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On Union Talk, AFT president Randi Weingarten will interview workers, policymakers and experts who are confronting the issues working families face and championing solutions. From the classroom to the bargaining table to Congress to the streets, Union Talk will look at the past, present and possible ways the labor movement and unions are vehicles to secure opportunity, justice and a voice in our democracy for all. Different episodes of Union Talk will do deep dives on great public schools and affordable higher education, healthcare as a right, unions, an economy that works for all and what it takes to maintain a thriving democracy. Union Talk will tell the stories that demonstrate that together we can accomplish for our families and communities what is impossible to do alone.
Episode List
1/21/22
Omicron, Boosters and Schools
Join us as AFT President Randi Weingarten moderates a discussion with the U.S. Surgeon General, Irwin Redlener, and Dr. Vin Gupta about Omicron, boosters and schools.
12/08/21
Teaching Honest History
Randi talks to scholars Dr. Marcia Chatelain of Georgetown University and professor Peter Levine of Tufts University to pull back the curtain on what is behind the efforts to use critical race theory to divide parents and teachers, the importance of teaching honest history, how to support educators under attack, and how teachers and parents can partner to help all students thrive.
11/22/21
COVID-19 Vaccines and Children
Randi is joined by Chief Nurse Officer Rear Admiral Aisha Mix, AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and two parent-teachers—Colleen McElligott-Liporto from Lynn, Mass., and Veronica Lindsey from Socorro, Texas—to discuss the Biden administration’s efforts to make COVID-19 vaccines readily available for children and the ongoing efforts to combat vaccine misinformation.
11/01/21
Do you have student debt? New Changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and how this can help you!
AFT President Randi Weingarten, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan and U.S. Department of Education Senior Advisor Julie Morgan answer questions about how the recent changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and settlement of the Weingarten v. DeVos lawsuit are helping to fix this program and help hundreds of thousands of educators, healthcare professionals, firefighters and other public employees become debt-free. For more information, go to www.aft.org/PSLF or check out the online resource Summer, which helps AFT members and associate members navigate the changes to PSLF and reduce or eliminate their debt load.
10/07/21
From the Bedside: A Conversation with Nurses Caring for COVID Patients
"Union Talk" brings you inside America's hospitals to talk to three nurses about the stress, strain and "emotional roller coaster" they've faced caring for patients throughout the pandemic and what they want people to know about vaccines, misinformation and what nurses need in this moment.
09/22/21
Prioritizing Student and Staff Safety in the Classroom
Take a listen to our latest AFT virtual town hall, bringing together distinguished experts and leaders from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Turnaround for Children, AASA/The School Superintendents Association and the National PTA, as well as the U.S. surgeon general, as they answer questions, debunk myths and share information about how we can reopen schools—and keep schools open—while prioritizing safety for students and staff.
09/04/21
Labor Day with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh
Randi talks with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh about the importance of unions, building power for working people in our economy, how the Biden administration is ensuring the freedom for all to thrive and what his Labor Day message is to the American people.
09/04/21
A Safe Back to School for All
Learn how one district in Lynn, Mass., is working together for a safe and successful back to school for all. As part of her national back-to-school tour, Randi sits down with the leader of the Lynn Teachers Union, a member and parent, the superintendent and the mayor to talk about how they’re working together to safely reopen schools for in-person learning and what other districts can learn from their experience.