America’s Work Force Union Podcast

Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together—but solidarity means looking out for each other's minds as well as their livelihoods.

In this episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc sits down with John Lepley, Director of Education and Membership Development at the United Steelworkers (USW). Marking both Mental Health Awareness Month and the USW's 84th anniversary, John highlights a vital shift in the labor movement: treating mental health as a core collective bargaining issue.

What We Discuss in This Episode:

• The Power of Peer Support: Inside the USW’s voluntary mental health curriculum, developed alongside CUNY psychology professor Waleed Sami, which teaches members to spot warning signs and connect colleagues with professional care.
• Healthcare Workers in Crisis: How chronic understaffing, isolation, and workplace violence are compounding the mental health crisis for nurses and healthcare professionals—and how the union is fighting back.
• Bargaining for Well-being: Why scheduling, staffing ratios, and the boundary between work and home life are fundamental mental health policies that belong in every union contract.
• Leadership from the Top: The critical role General President Roxanne Brown played in championing this program from its early pilot stages to a nationwide union initiative.

Important Resources:

• If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.
• Learn more about the United Steelworkers and their initiatives at usw.org.
• Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily insights from the leaders building worker power across America!

As America’s energy infrastructure undergoes a massive evolution, one critical trade is quietly keeping it all efficient: mechanical insulation.

On today's episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc welcomes back Pete Ielmini, Executive Director of the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT), for his monthly update. Pete reveals the latest behind-the-scenes push on Capitol Hill and details why the future of American energy security relies on skilled union labor.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode:

• Bipartisan Momentum on Capitol Hill: An inside look at Senate Bill 4312 (S.4312), the Federal Mechanical Insulation Act of 2026. Sponsored by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Steve Daines, this bill aims to mandate insulation upgrades across 350,000 federal buildings to save taxpayer dollars.
• The Power of Thermal Imaging: How the LMCT is utilizing live thermal camera demonstrations at trade shows to make energy waste instantly visible to architects, engineers, and facility managers.
• The Data Center Cooling Demand: Why modern data centers—which require constant cooling between 55 to 60 degrees—are creating a massive pipeline of work for mechanical insulators.
• The Nuclear Energy Revival: Pete makes a direct case for nuclear power as the cleanest, most efficient solution to America's energy deficit, highlighting Microsoft's reactivation of Three Mile Island and the rise of small modular reactors.

Learn More: To find out more about the legislation and the economic impact of mechanical insulation, visit mechanicalinsulatorslmct.com.

Is American manufacturing fighting a losing battle against corporate greed and foreign markets?

On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we welcome back our independent labor voice, Tom Buffenbarger (Retired International President of the IAM Union). With over 50 years of labor experience, Buffenbarger delivers a masterclass on the current geopolitical and legislative battles directly affecting American workers.

What’s inside today’s episode:

• The China EV Domino Effect: How decades of short-term corporate decisions—starting with early aerospace offshoring—handed China 70% of the global EV market, creating a massive economic and national security vulnerability.
• The Apple Store Retaliation: The inside story of the IAM’s hard-fought victory at a Baltimore Apple store, the subsequent union-busting tactics, and the alarming trend of closing unionized storefronts.
• A Turning Point for Labor Law: Why the Faster Labor Contracts Act is gaining sudden momentum. With a House discharge petition clearing the crucial 218-signature threshold, find out how this bipartisan bill could force binding arbitration and end endless employer delay tactics.
• OSHA Under Fire: A stark warning about proposed 20% to 25% budget cuts to the Department of Labor for FY2027, and what it means for worker safety on the job.

Connect With Us

Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. Don't miss an episode of the stories building worker power across America.

• Website: https://awf.labortools.com/

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While veteran students pursuing a four-year degree receive 100% of their monthly housing allowance for the duration of their program, veterans entering union apprenticeships face a steep penalty: their housing support is slashed by 20% every six months.

In this episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we sit down with Joseph Sharpe Jr. (Director of the National Veterans Employment and Education Commission at the American Legion) and Policy Associate Steve Betsch to break down the Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026 (S.3993). This bipartisan Senate legislation, introduced by Senators Tim Sheehy and Elissa Slotkin, aims to eliminate this arbitrary step-down and bring true parity to veteran benefits.

What We Discuss in This Episode:

• The GI Bill’s Modern Flaw: Why the historical assumption that rising apprentice wages offset housing cuts no longer matches today's cost-of-living realities.
• Personal Stakes: Steve Betsch shares his journey from a Navy submarine to graduating debt-free, illustrating how critical these benefits are to financial survival during transitions.
• National Security & The Workforce: How bridging this benefit gap can help recruit veterans to fill the nation's 600,000 vacant skilled trades jobs and rebuild critical infrastructure like American shipbuilding.
• A Call to Action for Labor Leaders: How union locals can throw their weight behind S.3993 to get this legislation across the finish line.

