Earlier this year, over 30,000 public school teachers went on strike in Los Angeles, for the first time in nearly 30 years. Educators reminded us that we need to think about students in a holistic way. In this episode, we speak with one of those educators. High school history teacher Rudy Dueñas takes us through his own history at LA Unified School District — first as a student, then an educator — and the moments that transformed him in and out of the classroom.
Trafficking. When you hear the word, many images come to mind. It may seem like something distant, hidden, and secretive — something that happens to somebody else.
One of the most common forms of trafficking is labor trafficking: compelling people to work through fraud, force, or coercion. The International Labor Organization estimates 20.1 million people are trapped in forced labor globally, in industries including agriculture, construction, domestic work and manufacturing. Who does this happen to? And how does it happen? In this episode, we bring you the story of Lester Ramos and his journey from the Philippines.
This episode is a tribute to the life and legacy of Henry Walton — a lifelong union and community activist. Henry had a special relationship with Re:Work Radio, given that it originated from his KPFK show, ‘Labor Review,’ which ran from 1991-2011. He had a unique way of connecting deeply with people and sharing the stories of communities in Los Angeles. Henry hosted hundreds of guests over the years, including labor leaders, elected officials, global union visitors, organizers, and union activists. He was a consistent source of labor news for thousands of listeners, and telling stories of the movement was Henry’s passion. Before we took over the show, we sat down with Henry for an interview in the conference room at the UCLA Labor Center. The conversation became a series of stories about his life, influences, and journey to becoming a pioneer of radio broadcasting.
What makes someone get involved in their community? How do community members become engaged? Not just during election season, but everyday, how do communities come together to solve problems? This episode takes a deep dive into the stories of two South Los Angeles residents, Sirenia and Patricia, who have been building community power one block at a time. As community and civic engagement organizers at SCOPE, they have engaged communities throughout Los Angeles in politics and encouraged increased electoral participation. The episode was produced in partnership with SCOPE-LA, an organization that builds grassroots power to create social and economic justice for low-income, female, immigrant, black, and brown communities in Los Angeles.
It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in America: taxi driving. In this special joint episode from ReWork and Making Contact, we’ll hear a radio adaptation of TeAda Productions’ play “Global Taxi Driver,” and we’ll take a ride to meet the cab drivers at one of the country’s busiest airports.