Labor Force Podcast

Mike Struchen
  • 2.0 (1)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Stories of the working class in a time of renewed labor militancy and awareness that capitalism is a rotten deal. Member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network, home to over 250 radio shows and podcasts from around the world. 

  1. 2d ago

    The Truth About the Economy They Won't Tell You

    The economy may look fine on paper — but for millions of working people, it doesn’t feel that way. Consumer confidence is falling as Americans struggle with high prices, expensive gas, housing costs and economic insecurity. Meanwhile, wealth continues to pile up in the financial and digital economy. This segment examines oil prices, economic instability, debt, and rising food-pantry use in New York — and asks why an economy that keeps generating wealth leaves so many workers falling behind. Subscribe to the Labor Force Podcast for more on workers, unions, the economy and capitalism. #LaborForcePodcast #Economy #WorkingClass #Inflation #CostOfLiving #Capitalism

  2. 3d ago

    Trump vs. Big Tech: The Fight for the Future of Work

    AI isn't just threatening jobs — it's changing who gets the chance to build a career in the first place. Across the economy, entry-level hiring is weakening as companies use AI to perform the "grunt work" traditionally assigned to young workers. Computer science graduates are struggling to find jobs, Toyota is investing in hundreds of thousands of factory robots, and Amazon is expanding the use of technology to monitor and manage delivery workers. This episode looks at AI, automation, entry-level jobs, workplace surveillance, robotics and the future of work — from a working-class perspective. #AI #FutureOfWork #Automation #Jobs #Labor #Unions #WorkingClass #ArtificialIntelligence #Amazon #Toyota

  3. 6d ago

    Can Unions Turn Votes Into Real Power?

    Labor is pushing back into American politics—but is electoral politics enough to rebuild working-class power? With more union candidates running for Congress, deeper labor organizing taking shape, and the fight to organize Amazon continuing, this segment asks a bigger question: Can workers turn political energy into lasting collective power? #LaborForcePodcast #Labor #Unions #WorkerPower #WorkingClass #UnionOrganizing #Amazon #Capitalism #Socialism #WorkersRights

  4. Sep 26

    Working full-time but still broke: The real economic crisis

    Mortgage rates are back above 7%. Rent is becoming unaffordable even for middle-income families. Poverty among older Americans is rising. Consumer spending is slowing. And in New York, billions of dollars in federal funding for healthcare and SNAP are at risk. Meanwhile, we're still being told that the economy is entering a “golden age.” This is the contradiction at the heart of American capitalism: the economy can grow while the people who actually produce the wealth struggle to afford housing, healthcare, food, and retirement.  The real question isn't whether GDP is growing. It's who is benefiting from that growth — and who is being forced to pay for it? #Capitalism #WorkingClass #ClassWar #CostOfLiving #HousingCrisis #RentCrisis #EconomicInequality #Labor #Workers #Unions #Inflation #Poverty #LaborForcePodcast

  5. Sep 22

    The Hidden Cost of Diesel: Why Everything Is Expensive

    Diesel prices are hitting record highs — and workers are paying the price. In this segment, we look at how rising diesel costs are driving up food prices, transportation costs, heating bills and inflation, while farmers, truckers and small businesses get squeezed. We also examine the Federal Reserve, interest rates, supply-chain disruptions and the declining labor share of income — and why workers keep absorbing the costs of an economy increasingly tilted toward capital. If you want more coverage of workers, unions, wages, inflation and the economy from a working-class perspective, subscribe to the Labor Force Podcast. Hit the Subscribe button, turn on notifications, and join the fight for worker power. #DieselPrices #Inflation #Economy #Workers #Labor #WorkingClass #SupplyChain #FederalReserve #LaborForcePodcast #Capitalism

  6. Sep 21

    The Labor Market Paradox: Why You Can’t Find a Job Even When Everyone Is Hiring

    The labor market is full of contradictions. Employers say they can't find enough workers, yet millions of people are struggling to find jobs. Young workers without college degrees are finding opportunities in some industries while traditional white-collar career paths are becoming less secure. AI is beginning to reshape wages and work, older workers face age barriers, and more Americans are wondering whether they’ll ever be able to afford retirement. In this segment, we look at what’s really happening beneath the headlines about labor shortages, AI and employment. If workers are producing more, why isn't that security reaching them? If America needs workers, why are older workers being pushed out? And if working a lifetime doesn't guarantee retirement, what does that say about the economy we've built? #LaborForcePodcast #Labor #Workers #Unions #WorkingClass #Jobs #Economy #AI #Retirement #WorkerPower #Capitalism

  7. Sep 19

    The Labor Fight Never Stops: How Workers Are Winning Back Power

    Workers are organizing across the economy — from Amazon delivery drivers and Michigan factory workers to Maine nurses, museum employees in Rochester, and UPS Teamsters. But everywhere workers try to build collective power, employers are fighting back. This segment looks at what these organizing fights have in common. From the Bradford White strike to the organizing campaign at the George Eastman Museum, these stories show that the labor movement isn't confined to one industry or one kind of worker. The struggle is over who has power at work — the people who do the work, or the corporations and institutions that control it. #LaborForcePodcast #Labor #Unions #Workers #UnionOrganizing #WorkerPower #WorkingClass #Amazon #Teamsters #UAW #Nurses #LaborMovement #Strike #RochesterNY #UPS

  8. Sep 16

    The Hidden Cost of Living: Why You Can't Get Ahead

    Inflation may be slowing, but that doesn’t mean prices are going back down. In this segment, we look at what years of inflation have actually done to the cost of living—and why workers are still feeling the squeeze.  We break down the latest inflation and producer-price data, record diesel prices, rising heating costs, and the continuing affordability crisis. The question isn’t simply whether inflation is rising or falling—it’s whether working people can actually afford their lives.  #LaborForcePodcast #Inflation #CostOfLiving #WorkingClass #Workers #Wages #Economy #WorkerPower #Labor #Unions #EconomicJustice

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About

Stories of the working class in a time of renewed labor militancy and awareness that capitalism is a rotten deal. Member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network, home to over 250 radio shows and podcasts from around the world. 

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Struchen
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mike Struchen
  • Show Website
    Labor Force Podcast