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Do Unions Still Work?
Podcast

Do Unions Still Work?

Stephen J. Dubner and Zack Lapinski
Freakonomics Radio, 2022
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Analytical
  • Engaging

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In 2021, Liz Shuler was elected as the first female president of the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations), an umbrella organization of unions that represents worker interests in industries as varied as policing, mining, and artists working in television and radio. In this episode of the Freakonomics podcast, she and Stephen Dubner discuss the role unions play in the US economy, the role they could play, and the obstacles that stand in the way of progress.

Summary

AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) president Liz Shuler feels that unions will continue to play a role in the future of the US economy.

Unions have accomplished a lot – the weekend, for example, and a workday that’s supposedly limited to eight hours, and in the 1970s unions were largely responsible for the great strides made in worker safety and workers’ compensation. Will future union victories live up to the past? As Liz Shuler, current president of the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) says, “Now we’re saying in the labor movement, OK, what is the next weekend? What is the next innovation that the labor movement can help workers achieve?”

The green economy represents an opportunity for labor unions to take action. Many of the jobs in the traditional energy industry are well-paid union jobs. A power plant operator might make $40 an hour, have solid benefits and look forward to a financially stable retirement. So far, renewable energy jobs are ...

About the Podcast

Stephen J. Dubner is a journalist, podcast and radio host, and co-author of the Freakonomics book series. Liz Shuler is president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

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