Belabored Podcast #103: Get Ready for Struggle, with John Nichols

A live conversation with John Nichols, co-author of People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy.

John Nichols speaking with Sarah Jaffe at the New School, March 16

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Is high unemployment the new normal—or worse, is it just going to get higher? John Nichols and Robert McChesney explore that question alongside the question of who has power in America’s so-called democracy in a new book, People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy. Recently, Sarah hosted an event with Nichols in New York to talk about the book, the role technology plays in a changing economy, and how to fight for a better working future; this week, we bring you that conversation.

We also hear from locked-out Honeywell workers, check in on West Virginia after the age of coal, look at possible changes to H-2B guestworker visas, and hear about how your boss can’t force you to be happy at work. For “Argh,” we check in on Verizon strikers and the low-paid contractors increasingly doing their jobs, as well as Chinese workers’ battle for independent worker power.

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News

Honeywell locks out unionized Green Island workers after contract vote (TimesUnion)

Honeywell, UAW union in contract dispute (WNDU South Bend)

Michelle: Just Because Big Coal Is Collapsing Doesn’t Mean Appalachia Has to Follow (The Nation)

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Court West Virginians Hit Hard by Coal’s Decline
(New York Times)

New immigration fight looms in Congress (Politico)

Officially, your employer can’t force you to be happy at work (Huffington Post)

Conversation

People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy (Public Affairs)

John Nichols at The Nation

Full Event Video (New School)

Argh, I Wish I’d Written That!