Take Action: Union leaders and members are encouraged to contact the offices of Senator Tim Sheehy or Senator Elissa Slotkin to submit a formal letter of support for S.3993.

Learn more about the American Legion's advocacy work at legion.org.

What does it actually mean to support our military veterans when they transition to civilian life? It goes far beyond a simple "thank you for your service." It means providing a direct path to a good life, a strong career, and an industry culture that protects their mental well-being.

On this special Memorial Day episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc sits down with Mike Hazard, a Navy veteran and the Executive Director of the United Association’s Veterans in Piping (VIP) program.

 

Hazard shares the incredible 18-year track record of the UA VIP program—a DoD SkillBridge initiative that has placed more than 3,700 graduates into guaranteed, high-paying career tracks within the pipe trades. But the conversation doesn't stop at career placement. Hazard dives deep into an urgent, deeply personal mission: tackling the mental health crisis in the construction industry.

 

Key Discussion Points:

• The 10% Bottleneck: Why timeline constraints mean only a fraction of the 200,000 annually transitioning service members can access elite programs like VIP, and how partnerships with Helmets to Hardhats provide a vital safety net.
• The Staggering Statistics: Why construction workers are six times more likely to die by suicide than by a job site accident—and how the UA is fighting back by embedding dedicated suicide prevention workshops directly into standard OSHA 30 training.
• The Power of Peer Support: The specific, lifesaving training that teaches workers to bypass vague language and ask the direct question: "Are you thinking about suicide?"
• A Sovereign Memorial Day Message: A veteran’s reflection on how to honor families who have lost loved ones in uniform—and why listening to their stories with both ears is our ultimate obligation.

 

Critical Resources & Links:

• Learn more about the UA VIP Program: uavip.org
• Explore Veteran Trade Paths: unionvets.org
• Get Support Now: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

 

Want more stories from the frontline of the labor movement? Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast to get the latest interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.

The labor movement is done waiting for a seat at the table—workers are fighting for survival at the federal level and running for legislative seats locally.

In this episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we examine the dual realities of modern union power: the defensive structural protections of our public infrastructure and the offensive strategy of electoral politics.

Part 1: The Federal Worker Purge & The Privatization Playbook

Jacqueline Simon, Policy Director of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), joins the show to deliver a sobering report on the state of the federal workforce. Since January 2025, a sweeping execution of executive orders has fundamentally altered public services.

• The 300,000 Job Elimination: Why abolishing permanent positions permanently reduces federal capacity and sets agencies up to fail.
• The National Security Loophole: How a million workers had their collective bargaining rights stripped in what the administration's own paperwork admits was a retaliatory strike against the union.
• Designed to Fail: The systematic gutting of Social Security field offices, 30,000 lost positions at VA healthcare, and the looming threat of TSA privatization.

Part 2: From Endorsements to the Ballot Box

Shifting to the offensive, Davida Russell, Secretary-Treasurer of the North Coast Area Labor Federation and Ohio CLUW State President, discusses her historic Democratic primary victory for the Ohio House, capturing nearly 75 percent of the vote.

• The Pivot to Power: Why working people are tired of empty campaign promises and are increasingly running their own members for office.
• Unstoppable Women Conference: A preview of the biennial gathering on June 5-6 in Independence, Ohio, featuring panels with Stacey Abrams, Amy Acton, Nina Turner, and trailblazing labor leaders.
• Real-World Realities: Addressing the financial and emotional exhaustion of the working class and channeling 60-year-high union favorability into direct legislative action.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about AFGE’s legal challenges: afge.org
• AFL-CIO Website: aflcio.org 

Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily insight into worker power: awf.labortools.com

Artificial intelligence is moving fast, but union journalists are fighting back even faster.

In today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc sits down with Jon Schleuss, President of the NewsGuild-CWA, fresh off his historic election to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) executive committee in Paris. Representing journalists across 100 countries, Schleuss gives us a sobering look at global threats to press freedom—from media consolidation to algorithmic exploitation—and explains how he’s exporting the American organizing playbook to a global stage.

We dive deep into the front lines of the labor movement, including:

• The War on "AI Slop": Why outlets like Ziff Davis and Cal Matters have signed contracts protecting human journalists, while The New York Times and ProPublica continue to resist critical guardrails.
• CWA Has LA's Back: How the union is providing a financial runway ($500/week strike benefits and healthcare) to laid-off Los Angeles journalists fighting alleged anti-union discrimination as they launch an independent newsroom at ourpapernow.org.
• The Publishing House Surge: Inside the massive organizing wins drawing in over 730 workers at Hachette Books and the University of Chicago Press.

