America with his family, only to continue facing hardship.

It's a Man's Man's Man's World

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 01:22:00 +0000

What happens when you go to work and no one else in the room looks like you? Being the “only one” often means more scrutiny, less support, having to work harder, or to justify why you’re even there. In this episode, Zayana Ross-Torrence shares her experience as a Black woman studying STEM and then working in emergency services, an industry dominated by white men.

The Gig's Up

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 23:32:00 +0000

Uber. Lyft. Their arrival has transformed daily life and raised important questions about job quality, employment law, and creating an economy that works for everybody. What’s it like to be a woman driving for these rideshare companies? In this episode, Alexandra Carbone shares her story.

School Days

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 19:26:00 +0000

Young people spend a good chunk of their waking hours in school, but their world extends far beyond the classroom. During the recent teachers' strikes, educators reminded us to think about students in a holistic way.

In this episode of Re:Work, Los Angeles teacher Rudy Dueñas takes us through his own history at LA Unified School District — as a student then an educator — and the moments that transformed him in and out of the classroom.

Trafficked

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 03:00:00 +0000

The International Labor Organization estimates 20.1 million people are trapped in forced labor globally, in industries including agriculture, construction, domestic work and manufacturing. Who does this happen to? And how does it happen? In this episode, we bring you the story of Lester Ramos and his journey from the Philippines.

Solidarity

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 22:54:00 +0000

This episode is a tribute to the life and legacy of Henry Walton — a lifelong union and community activist. Henry had a special relationship with Re:Work Radio, given that it originated from his KPFK show, ‘Labor Review,’ which ran from 1991-2011. He had a unique way of connecting deeply with people and sharing the stories of communities in Los Angeles. Henry hosted hundreds of guests over the years, including labor leaders, elected officials, global union visitors, organizers, and union activists. He was a consistent source of labor news for thousands of listeners, and telling stories of the movement was Henry’s passion. Before we took over the show, we sat down with Henry for an interview in the conference room at the UCLA Labor Center. The conversation became a series of stories about his life, influences, and journey to becoming a pioneer of radio broadcasting.

La Moda Femenina

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 15:21:00 +0000

Re:Work Radio is back with another episode on LA’s Garment District. This time we explore the Garment District’s rich history through three generations of strong Mexican women. Vanessa, Re:Work Radio staff, comes from a family of women whose lives are intricately tied with the LA Garment district. Starting with her great-grandmother who was a garment worker in the 1920s, the family eventually owned and operated a bridal shop in Mexico for over 50 years -- always returning to the Garment District for materials. This is a story about love, labor, and transnational solidarity.

Block By Block

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 15:57:00 +0000

What makes someone get involved in their community? To fight that feeling that it doesn’t matter? Not just during election season, but everyday, how do communities come together to solve problems? This week's episode takes a deep dive into the stories of two South Los Angeles residents, Sirenia and Patricia, who have been building community power one block at a time. Produced in partnership with SCOPE-LA.

Dispatch

Sat, 03 Oct 2015 01:30:00 +0000

It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in America: taxi driving. In this special joint episode from ReWork and Making Contact, we’ll hear a radio adaptation of TeAda Productions’ play “Global Taxi Driver,” and we’ll take a ride to meet the cab drivers at one of the country’s busiest airports.

Los Callejones (Spanish)

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 20:15:00 +0000

Who are the people who make the clothes we wear every day? Tune in to take a journey through “los callejones,” Los Angeles’s garment district. Learn more about who works within this labyrinth of clothing shops and factories. This episode of Re:Work was made possible with support from Cal Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.

Los Callejones (English)

Sat, 13 Jun 2015 02:04:00 +0000

Who are the people who make the clothes we wear every day? Tune in to take a journey through "los callejones," Los Angeles’s garment district. Learn more about who works within this labyrinth of clothing shops and factories.

This episode of Re:Work was made possible with support from Cal Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.

Get Up, Stand Up

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 02:33:00 +0000

When you get into a taxi, you usually know where you are coming from, where you are going. But what about your taxi driver? This week we travel with Javaid Tariq on the road that brought him to drive cabs in New York City.

A Hand Up

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 19:44:00 +0000

It’s very likely that in our everyday lives we pass by someone who’s homeless. We may be so used to seeing homelessness that it just becomes part of the normal city landscape, But what if we stop and say hello? Have a conversation that may break apart our ideas about what leads someone to live on the streets.

In this week’s episode of ReWork Clarine Ovando Lacroux arrives in Tampa and takes a detour that leads her to develop a special friendship.

From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, we bring you ReWork, formerly Henry Walton’s Labor Review. Every FRIDAY at 6:30 PM. Real stories that rethink work.

Moving the World

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:26:00 +0000

Most of the stuff we use, from our clothes to our iPhones, were at some point made in another country and shipped to our shores. But who carries these goods from the shores to the stores?

