Labor Vision

In the first half of the show, Rep, David Bennett (D) Warwick, and SEIU Healthcare 1199NE Elected Organizer, Emmanuel Falck sit down to talk about a series of issues with Erica Hammond, including the recent vote to increase the minimum wage in Rhode Island; the fact RI is the only state in New England without a minimum safe staffing requirement law, and what healthcare workers are planning to do to change that; and a shortened exchange on the need to increase pay for Direct Service Professionals that care for developmentally disabled members of society. In the second half of the show, a follow-up to a recent segment, we bring back Nick Carnevale, VP of the Scituate custodians, and Joshua Homerston, President, Local 855 of NEARI, to describe the VICTORY! and outpouring of community support demonstrated after educating the public through a grassroots campaign as to the waste of privatization of services.

Women @ Work 3 Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) Help A Sister Out, Period campaign with RI Senator Valerie Lawson & Desiree Leclair, SEIU Training Fund and newly elected President of Rhode Island CLUW. In the first half of the show, Erica Hammond sits down with Sen. Val Lawson and newly-elected CLUW President Desiree Leclair to talk about a common issue, last year's "Help a Sister Out, Period!" campaign, and the need for legislative relief for women and girls who many times go without and shouldn't. Legislative Issues With RI Senator Dawn Euer, district 13 & Patrick Crowley, Secretary -Treasurer, RI AFL-CIO. In the second half of the show, Sen. Dawn Euer and newly-elected Secretary-Treasurer of the RI AFL-CIO Patrick Crowley sit down with Erica to talk about the school bond referendum that will be on the ballot in the senator's district in Newport this fall, the minimum wage bill for domestic workers, as well as forbidding employers from requiring NDAs, and looking to require safe staffing for nu

In what has proved to be a very turbulent period for UFCW Local 328, Secretary-Treasurer Domenic Pontarelli and Lead Organizer Sam Marvin sit down with Erica Hammond in the first half of the program to discuss the ongoing troubles with Durham School Services and their unwillingness to recognize, negotiate or pay a fair wage to bus drivers, monitors or aides in the Cumberland school district.And in the second half of the show, Erica speaks with member Melissa Gaethofs, who works in the North Kingstown Stop & Shop store, and her business manager, Joe Renzi, over the latest outrage, the company throwing a birthday party for their robot, Marty; and how they treat him better than their own workforce.

Colleen Callahan, Ed.D, and Frank Flynn, President, RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals. Before the recent viral outbreak forced school closings, the Providence schools were taken over by the state of Rhode Island; and in response, Providence Teachers Union President Maribeth Calabro, along with RIFTHP President Frank Flynn and Director of Issues Colleen Callahan sat down with Bob Delaney to talk about the recent report from Johns Hopkins, the community forum they held in Providence, and how other communities have been instrumental in successfully advocating for and changing models for things like multiple language learners and community schools. In the second half of the program, later that same week, Bob caught up to AFT VP Jesse Sharkey, President of the Chicago Teachers Union, to talk about how teachers there engaged the community to help end a strike by getting parents to support common sense ideas like smaller class sizes and mandatory staffing. 'Teacher working conditions are student lea

In the first half of the show, Jenn Woods, Executive Director of the Center for Justice, sits down with Erica Hammond to discuss the work the center does on behalf of workers' rights, especially when it comes to the all-too-common practice of wage theft on the part of employers; as well as their willingness to many times take on causes for the overlooked or dispossessed.In the second half of the show, Erica sits down with Bob Delaney, Executive Director at the Institute for Labor Studies and Research to talk about the upcoming Teacher Assistant program and the institute's own Leadership for a Future Program (LFAF) that is now enrolling. They also outline what's coming down the road in the Institute's 40th year and the formation of an " Introduction to Hospitality," apprenticeship.

 In the first half of the show, Erica Hammond sits down with the presidents of two of the largest public sector unions in the state, respectively, Lawrence Purtill of the National Education Association Rhode Island and Frank Flynn of the RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, to talk about their upcoming legislative agenda for the coming year, and their concerns after hearing about a looming deficit and needs for more cuts. In the second half of th​e show, in another of our "Know Your Unions" segments, Jim Cenerini the Legislative Affairs Coordinator/Lobbyist/Staff Representative for AFSCME Council 94 sits down with Erica to talk about the coming budget and how it affects not only his members but all Rhode Islanders, some his unions' legislative issues - like addressing his public safety members' issues, and "reinstatement of licensing of clinical laboratory science practitioners."

In the first half of the program, Stephanie Mandeville from NEARI and Kathy McElroy of SEIU Local 580 sit down with Erica Hammond for the "Women in Leadership," program of our Women at Work series, talking briefly about their unions, who they represent, the role they play, and any specific issues or goals they are working to achieve. Then they will close with tips for women in labor interested in taking on leadership roles.And in the second part of the show, Jay Walsh from the American Association of University Professors at URI, will sit down with Erica to give an overview of his union's members and what they fight for; and he'll be looking forward at the new appointments to the university's Board of Trustees in February and offering his comments.

As the General Assembly gears up for its annual session, President George Nee and Secretary-Treasurer Maureen Martin sit down with Erica Hammond for an extended look back at last year's legislative victories and setbacks, including the Contract Continuation bill, and Firefighter OT bill; and look forward to the coming session, and the fight to bring the minimum wage on par with neighboring states, and ways to make employers pay their full share of healthcare costs, as well as making sure wage theft and overtime violations are dealt with as crimes against employees.

Seasons Greetings from the Rhode Island Labor Movement and the annual NEARI Gingerbread Express celebration. 

 Bob Delaney sits down with Josh Homerston and Nick Carnevale, two of the union custodians fighting a privatization drive in Scituate.In part 2 Chief Judge Robert Ferrieri, and Associate Judge Steven Minicucci of the RI Workers’ Compensation Court to continue their discussion of the important work the court does on behalf of workers in Rhode Island.

At the RI AFL-CIO convention, Jennifer Wood, executive director of the Center for Justice outlined her organization's mission to provide legal services for those most in need.And in the second half of the show, highlights from the annual Big Brother/Big Sister Halloween Hike in Roger Williams Park this year brought to us by the RI Building Trades Council.

In the first half of the show, Rachel Flum, executive director of the Economic Progress Institute, and Andrew Schiff, chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank sit down with Erica Hammond to talk about the growing wealth gap in our communityAlso, Bob Delaney sits down with Chief Judge Robert Ferrieri of the RI Workers’ Compensation Court to talk about the upcoming RI Workers' Compensation Educational Conference 2019.

Part One: Collectively Bargained Training Funds with Desiree Leclair, Director, Training and Upgrading Fund and Dulari Tahbildar, Director, Childcare Training Fund, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199NE.Part Two: Ergonomics with Dr. Lee Okurowski, Medical Director, Occupational and Environmental Health Center of Rhode Island (OEHCRI).