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A union election at Volkswagen is testing the power of the United Auto Workers. As voting gets underway this week, guest host Nova Safo explains what unionization could mean for three big automakers and the labor movement in the South. Plus, how a unanimous Supreme Court ruling expands the scope of workplace bias suits. And, why Billy Joel came up at a Pentagon press briefing.

Here’s everything we talked about today:


“The South has few unionized auto plants. Workers say this one could be next.” from The Washington Post
“Supreme Court makes it easier to sue for job discrimination over forced transfers” from The Associated Press
“Hugh Grant says he took ‘enormous sum’ to settle suit alleging illegal snooping by The Sun tabloid” from The Associated Press
“Conservative Broadcaster OAN Settles Defamation Claims by Voting-Machine Company Smartmatic” from The Wall Street Journal
Pentagon press conference moment from Travis Akers on X
Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Official HD Video) 

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Today, President Joe Biden called for tariffs to be tripled on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products. These tariffs, first implemented by then-President Donald Trump in 2018, are now the latest move in the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. Plus, sky-high car insurance premiums, the government’s latest energy-efficiency standards and China’s shrinking wine market. 

Stocks close down; employment rises modestly; price increases in line with previous surveys; car insurance jumps over the last year.

White House says China is flooding U.S. with artificially cheap steel, aluminum; United Airlines Q1 losses less than feared; Tesla wants shareholders to reinstate Musk’s $56 billion pay package; Transportation Department to partner with states to investigate airline passenger complaints.

The United Auto Workers union is trying to organize foreign vehicle factories in the South, and today, workers at a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, begin voting on whether to join the UAW. We’ll hear what’s at stake. Then, we’ll take a look at why TGI Friday’s is faltering while Texas Roadhouse thrives. Plus, a look at how a Detroit deconstruction company provides jobs and promotes sustainability.

For this month’s Econ Extra Credit, we’re watching “The League,” which chronicles the history of baseball’s Negro Leagues, established several decades before the sport was integrated. The Leagues gave rise to many Black businesses and entrepreneurs. Today, we have a conversation with Larry Lester, co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Also on the program: Aircraft-maker Boeing faces scrutiny over safety practices during two Senate hearings.