Longshoremen have a saying that they move the world, one container at a time. In this episode of Re:Work, Jessica Garcia interviews her cousin Alina Pineda, a woman in this traditionally male job.

From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, we bring you ReWork, formerly Henry Walton’s Labor Review. Every FRIDAY at 6:30 PM. Real stories that rethink work.

Listen Up!

Sat, 27 Sep 2014 00:29:00 +0000

What comes to your mind when you think of a musician? For many musicians, their work is no different from any other profession. They dedicate hours and hours of their lives to practicing out of love for their craft. But is the love of music enough to justify the immense commitment of being a musician? On this episode of Re:Work radio, Neil Samples shares his story of being a professional violinist which leads him into the world of Hollywood and television.

From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, we bring you ReWork, formerly Henry Walton’s Labor Review. Every FRIDAY at 6:30 PM. Real stories that rethink work.

All On The Same Ocean

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 21:03:00 +0000

We live in a global market, and most of the clothing and electronics that we use are made halfway around the world. They’re transported across the ocean to get to us, by people that seem so different from us and so far away. When we delve deeper into our struggles, we find that we have far more in common than we think. Today’s story is about solidarity. How our struggles across the globe are connected. And as it turns out, how we need each other to succeed.

This week on ReWork, we bring you a story all the way from Hong Kong. Join us as we hear from Stephen, a dock worker, and Loy, a union leader who, together, spearheaded the Hong Kong Dock Workers’ Strike in the spring of 2013.

From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, we bring you ReWork, formerly Henry Walton’s Labor Review. Every FRIDAY at 6:30 PM. Real stories that rethink work.

Indebted

Fri, 30 May 2014 21:23:00 +0000

Who was your favorite teacher in high school? We all have that unforgettable teacher that sets us on our life’s trajectory. But most of the time we know even our most favorite teachers just inside the classroom. So what happens when we learn what they are going through outside of the classroom?

In this week’s episode of Re:Work, UCLA student Tyler Milles uncovers what happened to his favorite teacher in the four years since he last saw him.

From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, we bring you Re:Work. Real stories that rethink work.

Baby's Bodyguard

Sat, 12 Apr 2014 01:19:00 +0000

All of us are on this planet because we were born. Still, for most of us, giving birth is so mysterious. Many people don’t really learn about what it’s like to have a baby unless you’re about to give birth yourself. On this episode of Re:Work Radio, we follow Pati, a birth doula, to follow the journey of giving birth. From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, Re:Work brings you real stories that rethink work.

UCLA Labor Center picks up national award for radio show

Coming Home

Sat, 22 Mar 2014 01:24:00 +0000

A group of undocumented youth cross the border from the US into Mexico to cross back and turn themselves into border patrol. Why would you do something that would so blatantly risk you ever being able to come into this country again? We follow the story of one courageous young person, Luis Leon, and the journey that took him from a small town in North Carolina to the border crossing in Laredo TX.

Human v. Walmart

Sat, 23 Nov 2013 02:59:00 +0000

Sometimes work can take a toll on your creativity, your individuality, and what makes you human. So what is the cost of being efficient at work? Anthony Goytia describes how he navigates the hyperstructured workplace at the US’s largest employer, Walmart. From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, we bring you Re:Work Radio, formerly Henry Walton’s Labor Review. Real stories that rethink work.

Raw Deal

Sat, 02 Nov 2013 01:21:00 +0000

For those of sitting in a restaurant eating, we may not be aware of what it takes to make our meal possible. What’s it really like for those working behind the kitchen door? This episode, Raw Deal, we talk with Heriberto Zamora, who worked in the kitchen of Urasawa, one of the most expensive restaurants in the country.

From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, we bring you Re:Work. Real stories that rethink work.

Dream On

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 00:44:00 +0000

What is the future of this country's dream for black and brown communities? This week's episode, Dream On, is a fascinating conversation between two fierce women – Lola Smallwood Cuevas from the Black Worker Center and Sofia Campos, a national leader of the immigrant youth movement- as they expand, re-define, and defend this country’s dream. From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, Re:Work brings you stories that rethink work.

Newcomers

Fri, 13 Sep 2013 23:41:00 +0000

Immigration visas dictate where someone can work, how they can work, how long they can work. But what happens when you throw friendship into the mix? This episode is a conversation between two friends, Carlos Amador and Jonathan Biribesca. Having arrived on different immigration visas, we follow their friendship from when they first arrived to the US to the very different journeys their visas take them on. From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, Re:Work brings you stories that rethink work.

Breaking Out Of Roles

Sat, 07 Sep 2013 18:42:00 +0000

Sometimes you have to become someone different to fit into a new job. Or, sometimes the job is exactly the right fit-- but your being in that job makes people turn heads. Henry Walton describes what happens when his ambulance takes a wrong turn during the 60s when racial tensions are high. And Ramiro Gomez describes how his life changes course when he takes on a job as a nanny. From the UCLA Labor Center and KPFK, Re:Work brings you stories that rethink work.