In a period when Philadelphia's tourism industry was starting to soar, hotel workers' wages were stagnant. They launched a strategically timed strike to fight for a raise, while a rank and file caucus pressured union leadership into action.

In 1977, SEPTA workers walked out into a bitter 44 day struggle, leading to a rank and file fight against both the bosses and their own union leadership. Originally aired: August 24, 2022.

At Philadelphia's 2025 May Day Rally and March, Gabe and Sam ran around with a microphone to get recordings from union members, organizers, and workers.Each person was asked 4 questions:-Who was the worst boss you've ever had and wh...

During WW2, to prevent the runaway inflation experienced in the 1st World War, the US Government established the Office of Price Administration to enforce price ceilings and regulate business. But after the war conservative forces started to pu...

In March 2021, workers at the Mariposa Food Co-Op in West Philly formed a union with UFCW Local 1776. Today, they're working to build more power in order to make Mariposa into an even better place to work. Originally aired: February...

Before the United Auto Workers formed in 1935, there had been multiple attempts to organize the industry. In 1933, Ford Workers in Chester, Pennsylvania went out for union recognition, triggering multiple other strikes and actions. ...

While private sector employees in Philadelphia had been seeing huge union wins throughout the 1930s, municipal workers were largely left out. This would all change in 1938 when garbage collectors brought the city to a standstill in a weeks long...

In early 1917, workers at sugar refineries in South Philly went on strike for better hours, conditions, and pay. But after weeks of stalemate, poverty, and staggering inflation, the strike turned into a violent clash between workers’ families a...

In Hazleton, Pennsylvania, radical silk workers fought an uphill battle against the bosses, scabs, and even the American Federation of Labor. Originally aired: January 29, 2024.

In the midst of the Great Depression, a group of workers at the Hershey Chocolate Company went on a sit down strike for better conditions, wages, and most importantly, union recognition. The ensuing battle pitted worker against worker as a mass...

In 2020, workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art voted to unionize, but it took 2 years and a 19 day strike for them to get a first contract. Gabe and Sam sit down with Tim Tiebout, Adam Mazieka, and Juliet Vinegra to discuss the history and ...

Workers from the largest non-union hosiery mill in 1930s Philadelphia go on strike. Originally aired: January 11, 2022.

In this special interview episode, Sam and Gabe chat with Eli and Alex, organizers with Workers United, who have been building a militant union of cafe, bakery, and coffee roaster workers in Philly. Originally aired: September 18, 2...

Originally founded as a secret society of tailors, the Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor eventually grew to become a national labor force of 700,000 workers. Episodes 18-19 originally aired: March 21, 2022.

In this special interview episode, Sam and Gabe sit down to discuss the history of zionism, antizionism, and the American labor movement, with writer and activist Alison Glick and lawyer, organizer, and activist Suzanne Adely from Labor for Pal...

After winning their first fight in 1900, Pennsylvania anthracite miners went on strike for the 8 hour day, higher wages, and union recognition. This would lead to one of the first federal mediation committees in US history.

By the end of the American War for Independence, soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line had gone for months with little to no pay. Their only recourse left: mutiny against congress. Originally aired: October 4, 2022.

Wartime Philly: thousands of white transit workers walk off the job to protest the promotion of eight black employees. Originally aired: January 17, 2022.

When prohibition became law in January 1919, it left many questions unanswered. During this uncertainty, bartenders in Philadelphia went out on strike in a political protest. Originally aired: September 19, 2022.

In this special interview, Sam and Gabe sit down with Katherine Coker, a former restaurant worker who has been educating and agitating around Philly, teaching people about wage theft and the conditions in the restaurant industry. Or...

The 1970s were a turbulent time in American and Philadelphia history. Amidst stagnant wages, inflation, and a new law allowing public sector strikes, Philly school teachers took matters into their own hands fighting the district, mayor, and sta...

In 1937, battery workers in Philly fought for higher wages using a brand new strike tactic, triggering a rift among the labor movement in the city. Originally aired: August 7, 2023.

In this special interview episode, Gabe and Sam talk with Wade Rathke, founder and chief organizer for ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Originally aired: April 27, 2023. chieforganizer.org

After a deadly building collapse in a predominantly black South Philly neighborhood, a coalition of housing advocates, labor leaders, and radicals pressured the city to create the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Originally aired: Ma...

In the 1700s, every ship coming into Philadelphia needed a pilot to guide it. But as the wealthy merchant class started to solidify power, they started to clash with the fiercely independent sailors who guided their ships. Originall...