Labor Arts News & Updates

EDITOR’S NOTE

This week’s newsletter really feels like a snapshot of where we are right now—on screen, on the shop floor, and online. As the DC Labor FilmFest gets ready to launch on May Day, I’m struck by how many of this year’s stories center workers finding their voice—especially women workers—and how those stories echo across everything from organizing drives to digital life (click here to volunteer!)

That connection comes through clearly in Kathy Newman’s Labor Heritage Power Hour conversation with artist Janna Ahrndt, who takes a hard (and often funny) look at the myth of “time-saving” technology—something most of us probably feel in our inboxes every day. And it’s there, too, in the ongoing fights to protect jobs, win contracts, and keep institutions like newspapers and libraries alive.

And if you’d like to support this work, we hope you’ll join us for the Solidarity Forever Awards on May 14—your support helps make the FilmFest and programs like the Power Hour possible, and includes free passes to this year’s DC Labor FilmFest. You can sign up here.

As always, thanks for reading—and for being part of the work of keeping these stories alive and moving.

In solidarity,

Chris

photo: Delivering DCLFF passes to the Sheetmetal Workers and Iron Workers earlier this week; photo by Elise Bryant

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR


SAT: Harlan County USA (WA)

SAT: MLK's Support for Labor Commemorative Banquet (NC)

SAT: FILM: BARISTAS VS BILLIONAIRES (DC)

SUN: Beer and Everyday Life in Pullman (IL)

SUN: FILM: BARISTAS VS BILLIONAIRES (DC)

Ongoing Events

Got a Labor event? Email us: info@laborheritage.org

THIS WEEK'S LABOR HERITAGE POWER HOUR RADIO SHOW


Janna Ahrndt Does Not Dream of Labor

On this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour: The 2026 DC Labor FilmFest launches on May Day, with AFI Silver programmers previewing a strong, global lineup with a notable surge in women-centered stories. Artist Janna Ahrndt explores the hidden labor of digital life, while Conor Casey tells the story of The Seattle Union Record. Plus: labor helps Jackie Robinson break the color barrier, the latest labor arts news, and music from the R.J. Phillips Band and Floorchild.

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS


Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Saved by Nonprofit Sale: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will continue publishing after a nonprofit, the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, reached a deal to acquire the paper. While the sale secures the future of the historic paper — and the jobs of its unionized workforce — The NewsGuild-CWA has expressed concern. Read more

Lucky 8 and Sharp Entertainment Workers Ratify Contracts: Nonfiction television staff represented by the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) at Lucky 8 and Sharp Entertainment ratified new collective bargaining agreements. Read more

Library Workers Win Major Layoff Reversal in Washington State: Library workers in Washington state won a major victory after Timberland Regional Library leadership agreed to rescind more than 80% of planned layoffs following strong union and community pressure. Read more

Scientific American Workers Announce Intent to Join WGAE: The staff behind Scientific American are organizing and requesting that management voluntarily recognize the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) as its bargaining representative. Reporters, editors, producers and other staff who produce both the digital and print products for the science magazine went public on Monday. Read more

CBS News 24/7 Union Ratifies Contract With AI Guardrails: The contract secures industry-leading protections around generative AI. Read more

ESPN Hair And Make-up Artists Vote To Join IATSE: The all-women workforce is seeking health insurance, retirement benefits, and stronger workplace protections. Read more

Culture and History Combine for UK General Strike Anniversary: Cultural events and historical reflection will mark the centenary of the United Kingdom’s 1926 General Strike in Tyneside. Read more

Reports from AFL-CIO Daily, The NewsGuild, The Wrap, Connecticut AFL-CIO, Cultured.Northeast.


WHAT WE’RE READING

Amid Cesar Chavez allegations and statue removals, some argue that monuments shouldn't just be replaced—they should be rethought altogether. -The Atlantic

LR Vandy's rope sculptures disentangle histories of colonialism and transportation.

- Colossal

LABOR VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Get Organized! Floorchild

After making a splash with their song Washington For All last year, Floorchild (made up of Washington Federation of State Employees - AFSCME Council 28 - members Joshua Eaton, Charles Loeffler, and trumpet player Erica) have released a new song called Get Organized. Eaton tells us the song came out of a desire to grow union membership. “All three verses are a part of what it takes/feels like and what we win when do get organized,” Eaton says. Read more
Got labor video? email us at info@laborheritage.org

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK 

SEIU 99 and the LA Unified School District came to a last minute agreement this week avoiding a massive strike.

Got a picket sign? Email us: info@laborheritage.org

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Never Surrender - R.J. Phillips Band

“Our latest recording is a tribute to the men and women whose efforts and sacrifices contributed to the gains in the labor movement,” says lyricist and composer Joe DeFilippo. "Never Surrender tells their story.” 
Got a Labor song? Email us: info@laborheritage.org

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Zohran Mamdani

“There is no New York City without unions. Across the world, when people think of our city, they think of greatness. And when they think of that greatness, whether they know it or not, they are thinking of the power of organized labor.”


Last week, members of CWA and other labor allies joined Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a rally in New York to commemorate the launch of Union NOW! The non-profit organization has a mission to directly support workers who are organizing or striking in the fight for fair contracts. Click here to watch the entire event.

Got a labor quote? Email us: info@laborheritage.org

LABOR LANDMARK OF THE WEEK: Richard F. Quinn Monument

Nalcrest, Florida is a retirement village specifically for retired postal employees, created by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). Its town square features a bronze statue of Richard F. Quinn, a significant figure in postal history. The statue, which depicts him with a moustache, sun helmet, and letters in hand, originally stood in front of the William Penn Post Office Annex in Philadelphia for over 25 years. 

Details on the LHF Labor Landmarks Map.

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The Last Words of Joe Hill Are Still Echoing

On this week’s Labor History Today, producer Harold Phillips talks with Victoria McCallum and Lance Simpson about The Last Words of Joe Hill, a short play that imagines Hill in a modern coffee shop, connecting past struggles to today’s fights over wages, job security, and organizing. Blending interview and radio drama, the episode traces the line from the IWW to campaigns like Starbucks Workers United—and reminds us that Hill’s message still resonates: don’t mourn, organize.

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CLICK HERE for our complete labor arts calendar; look for our Labor Arts Calendar edition on Monday

TODAY'S LABOR HISTORY
1905: In one of the most controversial decisions in the Supreme Court's history, Lochner v. New York, the Court holds that a law limiting working hours for New York bakery workers is unconstitutional.

LAST WEEK’S QUIZ: Frances Perkins, born on April 10, 1880, was named Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, becoming the first woman to hold a cabinet-level office.

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