Ep. 166: The Bosses Are The Virus (Ft. Connor Lewis & Grace Reckers)

As the contradictory structures of capitalism continue to collapse, one countervailing structure, in particular, gaining a lot of energy: the labor union. There's some speculation that all of the misery caused being heaped on workers--from job insecurity to the lack of paid sick time to the unwillingness to provide personal protective equipment--could lead to a new wave of organizing. We spoke with two union organizers about what their analysis of the current moment and what it means for workers, organizers, and beyond. Connor Lewis, based in Pennsylvania, is an organizer that works with educators. He also is a founding member of the Strikewave collective and a co-host of the forthcoming podcast Union Thots. Check out Strikewave here: https://www.thestrikewave.com/ Check out Union Thots Podcast here: https://www.unionthots.com/ Grace Reckers is an organizer with New York's OPEIU Local 153. The union she told us about during this episode is currently bargaining at with management at Municipal Credit Union. Since recording, their collective power has won them some hazard pay! For more information about workers at Municipal Credit Union and the broader organizing efforts in New York, follow OPEIU 153 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/153Local. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider giving to us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/futureleft If you enjoyed this podcast but can't support us with money, consider helping us get the word out by sharing us on social media or recommending us to a friend.