Discover more about worker power: Visit newsguild.org to learn more about the campaigns mentioned in this episode.

Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily insights, interviews, and updates from the front lines of the American labor movement.

On today's episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast, we are covering a massive amount of ground—from the halls of the Ohio Statehouse to the structural healthcare barriers facing union moms across the country.

Segment 1: Ohio Labor Under Fire with Melissa Cropper

Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) and Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio AFL-CIO, joins the show to unpack three simultaneous attacks on Ohio workers and the democratic process:

• The Midnight Pension Raid: How a 1 a.m. budget amendment stripped elected educators of control over the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board, and the legal battle (plus House Bill 719) fighting to reverse it.

• HB 698 & Higher Ed Restrictions: How this compliance mechanism is weaponizing state funding to restrict collective bargaining and aggressively police DEI roles.

• Union Busting in the Stacks: A look at the Columbus Metropolitan Library administration's aggressive anti-union campaign ahead of a critical mid-June election—and details on the June 7 community rally at Franklin Park.

Segment 2: Breaking the Silence on Perinatal Mental Health

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we sit down with Merrilee Logue, Executive Director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield's National Labor Office, and Arin McClune, Clinical Quality Senior Program Manager with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association National, to tackle the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in America: maternal mental health disorders.

• The Stark Reality: Up to 20% of women experience these disorders, yet fewer than 20% are ever screened.

• The Racial Equity Gap: Why women of color are twice as likely to suffer from maternal mental health challenges but only half as likely to receive care.

• The Union Solution: With 68% of mothers with young children in the workforce, find out how labor leaders can advocate for remote work, flexible scheduling, and integrated mental health benefits to build a culture of solidarity and support.

Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement: Every victory starts with workers standing together. Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast to get the latest interviews with the leaders, organizers, and advocates building true worker power.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

What happens when local politicians prioritize budget spreadsheets over public safety?

In this episode, we visited with IAFF Local 1120 President Jeremy Gillam from the Bucyrus City Fire Department in Ohio. Gillam shares the harsh reality of leading an 18-member department stretched to its absolute limit, forcing first responders to fight not just fires but also city council budget cuts.

Key Takeaways From the Interview:

• The Staffing Crisis: Due to severe staffing shortages, Gillam was nearly unable to make the interview because he was called to active duty. Since taking over full EMS responsibilities for the city and four surrounding townships in 2021, the number of on-duty first responders in the area has dropped from 11 to just 5 or 6 per shift.
• Math vs. Myth on Overtime: While the city council complains about a swelling $600,000 overtime budget, Gillam explains that hiring six additional firefighters would erase the overtime burden, improve safety, and cost the city virtually nothing extra. The union even offered a 0% wage increase to restore their sixth overnight firefighter.
• Vote of No Confidence: Local 1120 members recently stood shoulder-to-shoulder at a city council meeting to deliver a unanimous vote of no confidence against their Fire Chief. Gillam reveals how the chief actively negotiated against his own members at the bargaining table and failed to maintain up-to-date standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Disaster Preparedness Realities: Reflecting on the East Palestine train derailment, Gillam warns that smaller towns like Bucyrus—which see constant hazardous train traffic—are fundamentally unequipped to handle a national-scale chemical disaster with current staffing levels.

Get Involved: Connect with the department and support local first responders by visiting IAFF Local 1120 on Facebook or Instagram. Taxpayers are always welcome to open the door, take a tour, and see what it takes to protect the community day in and day out.

On this episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed "Flash" Ferenc welcomes Dr. Michael MacDonald, director of audiology, and Rick Renna, chief growth officer of Birdsong Hearing Benefits.

More than 22 million American workers face hazardous noise levels on the job, yet fewer than 16% of adults with hearing loss use hearing aids. MacDonald and Renna break down the severe economic, physical and psychological toll this takes on union tradespeople, noting that untreated hearing loss often results in an annual wage gap of roughly $12,000.

Key topics discussed include:

• The Career Toll: Why workers quietly pass on union leadership roles and trustee posts to avoid exposing their hearing limitations.

• The Safety Risk: How operating in high-noise environments causes physical fatigue and drives workers' compensation claims up to 33% higher annually.

• The Mental Health Connection: Recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month by exploring the link between untreated hearing loss, social isolation and cognitive decline.

• Eroding the Stigma: How modern, Bluetooth-enabled discrete tech is changing the perception of hearing aids for younger workers.

To learn more about implementing dedicated hearing benefits for your union members or health plan, visit birdsonghearing.com.