The Voice Podcast

United University Professions
  • 5.0 (6)
  • EDUCATION
The Voice Podcast

The Voice is the official podcast of United University Professions, America's largest higher education union. We spotlight our hard-working members, and issues that are important to them and others who believe in a strong effective union. 

  1. FEB 12

    A conversation with New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado

    People are really important to Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. As a member of Congress representing District 19—a vastly rural 8,000-mile district spanning 11 counties—the lieutenant governor held dozens of in-person and virtual town hall meetings during his two terms as a House member, reaching out to thousands of his constituents. His dedication to his job and the people—again that word—he represents hasn’t wavered as the state’s second-in-command. Appointed by Gov. Kathy H...

    59 min

  2. 10/18/2024

    A conversation with New York AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento

    New York AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento talks about his role in leading one of the most powerful state federations in the country on the latest episode of The Voice Podcast. Cilento and UUP President Fred Kowal, the podcast’s host, talk about Cilento's role in making the state AFL-CIO into a year-round legislative action network that has only grown stronger since he became president in 2011. The NYS AFL-CIO represents more than 2.2 million members across the state in both public and pr...

    55 min

  3. 09/04/2024

    The Voice Podcast Episode 10: NYPIRG's Blair Horner tells it like it is

    NYPIRG Executive Director Blair Horner is never at a loss for words when it comes to protecting the public’s right to know—and to act. In his more than 40 years as NYPIRG’s legislative director—and later as its executive director—Blair has advocated for a wide range of important issues, including energy reform, government openness, ethics and accountability, campaign finance reform, the environment, climate change, voting rights and health care among many others. Everybody who’s anybody...

    55 min

  4. 08/30/2023

    Defusing microaggressions and enhancing inclusion: How UUP is fostering DEI initiatives on SUNY campuses

    Somehow, diversity, equity and inclusion is under attack. Pushed by a small but very vocal group of right-wing conservatives, attacks on DEI have escalated over recent months as they have been embraced by powerful Republican politicians. And more than a few have been directed at public higher education. In Texas, the Republican-led Legislature voted in late May to ban offices, programs and initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion at Texas public colleges and univers...

    53 min

  5. 07/13/2023

    Hochul, SUNY and Trump: A conversation with New York political insider Liz Benjamin

    On this episode of The Voice Podcast, UUP president and host Fred Kowal talks state and national politics with Liz Benjamin, the former host of Spectrum News's statewide political program “Capital Tonight." Benjamin, who spent 15 years as a hard-hitting political print reporter and columnist for the Albany Times Union and the New York Daily News, moved to Spectrum in 2010. In 2019, she became a managing director of Marathon Strategies, a national public relations firm specializing in strate...

    50 min
  6. Mental health, addiction and recovery: A conversation with Patrick J. Kennedy

    04/12/2023

    Mental health, addiction and recovery: A conversation with Patrick J. Kennedy

    On this episode of The Voice, UUP President Fred Kowal talks with former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, who for decades has been a champion for mental health equity and combatting substance abuse—and is recognized as one of the nation's most respected voices on mental health equity, parity, addiction and recovery. Kennedy—the son of Sen. Ted Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy—talks about his efforts to bring about more understanding and...

    59 min

  7. 03/03/2023

    Why is childbirth deadlier when you're Black?

    Central Brooklyn is the epicenter of New York City’s maternal health crisis—and has been for far too long. The community, home to Brooklyn’s only public teaching hospital, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, has the highest rates of severe maternal morbidity in the state. Longtime UUP leader Rowena Blackman-Stroud, who died in December 2022, was dedicated to protecting the rights of every individual, regardless of age, race, gender or social status. We at UUP have taken up ...

    1h 5m

  8. 02/01/2023

    Does Albany have the means to properly fund SUNY? You bet it does.

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released her 2023-2024 Executive Budget proposal Feb. 1, which officially kicked off what’s known as budget season in Albany. In this podcast, Fred Kowal, UUP's president and podcast host, talks about the governor’s proposed spending plan, her 2023 State of The State address, and how SUNY and public higher education could fare in next year’s state budget with two good government proponents, Ron Deutsch, director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, and Michael ...

    42 min
See All (15)

    Ratings & Reviews

    5
    out of 5
    6 Ratings

    About

    The Voice is the official podcast of United University Professions, America's largest higher education union. We spotlight our hard-working members, and issues that are important to them and others who believe in a strong effective union. 

    Information

    • Creator
      United University Professions
    • Years Active
      2022 - 2025
    • Episodes
      15
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © 2025 United University Professions - The Voice
    • Show Website
      The Voice Podcast

    Content Restricted

    This episode can’t be played on the web in your country or region.

    To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

    Stay up to date with this show

    Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
    Select a country or region

    Africa, Middle East, and India

    Asia Pacific

    Europe

    Latin America and the Caribbean

    The United States and Canada