Welcome back to Swamp Person! Today we welcome our first GUEST. Her name is Jenny Hunter, and she’s a labor lawyer and writer based in DC. And we are so excited to be answering some important questions about LABOR UNIONS + THE SUPREME COURT.
THINGS WE TALK ABOUT:
- First things first: Jenny’s cat Smokey
- The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), what it does for workers, and what the Supreme Court is doing to undermine it
- Lindy’s existential question: why don’t we all agree that every person deserves to have our basic needs met? Was the Supreme Court a good idea or nah?
- The myths of bootstraps and billionaires.
- Why the concept of “unskilled labor” is a zero-sum game where nobody wins? Sorry but working retail and being a server involves…skill?
- Lindy’s eye-opening stint as local chimney sweep
- WTF a secondary boycott is
- How the Supreme Court has always been pretty evil towards workers
- FDR’s political pressure applied towards the Supreme Court to achieve his New Deal agenda
- The performative aspect of the Supreme Court
- Why adding justices to the Supreme Court is a path to a better balanced court
- Alito’s self-precedence???
- Republicans being okay with a credibly accused sexual assailant (Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh)
- Why doors are flying off of airplanes mid-flight…
Jenny highlights the big pros of unions including:
-people being able to receive higher wages and better benefits
-the spillover effect from raised wages and benefits
-Keeping income inequality in check
-increases class mobility
-strengthens the middle class
-reduces racial and gender pay gaps
-educates the community on impactful voting
-reduces class conflict
Small actions for you:
-Never cross a picket line!
-stand by targeted or general boycotts - small actions add up
-shop at pro-union companies
-donate to strike funds
Resources and actions:
- Connect with Jenny!
- Stay tuned for the book So Long Dental Plan!
- Write in with any questions! SWAMP PERSON in the subject line to deartextmeback@gmail.com
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